Ather is reportedly developing a new e-scooter that will offer more range than the current 450x
Ather Energy has been among the most prominent name in recent times in the Indian automotive market when it comes to electric mobility in the two-wheeler segment. The company rolled out its first electric two-wheeler in the form Ather 450 e-scooter back in 2018 which was met with more than favourable responses.
This was followed up by two more premium and more powerful successors- 450X and 450 Plus. The Bangalore-based startup about six months ago shifted its manufacturing base from Bangalore to Hosur in Tamil Nadu in order to increase its annual production capacity. This is in line with the company’s idea of expansion with more new products.
Expected Design
Ather has filed design patents for a new electric scooter in India. The patent image shows a scooter that appears to be larger than the existing 450X and the design is in line with contemporary Maxi-style scooters.
Signature Maxi scooter styling elements in the patent include a tall windscreen upfront and a front-heavy fairing. It gets a flat single-piece seat along with a wide front apron featuring a sleek LED headlamp.
Contrary to the design of Maxi scooters, this one gets an absolutely flat floorboard and minimalist rear section. Other styling highlights include a short front fender, black alloy wheels, chiselled side body panels and a disc brake at front. Apart from the exterior design, Ather has also patented the swingarm as well as the chassis of a new electric scooter.
Obviously, this is just a patent and the final production-spec model could end up looking very different from this one. If this e-scooter does come into existence, then it is likely to be offered as a premium product with more features, improved range and more power.
Ather 450X
Ather Energy’s current e-scooter 450X has been very well received across the Indian market. It is offered in two variants- Plus and Pro with the former being priced at Rs. 1,41,621 and the latter being pegged at a price of Rs. 1,60,633 (both prices are ex-showroom). It comes in three colour options- grey, green and white. 450X comes with a bagful of features including a Bluetooth-enabled (4.2) touchscreen instrument cluster, all LED lighting, integrated 4G LTE SIM connectivity and music & call controls among others.
As far as performance goes, the powertrain features a 2.9kWh battery pack which feeds energy to a 3.3kW electric motor rated to produce an output of 8.04 bhp and 26 Nm of torque. It can sprint 0-40 kmph in 3.3 seconds and claims a range of 85km on a single charge. Hardware configurations comprise telescopic forks at front and a rear mono-shock at rear. Braking duties are handled by single disc brakes at both ends.
