Smart electric scooter manufacturer Ather Energy has opened a new retail showroom at Vesu in Surat. This is its second experience centre in the state of Gujarat and its 25^th in India and is set up in association with the Kataria Group, which also partnered the first showroom in Ahmedabad.

The company says it is witnessing a surge in demand for its electric scooters – the Ather 450X and 450 Plus – in Gujarat, following the opening of its first outlet there in Ahmedabad in February this year and the offering of state subsidy on EVs. Ather claims it has clocked an eight-fold increase in sales albeit it has not provided specific sales numbers. The ex-showroom price after the FAME II revision for the Ather 450X is Rs 126,926 and Rs 107,916 for the Ather 450 Plus in Surat.

According to Ravneet Singh Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy, "The response from Gujarat has been phenomenal since the opening of our Ahmedabad experience centre. Consumers have evolved and are now aware of the benefits of going electric, and expect electric scooters to offer excellent riding and ownership experience. This has led to a significant demand for Ather’s 450X and 450 Plus scooters, as they are currently India’s best electric scooters on offer. To cater to growing consumer demand in Gujarat, we are planning to expand to more cities, as we continue to see more customers in the state shifting to electric scooters.”

Like all other Ather experience stores, the showroom in Surat will enable customers to get familiar with Ather scooters in a dynamic, tactile and interactive manner. The store aims to educate customers about every aspect of the vehicle and witness the engineering and mechanical efforts that go into each Ather scooter. Test rides can also be booked on the company’s website before visiting the experience centre to experience riding a connected and intelligent scooter. The Experience Centre has been opened in partnership with the Kataria Group. 

Ather Energy, one of the few OEMs which also invests in building a charging infrastructure, has installed two fast-charging points – Ather Grid – in Surat (at Adajan and Magdalla). It plans to add 8-10 more to strengthen the charging network and make the transition to electric scooters stress-free and convenient.

Ather Energy aims to add 500 Ather Grids by the end of FY2022 across the country. The rapid charging network is available to all electric two-wheelers and electric four-wheelers, and it is free of charge until the end of December 2021. Ather Energy also helps customers in setting up home charging solutions in their apartments and buildings.

Ather Energy has expanded its retail footprint across key cities in India and is currently present in 21 cities with 25 retail stores. The company plans to expand to 100 cities with 150 Experience Centers by March 2023.