Ather Energy, Bounce partner for peer-to-peer scooter sharing program

Bangalore-based electric vehicle maker Ather Energy has joined hands with Bounce, India’s fastest growing dock less shared mobility player for their peer-to-peer (P2P) scooter sharing program.

To help Covid-19 frontline workers like healthcare workers, delivery partners, or civic authorities, Bounce had introduced ScooterHero a P2P initiative where individuals could rent out their vehicles directly during the lockdown. Bounce says taking the P2P program a step further, the partnership with Ather enables new Ather 450 owners to monetise the idle time of the vehicle by listing their vehicle on the Bounce App for all their customers and earning an additional income. Unlike the typical dockless model Bounce offers, the P2P scooters are picked up and returned to the owner by Bounce customers.

Ather is the first brand to partner with Bounce to make their products available through this program. To opt for this model, consumers need to book the Ather 450 through the Bounce platform and on delivery the commercially registered vehicle is ready to be listed on the Bounce app. Bounce customers will be able to rent the vehicle for hours or days, as listed by the owner. Consumers will be remunerated by Bounce when their scooter is rented.

Ather has introduced new post-purchase plans (Ather One), customised for the sharing model - including a new service and maintenance plan which will address the wear and tear of multi-rider usage. Although, unlike traditional two-wheelers, with the connected features on the Ather 450 and real time diagnostics, owners can rest easy as their vehicle is safe. They will be able to monitor the health of the vehicle and its usage via the Ather mobile app. These scooters will also be eligible for free fast charging at 38 Ather Grid points, for one year and will be delivered with a portable charger that can be used at any 5A plug point, anywhere in the city.

The pilot program launches in Bengaluru from May 2020. The Ather 450’s purchased via Bounce’s website can be booked for Rs 499 and will be delivered on priority basis post the lockdown once deliveries resume.

Tarun Mehta, co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy said: “We have always offered unique purchase models that have been designed to make ownership hassle-free. This partnership with Bounce allows our owners to decrease their overall cost of ownership and break even on their investment faster. The Ather scooters are designed on a connected and intelligent platform and the transition to a rideshare use has been seamless. The connectivity will increase the confidence of Ather owners and Bounce renters both, to sign up for the program.”

Vivekananda Hallekere, co-founder and CEO, Bounce: “The current way of owning a vehicle and using it only for few hours a day puts a lot of stress on the entire eco system including parking. Bounce brings in trust to enable people share assets. During times of Covid when public transport won’t be ideal, driverless solutions will help move people. It will also enable people to generate cost from existing assets.”