Ather Energy Plans Cheaper Electric Scooters for India
Are you waiting for more affordable electric scooters in India? There’s good news coming your way! Ather Energy is working hard to build cheaper electric scooters for Indian riders. According to AckoDrive, the Bengaluru-based company is developing a new platform called EL that will help make electric scooters that cost less.
In an interview with Siddharth Vinayak Pattankar, Tarun Mehta, the Co-Founder and CEO of Ather Energy, shared some exciting details about their plans. “We hope to launch at least a few products… and all scooters,” said Mehta. He also added, “I am hoping for them to be priced even better.”
What’s Special About These New Scooters?
The new electric scooters will be very different from what Ather currently sells. They will have smaller batteries and fewer fancy features, but will cost much less. Here’s what we know so far:
- They will be built on a new platform called “EL”
- They will have lower top speeds than current models
- The scooters will have simpler displays with basic features
- Ather plans to sell them to both regular customers and businesses
- They should launch around 2026
Ather is taking this step to reach more customers in India who find current electric scooters too expensive. After their successful IPO (when they first sold company shares to the public), they now have money to expand their product range.
How Much Will These New Scooters Cost?
91Wheels reports that these new EL platform scooters will likely be priced below Rs 1 lakh. This is important because Ather’s current cheapest scooter, the Rizta, starts at Rs 1.10 Lakh (ex-showroom).
| Scooter Model | Current Price (Ex-showroom) |
|---|---|
| Ather 450S | Starts at Rs 1.22 Lakh |
| Ather 450X | Rs 1.49 Lakh to Rs 1.79 Lakh |
| Ather Rizta | Starts at Rs 1.10 Lakh |
| Expected EL Platform Scooters | Below Rs 1 Lakh |
The price cut would help Ather compete better with rivals like TVS iQube (around Rs 94,434), Ola S1 Pro (around Rs 1.15 Lakh), and Bajaj Chetak (around Rs 1.35 Lakh), as identified by ZigWheels. HT Auto states that the new EL platform will support more affordable e-scooters below the current 450X and Rizta models.
How Will Ather Make These Scooters Cheaper?
Making cheaper scooters means Ather needs to cut costs in smart ways. Here’s how they plan to do it:
- Using LFP batteries instead of NMC batteries (LFP is cheaper but heavier and stores less energy)
- Developing motors without expensive rare-earth materials
- Creating a cost-friendly powertrain, electronics, and body frame
- Reusing some parts from their Ather 450 models
- Offering simpler displays instead of fancy touchscreens
- Removing premium features like “Warp mode” (super-fast acceleration)
According to Outlook Business, the EL platform cleverly reuses some battery and Atherstack (their software system) parts from the Ather 450, while creating a new cost-optimized design for affordability.
Beyond Personal Use: Business Plans
Ather isn’t just thinking about individual riders. The company plans to explore the B2B segment with these new models. This means they want to sell scooters to businesses that need vehicle fleets, like delivery companies.
This is a new direction for Ather, which has mainly focused on selling to regular consumers until now. By entering the business market, they can sell more scooters and grow faster.
BikeDekho notes that there are clear differences between Ather’s premium and affordable models. For example, the 450X has a fancy TFT display while the 450S has a simpler LCD screen. I personally notes that Ather 450S has promising performance and super build quality compared to Ola S1 Pro.
What This Means for Electric Scooters in India
With these new budget-friendly options, more people in India might be able to afford electric scooters. This could help reduce pollution and save money on fuel.
The electric two-wheeler market in India is growing fast, and Ather wants to capture a bigger share. By offering scooters at different price points, they can reach customers with different budgets.
Are you excited about these new affordable options? Would you consider switching to an electric scooter if the price was right? The future of transportation in India is changing, and it might be cleaner and cheaper than we thought!
