Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler maker Ather Energy has tied up with Bharat FIH, a subsidiary of Foxconn Group, wherein the latter will develop and manufacture key components for Ather's two current e-scooters, Ather 450X and Ather 450 Plus.
Bharat FIH will lend its manufacturing services for printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies for BMS (battery management systems), dashboard assembly, peripheral controlling units, and drive control modules.
These products will be manufactured on a turn-key model, including managing the supply chain logistics and raw material procurement for Ather Energy. Bharat FIH has already begun the production of parts for Ather scooters at its facility, a statement from the two companies said.
Ather strengthening its supply chain
Tarun Mehta, co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy was quoted as saying: "We are working towards strengthening our supply chain to cater to the rising demand for our scooters. Towards this, we are delighted to partner with Bharat FIH to provide us with the capacity, supply chain capability, and process expertise to achieve our volumes and projections."
He added that Bharat FIH had demonstrated incredible capability over the last few months by ramping up very quickly to meet his company's requirements.
Ather Energy is said to have so far sold more than 26,000 e-scooters. The company claims that in the last 12 months it has registered a growth of 20% MoM.
Ather said it has established a strong local supplier base with nearly 99% of the products being indigenously built and sourced for manufacturing. Ather Energy is also reported to have increased its production from 120,000 to 400,000 units per annum at its Hosur facility.
Over the next three years, Ather plans to increase its annual production capacity to a million scooters and install 5,000 fast chargers across India. It said it would develop new products and increase its network to 600 stores. At present, the company has 30 retail outlets across India.
Josh Foulger, MD, Bharat FIH said, “With electronics being a significant integral part of an intelligent electric vehicle, we look forward to extending our electronics manufacturing services and technical expertise for the entire range of Ather’s electric scooter offering. "
Overall, India has been witnessing a surging demand for e-scooters, and according to Vahan Dashboard, sales have risen from 27,271 units in 2020 to 143,281 units in 2021, reaching 60,029 units in the first two months of 2022. Among major e-scooter vendors in India, Ather Energy was ranked third in sales in 2021.
