Ather Energy plans low-cost electric scooter

Bengaluru-based smart electric scooter OEM Ather Energy is set to introduce a new low-cost electric scooter, which is expected to be called the 450S. The company has trademarked the ‘450S’ nametag, suggesting that a launch may not be that far away.

Ather Energy had applied for the 450S trademark in late March 2023 and the application has passed the formalities check. Furthermore, the company has also filed a trademark for what appears to be the 450S logo. Both these factors suggest that Ather’s line-up will soon expand with a third electric scooter.

As for the scooter itself, not much is known in the public domain. But expect the Ather 450S to be less feature-packed than the range-topping 450X. Features such as the seven-inch TFT touchscreen, auto-hold and maybe even a riding mode may be omitted. This will enable the manufacturer to price the electric scooter competitively and help it gain a larger slice of the electric scooter sales pie.

Ola Electric, which is one of Ather’s main competitors in the two-wheeler EV market, already has a low-cost electric scooter in the form of the S1 Air (starts from Rs 84,999). Hence, the 450S should help Ather compete better with Ola, which has been the largest-selling 2W EV maker in India for the past few months. 

Ather Energy recently updated its 450X line-up by adding a new entry-level variant, which is priced at Rs 98,183 (ex-showroom, Delhi with FAME-II and state subsidy). The 450X ProPack, meanwhile, costs Rs 30,000 more and gets all the bells and whistles like riding modes, fast charging and more. When launched, expect the new Ather 450S to undercut the entry-level 450X variant.

The company, which sold a total of 93,212 EVs in FY2023, up 302% year on year (FY2022: 23,167 units), is looking to accelerate its play in the growing Indian electric scooter market. In April 2023, the first month of FY2024, Ather retailed 7,680 units and was ranked fourth among the top-selling e-two-wheeler OEMs in the country.

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