Ather Energy has revealed that the Ather 450 electric scooter has received FAME II certification. This has resulted in a subsidy amount which has gone up from Rs.22,000 to Rs.27,000 translating to a decrease in price by Rs.5,000 from Rs.1.28 lakhs to Rs.1.23 lakhs.
Even as orders for the bike continue to come in, the company has held off deliveries so as to pass on this added benefit to customers with the new on road price being Rs.1,23,230. Ather also sells the 340 electric scooter which is yet to receive FAME II certification and hence priced at Rs.1.13 lakhs. But that too will receive benefit of Rs 5k in the coming days.
Ather said, “Though orders for the scooter have continued in Bengaluru through the month of April, deliveries had been held off by the company so the new subsidy benefit could be passed on to the owners. Consumers can expect their Ather 450s to start being delivered in the next couple of weeks, with the new on road price of Rs. 1,23,230.”
For an electric scooter to receive FAME II certification, it should have a top speed of over 40 kmph and a minimum range of 80 km on a single charge. It should also have at least 50 percent of locally sourced components. Ather 450 electric scooter meets all these criteria and claims a range of 55-75 km on single charge.
“Ather will be extending their existing FAME 1 certified 450 customers’ comprehensive warranty to 3 years from the existing 2 years. The gesture re-emphasises Ather’s intent of ensuring a delightful ownership experience to consumers. All Ather 450s certified under FAME 2 will come with the 3 year comprehensive warranty as mandated along with the company’s “Make in India” battery pack,” Ather added.
The batteries are waterproofed to an IP67 rating with a lifespan of around 50,000kms. On board features include a color touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, OTA updates and vehicle diagnostics via the phone and app. It also gets disc brakes in the front and rear, reverse gear and can be charged upto 80 percent in 60 minutes.
As on date, the Ather 450 scooter is only on sale in Bengaluru. Future plans include expansion of sales to 30 major cities by 2023 with a total of 6,500 charging points across the country. In June, Ather will enter Chennai, post that they will enter Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad, etc (Pune launch has been confirmed for 2019). By the end of 2019, Ather plans to be in 6 Indian cities.
