With the addition of a second facility in Hosur, Ather Energy manufacturing capacity is set to increase to 4,00,000 lakh scooters
Ather Energy is stepping it up to meet demand for 450X and 450 Plus scooters. A second manufacturing facility is being commissioned in Hosur. When operations begin, manufacturing will be increased to 4,00,000 units per annum, up from current capacity of 1,20,000 units. The first manufacturing facility was setup in Hosur earlier in 2021.
October 2021 was a great month for Ather Energy. The manufacturer registered its best-ever monthly sales numbers at 12-fold YoY growth. Revenue run rate is reported at $100 million.
Ather Electric Scooter Production – 90 percent localisation
Ather Energy has reported 20 percent MoM sales growth since November 2020. This corresponds to overall industry-wide increase in demand for electric scooters in recent months. Ather reports an increase in walk-ins, web inquiries and test rides between April-October 2021. For the same period, Ather reports 4X growth in vehicle booking.
Operations at the Hosur manufacturing facility has helped with 90 percent localisation for 450X and 450 Plus. This includes the battery pack that’s made in-house by Ather Energy. In the next five years, an investment of INR 650 crores is earmarked. Funds will enhance operational efficiency and production capacity to meet demand.
Lithium-ion battery manufacturing in India
The manufacturing facility is also tasked with lithium-ion battery manufacturing. This being a key focus are for the auto company. Ather Energy makes its own battery packs. 13 patents have been filed in regard to design and manufacturing of the li-ion batteries.
Retail operations are being expanded to new markets. Plans are afoot to establish 150 Experience Centers in 100 cities by March 2023. Strategic investments are being made to improve charging infrastructure.
Tarun Mehta, Co-Founder & CEO, Ather Energy said, “The EV demand has been shooting up across the country, and customers are coming in expecting electric scooters to wow them. This customer expectation is why our 450 series of electric scooters – the 450X and 450 Plus is seeing massive demand as it is the best electric scooter in the country today.
Our experience centres are scaling up rapidly, and our retail footprint is set to grow by six times in the coming quarters. So, within just ten months of opening our current facility, we find ourselves already operating at full capacity. We are commissioning the second plant to be ready for 2022. With this capacity expansion, Ather is well on its way to becoming the country’s largest EV producer by next year.”
