Ather’s current focus is on expanding operations and improving fast charging infrastructure
One of the early entrants in the electric two-wheeler space, Ather Energy has reported its best ever quarterly performance. Ather has consistently ranked among the top five electric two wheeler manufacturers. In February 2021, Ather was at fourth place with sales of 624 units. YoY growth was 69.11% and market share at 10.30%.
Ather Q4, FY21 results
As per info shared by the company’s co-founder and CEO Tarun Mehta, Ather sales have increased by a whopping 250%. This has been made possible with the company’s focus to expand operations across the country.
Ather has presence in most of the top cities such as Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune and Ahmedabad. Several smaller cities have also been covered such as Coimbatore, Hubli, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Nagpur, and Trichy. Ather has plans to launch operations in several other cities this year.
In other positive developments for Ather in Q4, 2021, the total number of test rides during this period has increased 6X times. Rise in fuel prices is one of the key reasons why more people are now thinking about electric two wheelers. This represents a good opportunity for the company. In Q4, the number of cities covered by Ather has increased from 4 to 10.
Ather is also working to increase the number of fast charging stations. This has increased from 79 to 129 in Q4. Readily available fast charging infrastructure takes care of range anxiety and is an important factor that influences acceptability of electric two wheelers. Ather will be adding more of these in the future. In terms of production, Ather has been able to reduce assembly time by 32%.
Positive margins achieved
In a first, Ather has been able to register positive margins for the first time. Startups require heavy investments and achieving profitability is often an uphill task. With positive margins, Ather is in a better position to attract new investments, boost production and expand operations to new cities.
Ather’s primary offering is its 450X electric scooter. It is equipped with an IP 67 rated water and dust resistant 2.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that sends power to a 6kW PMS motor. Torque output is 26 Nm.
Ather 450X has ride modes of Eco, Ride, Sports and Warp. Max range of 85 km is available in Eco mode. In Ride and Sports, the range is 70 km and 60 km, respectively. Max speed and acceleration is possible in Warp mode, where 0-40 kmph can be achieved in 3.3 seconds. Ather 450X can be charged with any 5A plug point and can load 15 km in just 10 minutes.