Ather Energy Pvt. Ltd.
TypePrivate
Industry
Founded2013 (2013)
Founder
  • Tarun Mehta
  • Swapnil Jain
[1]
HeadquartersBangalore, Karnataka, India
Products
Production output
Increase 51,749[2] (2022)
RevenueIncrease ₹1,783.6 crore (US$220 million) (FY23)[3]
Negative increase ₹−865 crore (US$−110 million) (FY23)
Websiteatherenergy.com
Footnotes / references
[4]

Ather Energy is an Indian electric two-wheeler manufacturer, headquartered in Bangalore. It was founded by Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain in 2013. It currently manufactures electric scooters named the Ather 450 Apex, Ather 450S, Ather 450X and the Ather 450X Pro. It has two EV manufacturing facilities one in Whitefield, Bangalore and other in Hosur, Tamil Nadu.[5][6]

It is India's fifth largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer after Ola Electric, Okinawa Autotech, Hero Electric and Ampere Vehicles. It has also established electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country called Ather Grid which is India's largest two-wheeler electric charging network.[7]

History

Ather Energy was founded in 2013 by Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain.

In early 2014, it received ₹4.5 million (US$56,000) from the Technology Development Board under Department of Science and Technology, IIT Madras and Srini V Srinivasan, IIT alumnus and founder of Aerospike.[8] In December 2014, Flipkart founders, Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal invested $1 million as the seed capital.[9] In May 2015, it received $12 million from Tiger Global for investments in development, testing, production and the launch of the vehicle.[10]

On 23 February 2016, the company unveiled its first scooter S340 at a technology conference Surge in Bengaluru.[11][12] Hero MotoCorp invested ₹180 crore (US$23 million) in the Series B round of funding in October 2016. It invested again in 2018 to the tune of ₹130 crore (US$16 million).[13][14]

In May 2019, Ather Energy raised $51 million in another round of funding, led by Sachin Bansal's investment of $32 million. Hero MotoCorp converted its convertible debt of $19 million as a part of this round. In addition to this, InnoVen Capital extended an $8 million venture debt.[15]

In December 2019, Ather Energy signed a MoU with Government of Tamil Nadu to set up a 400,000 sq ft (37,000 m2) manufacturing plant for electrical vehicles in Hosur. The invested amount will be around ₹635 crore (equivalent to ₹789 crore or US$99 million in 2023).[16][17]

The company added two new products to its portfolio, the Ather 450X and the Ather 450 Plus in January 2020.[18]

In July 2020, Ather Energy raised $11.4 million from Hero MotoCorp, as a part of its Series C round funding.[19] In November 2020, Ather Energy raised a fresh round of ₹260 crore (US$33 million) as a part of Series D round, led by Sachin Bansal's investment of ₹170 crore (US$21 million) and $12 million by Hero MotoCorp.[20]

Production and infrastructure

Ather Energy began operations at its production facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, on 2 January 2021.[21] The new Ather factory has an annual capacity of 1,10,000 scooters and 1,20,000 battery packs.[22] The company currently has a presence in 27 cities across 15 states.[23]

Ather Energy also establishes Ather Grid, an electric vehicle charging infrastructure in cities it is present in. The company has set up over 1000 fast charging points in 80+ cities across India as of May 2023.

Products

Ather 450S

Ather 450S was officially launched on Friday, August 11,2023, with 5400 watts PMSM Motor that generates a torque of 22Nm. It offers a range of 115 km and a True range of 90 km on single charge has a top speed of 90 km/h. It takes 6 hours 36 minutes from 0-80% and 8 hours 36 minutes from 0-100% with a portable home charger. [24]

It packed with features like Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Vehicle FallSafe, Guide-me-on light, Trip Planner, and Theft & Tow Alerts.[25]

Ather has crafted this economical model without compromising its essence. Cost reduction measures are seamlessly executed, maintaining the scooter's performance-focused character. [26]

Ather 450x (Gen 3.1)

Launched on 7 January 2023.

Ather Energy has also introduced the Ather Stack 5.0 software with improved graphics. The software includes features such as Wings of Power, Google Vector Maps, and Auto Hold. However, Auto Hold is only available for the Gen 3 and Gen 3.1 models. The Gen 2 model does not support this feature due to different motor controllers.

Overall, the Ather 450X Gen 3.1 is a stylish and high-performance electric scooter with several notable improvements over its predecessor, including new colour options and upgraded software. The scooter has received positive reviews for its performance and features, making it a popular choice among electric scooter enthusiasts in India.

Ather 450X (3rd Generation)

Ather 450X (3rd Generation) was launched on 19 July 2022 with improved range and other features. This new 3rd generation Ather 450x has more powerful battery with 3.66 kWh.

Ather 450X

Ather 450X has a 4G sim card and wifi along with Bluetooth connectivity and the new 7” touchscreen dashboard, comes with a color depth of 16M and a Snapdragon Quad Core processor. Ather 450X utilizes Android Open Source to offer map navigation, On-board diagnostics and features like Over-the-air updates, Auto Indicator off and Guide-me-home lights.

The Ather mobile app offers personalized ride statistics, charging status, push navigation and more functionalities like theft & tow detection, live location & vehicle state tracking, voice assistant and welcome lights. Ather 450X supports connected accessories like smart helmets and tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS).[27]

Ather 450

The Ather 450 is constructed using an all-aluminium frame, comes with a 3.3 kW / 5.4 kW peak (7.2 BHP) Brushless DC electric motor, and a 2.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The scooter can accelerate to 40 km/h in 3.9 seconds, attain a top speed of 80 km/h, and can travel 75 km on one charge in city-riding conditions (107 km in the Indian driving cycle).

Ather Energy also offers an upgraded version of Ather 450 called the Ather 450 Plus which has a top speed of 70 kmph and a True Range of 70 km in Eco mode. The Ather 450 Plus offers 4G connectivity, onboard navigation, and other connected features but does not have Bluetooth connectivity or the Warp mode.

Other services

OTA updates

Ather Energy provides over-the-air (OTA) updates for its electric scooters. Ather Energy has rolled out 13 OTA updates till date.[28]

Ather Grid

Ather has set up its own charging network, dubbed Ather Grid, in 18 cities across India. These DC-fast-charging stations use Ather's proprietary charging method and connector to charge the Ather scooters at a rate of 1 km/min. The charging points are also equipped with a 3-pin socket to supply AC power to other electric vehicles that do not use Ather's connector. Other vehicles can connect to the charging point and start charging using the Ather Grid app for iOS and Android.[29]

More than 120 fast charging grid points are installed across 18 Cities in India. Ather has plans to set up around 300 fast charging stations across India by end of 2021. Ather also sets up a home charging point at customer's homes which will charge the Ather 450X overnight.

Ather Space

Ather Energy owns and operates its own Experience Centres. Ather currently has 140+ experience centers in 96+ cities in India.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Tarun Mehta & Swapnil Jain: Electrifying Scooters". Forbes India.
  2. ↑ "Ola Electric Leads E2W Sales In 2022, TVS, Ampere Catching Up". Mobility Outlook. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  3. ↑ "Ather Energy's Loss Shoots Up 2.5X To INR 865 Cr IN FY23". Inc42.
  4. ↑ "Ather Energy To Set Up New Factory, Increase Production Capacity". NDTV. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  5. ↑ "Ather Energy rolls out five-year loan plan to fuel EV adoption". The Times of India. 7 June 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "Ather Energy sells 15,256 e-scooters in May 2023: Highest-ever monthly sales". Financialexpress. 2 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  7. ↑ "Ather Energy installs over 1,000 fast-charging grids across India". India Today. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  8. ↑ "Flipkart founders invest $1 million in Ather Energy". The Hindu.
  9. ↑ "Flipkart founders lead $1M investment in electric scooter startup Ather Energy". Tech Crunch.
  10. ↑ "Bansals backed Ather Energy raises $12M from Tiger Global". Business Standard.
  11. ↑ "Ather Energy showcases S340, 'India's first smart scooter' at Surge 2016". Tech2. 25 February 2016.
  12. ↑ "5,000+ attendees from 72 countries on their way to SURGE". SurgeConf.
  13. ↑ "Hero MotoCorp To Invest Up To ₹ 205 Crore In Ather Energy". NDTV Auto.
  14. ↑ "Hero MotoCorp to refuel Ather Energy with $19 mn". VCCircle. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  15. ↑ "India's Ather Energy raises $51 million to grow its electric scooters business". TechCrunch. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  16. ↑ "Ather Energy to set up electric vehicle manufacturing facility at Hosur in TN - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  17. ↑ "Ather 450 to roll out of new Hosur plant in Tamil Nadu". Autocar India. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
  18. ↑ "Ather Energy launches its second e-scooter 450X at Rs 1.5 lakh, enters Delhi market in July". www.businesstoday.in. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  19. ↑ "Ather Energy gets fresh funding of Rs 84 crore more from Hero MotoCorp". Autocar Professional.
  20. ↑ "Ather Energy raises Rs 260 crore in latest round of funding". Autocar India.
  21. ↑ "Ather Energy Hosur Plant Visit – A Peek into the Future of Electric Scooters in India". News 18.
  22. ↑ "Ather rides on fresh demand for electric vehicles". Financial Express.
  23. ↑ "Inside Ather Energy's Manufacturing Facility: 1 Scooter Built Every 4 Minutes". Car and Bike.
  24. ↑ Rao, Rakesh. "Ather 450S Price, Range, Battery Charging Time, Features & Specifications". Electric India Today. Retrieved 28 December 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ↑ "Ather 450S Specifications, Features, Mileage, Weight, Tyre Size". BikeDekho.
  26. ↑ "Ather 450S: It's The Affordable Electric Scooter To Buy In India". Drivio. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  27. ↑ "Ather 450X First Ride Review". OVERDRIVE.
  28. ↑ "OTA Updates". Archived from the original on 13 January 2020.
  29. ↑ "Ather Energy unveils its charging infrastructure network AtherGrid". The Economic Times. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  30. ↑ G, Harsha (4 July 2022). "Ather 450X Price, Range, Specs, Features, Booking, Review". EVsInsider. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
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