Since its inception, electric two-wheeler start-up Ather Energy’s journey has hinged on the success of a solitary model – the 450 electric scooter. Now, the company is looking to finally expand its portfolio with the addition of up to two new product lines that will coexist with the 450 range. Ather has always been clear about its decision to focus purely on scooters in its initial years, and motorcycles are not part of its short–to-mid-term plans. The second Ather offering will also be a scooter, but with a marked shift in focus from performance to comfort, the company’s founder has confirmed.
Also Read: Ather Energy Won’t Build Sub-Rs 1 Lakh E-Scooter Anytime Soon: CEO Tarun Mehta
“We only have a sports scooter lineup, but there are a lot of other use cases that exist – family scooters, comfort- and convenience-focused scooters. I think we can build as many as three product lines in scooters alone, so that will be the natural expansion for our product lineup”, Ather Energy CEO Tarun Mehta told carandbike during a recent interaction.
Ather currently builds two versions of its 450 e-scooter – the 450S and 450X.
Mehta remained tight-lipped on the exact direction Ather is intending to take with its second scooter, only stating the start-up is looking at a “non-sport” offering as its next product. He explained that the current 450 series – comprising the 450S and 450X models – covers most of the performance scooter spectrum, and said the second model is being targeted for a 2024 launch.
Also Read: Ather 450S Vs 450X: Specs, Features, And Prices
“On the sports side, we are probably well covered now between 450 S and X. I think future products should be outside of the sports territory. That will be an announcement for hopefully next year”, Mehta said.
With its second scooter, Ather is unlikely to stray too far from the design language it has carefully shaped over the years. However, unlike the svelte and relatively compact 450, the new Ather e-scooter is expected to be slightly bigger in terms of dimensions, and could have a larger seat to make two-up riding a more comfortable experience. Additionally, the scooter is also expected to have more underseat storage than the 450’s 22-litre space.
The ‘DeepView’ LCD is likely to make its way to the second Ather scooter as well.
It remains to be seen if Ather chooses to make major changes to the frame, with the 450 series utilising aluminium for performance gains. It’s almost a given that the 7.0-inch touchscreen that has evolved over the years will be part of the package, but Ather could also choose to offer the 7.0-inch ‘DeepView’ LCD – first introduced on the 450S – on entry trims, to make the scooter more accessible from a price point of view.
At present, the 450 lineup has two battery options – the 2.9 kWh pack (in the 450S and 450X) and the 3.7 kWh pack (in the 450X only). Ather’s upcoming scooter could well be offered with both battery options (standard and long-range variants), but it will be interesting to see if the company chooses to extend an even smaller battery to further lower the scooter’s price and make it more attainable. That said, Mehta made it clear that the company is not going to build a sub-Rs 1 lakh scooter any time soon.
