Ather Energy, India's leading maker of electric two-wheelers, announced doubling of its production base late in 2021, and barely two months later, has made it dearer for the customer to own one of their EV scooters.
The company began 2022 by increasing the stick price of their premium offerings, the Ather 450x and the Ather 450 Plus by around Rs. 5,500. Now, the company has started charging a tidy sum of Rs.5,475 for its Ather Dot portable charge, which used to be available earlier for just one rupee.
At a time when newer players are entering the market, some of the older ones such as Ola and Bajaj Chetak have been tightening their belts, with the latter announcing not one but two price hikes on its EVs in 2021, but following up with a promise of an affordable price tag in the current year.
However, why Ather Energy pushed up the prices when competitive pricing could be the differentiator is anybody's guess. As things stand, the latest hike pushes sticker prices of both these affordable electric scooters and widens the gap that already exists between them and other manufacturers.
On its part, the Bangalore-based company has claimed that costlier input costs have resulted in the hike in prices on their premium segment. Of course, the price hike will get reflected across different regions based on the amount of concessions and subsidies that each state government hands out.
Ather 450 Plus, Ather 450x: specifications and features
The Ather 450 Plus and the Ather 450x electric scooters are similar in design but the latter has an edge in both the mechanicals as well as the performance.
The Ather 450 Plus comes with a 5.4W motor paired to a 2.9kWh battery generating 22Nm of torque. It gets to a top speed of 80kph and can accelerate from 0-40kph in just 3.9 seconds, making it a good companion for stop-start city traffic. The scooter runs 75kms on a single charge and comes with three ride modes - Sport, Ride and Eco. However, the battery takes about five-and-three-quarter hours to fully charge.
Compared to this, the Ather 450x brings a 6kW motor paired to a similar battery to produce 26Nm of torque. The top speed is similar to its twin scooter but this one gets from 0-40kph is six seconds less, meaning more power. The bike claims a range of 85kms on a single charge and gets four driving modes, Warp, Sport, Ride and Eco. The charging time is same, but this model gets welcome lights, music and call control on the display as well as a tyre pressure checking system.
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