Ather Energy has no plans to enter the electric motorcycle segment in the near term, instead, it plans to focus more on expanding its new scooter platform even as several rivals prepare to launch battery-powered motorcycles in India.
According to Ather Energy co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Tarun Mehta, the company’s strategy is to first concentrate on rolling out products based on its new EL platform before entering the electric motorcycle space.
"At this point, we are focused on the EL platform and getting at least the first, maybe two products, maybe another product out on it in the next year," Mehta said to investors.
Ather had earlier said it is developing a dedicated motorcycle platform, codenamed Zenith, alongside its EL scooter architecture. The comments indicate that Ather is now taking a measured approach towards a segment that is still at an early stage of adoption.
"Motorcycles are starting to look interesting. But Ather may not be the pioneer this time. We may watch the market. We want to see how consumers respond, which segments show a willingness and an interest towards the segment before we make our maiden launch here," Mehta said.
He added that an electric motorcycle from Ather is not expected anytime soon. "So this, I would say, more than a year away, for sure. Probably two years plus," he said.
The company's strategy comes at a time when India's electric two-wheeler market continues to be led by scooters, while electric motorcycles account for only a small share of overall EV sales.
Several manufacturers have announced plans to enter the segment. Royal Enfield has unveiled its Flying Flea electric motorcycle brand, while startups including Ultraviolette, Revolt and Oben are expanding their presence. Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp are also developing electric motorcycle platforms.
Ather, however, plans to observe how the market evolves before committing resources to the category.
Instead, the company is prioritising its EL scooter platform, which is scheduled to be unveiled later this month. Mehta said production has already begun, homologation has been completed and high-volume trials are underway. The company plans to launch the new platform on August 29.
The EL platform is expected to underpin multiple future scooter models and forms part of Ather's strategy to expand production and meet rising demand for electric scooters.