Ather Energy is planning to launch scooter exchange program which will help attract more buyers
Aiming to boost sales of its electric scooters, Ather Energy has plans to launch a vehicle exchange program for potential customers. The company is expected to reveal details about the scheme later this month. Ather is also working on other ownership models that could be made available to customers in the next few months.
Vehicle exchange program can be beneficial for customers, as Ather electric scooters are not cheap when compared to petrol scooters. Ather 450 Plus costs Rs 1.49 lakh whereas Ather 450X is priced at Rs 1.59 lakh. Customers looking for an upgrade may find it difficult to pay such a high price. It is also possible that customers may go for relatively cheaper alternatives such as Revolt RV 400, Bajaj Chetak and TVS iQube.
A vehicle exchange program will make it easier for customers, who want to switch to an Ather electric scooter. Even if customers can get around 20k to 40k as exchange benefits, it will significantly reduce the overall acquisition cost. However, it is not yet known which scooters will be covered in the exchange program. Popular scooters such as Honda Activa, Suzuki Access 125, TVS Ntorq 125, TVS Jupiter, and Honda Dio could be part of the exchange program.
Ather’s vehicle exchange program could also be offered with the battery subscription plan. In this plan, the cost of the scooter is paid upfront whereas cost of battery is paid through a monthly subscription plan. This takes care of any doubts or anxieties that customers may have about the battery. Under battery subscription plan, Ather replaces the battery every time its capacity drops below 80%. Battery subscription plan also includes unlimited Ather Grid charging, connected services, and over-the-air upgrades.
Customers buying Ather 450 Plus under battery subscription plan have to pay Rs 99k upfront and EMIs of Rs 1,699. For 450X, upfront amount is the sale whereas EMI is Rs 1,999. Power output for 450 Plus and 450X are 7.2 hp / 22 Nm and 8 hp / 26 Nm, respectively. Range is 70km and 85km, respectively. 450X is the faster of the two, with 0-40 kmph achieved in 3.3 seconds. 450 Plus takes 39 seconds for the same task.
Earlier also, Ather had launched a unique program in partnership with Bounce to promote the use of electric vehicles. Under this “peer-to-peer” scooter sharing program, customers can buy Ather scooter from Bounce website and lease it to earn income. Owners will thus be able to monetize idle time of their Ather scooter, which will be helpful in paying the EMIs.
Launched in 2018 in Bengaluru, Ather scooters are now available in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Kochi and Coimbatore. By 2020, the company has plans to expand operations to eight more cities.
