Ather Energy rides into Delhi, aims to disrupt EV market with aggressive pricing

Electric scooter manufacturer Ather Energy today inaugurated its new retail outlet called Ather Space, at Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi. This is Ather Energy’s 10th experience centre in India, designed to provide a unique ownership experience along with complete service and support for the owners.

Ather Space will offer customers an opportunity to learn about every aspect of the vehicle. The Ather 450X, India’s quickest and smartest scooter, alongside the Ather 450 plus will be available to test ride and purchase. 

Over the past year, the Delhi government has taken numerous steps to address the growing challenges of pollution and has strongly advocated the shift towards green transportation modes. Building on the impetus provided by the policy upgrades, including the highest subsidies on electric vehicles in Delhi and additional breaks on road tax and registration fees, Ather says it is all set to disrupt the EV market in the national capital. The EV maker will offer its flagship Ather 450X and 450 plus at its lowest prices in Delhi. 

Ather Energy inaugurated its first experience centre in Bengaluru in June 2018 and later expanded its base with a bigger experience centre in Chennai. Earlier this year, new outlets came up in Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kochi, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad. 

Ather Energy began deliveries of the Ather 450X in the capital in early April and has significantly invested in setting up public fast charging points, Ather Grid across the city. The company has set up 14 fast-charging points – called Ather Grid – across key hotspots in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad and aims to double the number of charging stations by the end of this year. The fast-charging points in Delhi are available in locations like Green Park, Dilshad Garden, Krishna Nagar, and Connaught Place. To ease the public charging experience, Ather Grid will be available in locations like malls, cafes, supermarkets and tech parks. Ather Energy also helps customers in setting up home charging solutions in their apartments and buildings.

Buyback program
Ather Energy has an Assured Buyback program on its vehicles under which customers will get Rs. 85,000 as a guaranteed value for the Ather 450X at the end of three years. Ather vehicles are also available for lease, allowing customers to access a fully loaded Ather 450X with a down payment and a monthly fee, starting at Rs 3,394 per month.

Following the recent FAME 2 revisions and the 50% increase in subsidy for electric two-wheelers, the ex-showroom price of the Ather 450X is Rs 132,426 and Rs 113,416 for the Ather 450 Plus in Delhi. Ather says considering the total cost of ownership of a comparable petrol-engined 125cc scooter, Ather  450X and Ather 450 Plus owners can now breakeven their investment in 18-24 months and will begin to save nearly Rs 2 per km in the years after. 

Commenting on the entry into New Delhi, Ravneet Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy, said: “Delhi is an incredibly important market for Ather Energy, and we expect a substantial contribution from Delhi and NCR as we continue our journey to be the market leader. With the new Ather Space in New Delhi, we're aiming to educate consumers about high-performance EVs and engage with them so they can confidently shift to an electric vehicle. Moreover, the recent FAME II revision and policy initiatives and subsidies introduced by the Delhi government make Delhi EV prices one of the lowest in the country, and will accelerate the adoption of EVs. We hope to play a strong role in Delhi's transition to electric mobility.”