Rapid retail expansion to cater to the increasing demand for 450X and 450 Plus scooters in Kerala market
Kerala will soon have 13 experience centres of Ather Energy in India, more than any other state in the country
Overwhelming interest by retail partners accelerates expansion
Kochi, NFPost: Ather Energy, India’s leading electric scooter manufacturer, is all set to expand its retail presence in Kerala by opening 8 new experience centres in Tier 2&3 cities of Kerala like Kollam, Trichur, Palakkad, Kannur, Kasaragod, Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Pathanamthitta.
Ather Energy will have a total of thirteen retail stores across the state, after opening outlets in Kochi, Kozhikode, Trivandrum, Tirur, and Malappuram. The rapid retail expansion in Kerala is driven by the phenomenal response to the Ather 450X and 450 Plus electric scooters and an overwhelming interest by retail partners.
Ather Energy has seen a surge in consumer interest and encouraging demand nearly 12X since the opening of the first Ather Space in Kerala last year. With the 8 new experience centres opening their doors to the customers, EV enthusiasts in Kerala can now test-ride and purchase the Ather 450X across multiple locations as per convenience.
Kerala being one of the largest markets for Ather Energy, has a high rate of EV adoption, and the market acceptance for premium electric two-wheelers has been encouraging. EV enthusiasts in the state have always appreciated the quality engineering and reliability offered by Ather and have seen the 450 series as an upgrade from its ICE counterparts.
The Ather 450X is the best and most awarded electric scooter available in the country today that is built and designed indigenously to cater to Indian conditions and usage patterns.
It offers superior built quality, high-performance and truly intelligent electric scooters that are on par with the 125cc petrol scooters in the market. The cost of ownership for an Ather Energy vehicle is lower than its petrol counterparts over the long term.
Speaking on occasion, Ather Energy Chief Business Officer Ravneet S Phokela said the consumer response in Kerala has been truly amazing and it is not surprising that with this launch, Kerala will have the largest retail presence of Ather experience centres across all states.
“The EV demand has been exponentially rising across Kerala with customers increasingly looking for better EV options that offer a great riding experience, advanced features, and tremendous value. Ather Energy’s expansion across the state is a result of this strong demand and the overwhelming interest from retail partners to accelerate Ather Energy’s mission to increase consumer touchpoints making the 450 series accessible to more customers,” said Ather Energy Chief Business Officer Ravneet S Phokela.
Ather will be opening up in these cities in a staggered manner by Q2 2022 and will begin by setting up test rides to let consumers experience the vehicle. Ather has also been talking to prospective retail partners in these markets and has already begun locating spaces to set up its fast EV charging network, Ather Grid.
Ather Energy has installed 40+ Ather Grid points at several critical points across Kerala. The company plans to add 8-10 more charging points in each of these 8 new cities to strengthen its charging grid network to provide smooth and hassle-free rides to EV owners in the state.
Ather Energy continues to gain strength in the two-wheeler EV space. Ather Energy has been registering a rising growth in sales over the past year, highlighting the strong demand for its electric scooters. Ather has recorded a 3X increase in walk-ins, web inquiries, and Test rides along with growth in vehicle bookings as well.
The Ather Space will be designed to educate customers about electric vehicles while providing a holistic experience in an interactive space. The Ather Space will provide a unique ownership experience along with complete service and support for the owners
The ex-showroom price post the Fame II revision for the Ather 450X is INR. 152,401 & INR 133,391 for the Ather 450 Plus in the Kerala market. Considering the total cost of ownership of a comparable 125cc scooter, Ather 450X and Ather 450 Plus owners can now breakeven their investment in 18-24 months and will begin to save nearly Rs. 2 per km in the years after.
About Ather 450X
The Ather 450X is one of the quickest and the smartest scooters in its category and comes in four colours: Grey, Green, and White along with the limited-edition Series 1. The scooter is powered with a 6kW PMSM motor, a 2.9 kWh lithium-ion battery, and comes with 4 riding modes. In addition to Eco, Ride, and Sport, Ather Energy has introduced a new high-performance mode, ‘Warp’.
Ather 450X can go from 0 to 40 kmph in just 3.3 sec in Warp mode, making it the quickest scooter in the 125cc category and the perfect choice to navigate through city traffic. The Ather 450X can fast-charge at 1.5km per minute, making it the quickest charging rate in the electric two-wheeler category.
Additionally, the electric scooter has a 4G SIM card and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing riders to manage phone calls and music on the touchscreen dashboard. The 17.78 cm (7”) touchscreen dashboard, comes with a colour depth of 16M and a Snapdragon Quad-Core processor. Ather 450X utilises Android Open Source to offer Google Map navigation, on-board diagnostics, and other unique features like Over-the-air updates, Auto Indicator off, and Guide-me-home lights.
About Ather Energy:
Ather Energy, one of India’s first intelligent electric vehicle manufacturers was founded in 2013 by IIT Madras alumni, Tarun Mehta, and Swapnil Jain. It is backed by the founders of Flipkart -Sachin Bansal & Binny Bansal- Hero Motocorp and Tiger Global. Ather Energy launched India’s first truly intelligent, electric scooter – Ather 450 in 2018, followed by their new flagship offering Ather 450X in 2020.
Ather has also installed a comprehensive public charging network, Ather Grid, designed and built in India. With 310+ charging points across India, Ather Grid is one of the country’s largest fast-charging networks for electric vehicles. The company’s product line has won 40+ awards in design, automotive, and technology categories.
With 58 Indian and international patent applications, 109 trademarks, and 118 Indian and International design registrations to its name, Ather Energy aims to provide consumers with the best possible ownership experience. Ather Energy currently operates in 32 cities including Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Jaipur, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Mysore, Hubli , Lucknow and Guwahati
