India’s popular electric vehicle startup ‘Ather Energy’ recently launched its most affordable electric scooter, the Ather 450S. The Bengaluru-based company also unveiled two new versions of its superhit 450X.
The company claims that the new Ather 450S is equivalent to a 125cc petrol scooter and will not only compete with other electric scooters but also with petrol ones. Ather goes on to claim that the 450S can even outperform 125cc petrol scooters.
The scooter market in India averages about 60,000 units a month (segmented into 125cc & 150cc). Ather’s popular 450X electric scooter is already competing in the 150cc segment, and now with the new 450S, the company aims to make a mark in the 125cc segment as well.
It features a 2.9 kWh battery pack which gives a range of 115 km. It can accelerate from 0-40 km/hr in under 4 seconds and has a top speed of 90 km/hr. In addition, the company claims the scooter can fast charge at a rate of 1.5km/min at Ather Grid chargers.
As far as design is concerned, the 450S looks identical to the 450X. Features include a 7-inch display with auto-brightness, on-board navigation, one-click reverse and a joystick to work on the user interface.
The company has opened bookings for the 450S for a fully-refundable token amount of Rs 2500. The 450S has been priced at Rs 1.29 lakh and will compete with rival Ola Electric’s S1 Air.
Ather now has three electric scooters in its portfolio: the new 450S & two upgraded versions of the Ather 450X.
Ather Electric Scooters At A Glance:
Checklist | 450S | 450X (2.9 kWh) | 450X (3.7 kWh) |
Battery | 2.9 kWh | 2.9 kWh | 3.7 kWh |
Range | 115 km | 111 km | 150 km |
Acceleration | (0-40 km/hr) | 3.9 sec | 3.3 sec |
Top Speed | 90 km/hr | 90 km/hr | 90 km/hr |
Price | Rs 1,29,999 | Rs 1,37,999 | Rs 1,47,999 |
The electric scooter lineup offers three distinct models: the 450S, 450X with a 2.9 kWh battery, and the 450X with a 3.7 kWh battery. These scooters come equipped with varying battery capacities, with the 2.9 kWh option available for both the 450X and another model, and the 3.7 kWh battery exclusively for the 450X. When it comes to range, the 450S offers a mileage of 115 km, the 450X with a 2.9 kWh battery can cover 111 km, and the 450X with a 3.7 kWh battery boasts an impressive 150 km range. In terms of acceleration from 0 to 40 km/hr, all three models are quite speedy, with times ranging from 3.3 to 3.9 seconds. The top speed for each of these electric scooters is capped at 90 km/hr. As for pricing, the 450S is priced at Rs 1,29,999, the 450X with a 2.9 kWh battery costs Rs 1,37,999, and the 450X with a 3.7 kWh battery is available at Rs 1,47,999. These options offer a variety of choices for customers seeking eco-friendly and efficient urban mobility solutions.
Conclusion:
The competition in the Indian electric scooter market is getting fierce. Companies are aggressively working on bringing out cheaper variants to not only compete with other e-scooter makers but also with their petrol counterparts. A big target of two-wheeler EV manufacturers is to make a dent in Honda Activa’s sales.
The new 450S is a good option for people who are looking for the core features of the 450X but don’t mind letting go of its enhanced performance and top-of-the-line features. It is a competent electric scooter perfect for daily commutes.