Ather 450S India Launch Details Revealed

Ather Energy announced back in June that it would be launching a new variant of the Ather 450, which would be the most affordable scooter in its portfolio. The Ather 450S is priced at Rs. 1,29,999 and will make its India debut on August 11. The Ather 450X in comparison retails for Rs. 1,44,921 without the proc pack and Rs. 1,65,435 for the top-spec variant (prices mentioned are ex-showroom, Bangalore).

As you can see the price difference is quite significant, and Ather’s strategy of introducing a cheaper variant is understandable with many states abolishing the Fame 2 subsidy. Ola too has adopted a similar strategy and launched the S1 Air, prices for which start at Rs. 84,999.

So how did Ather manage to make the 450S so affordable? The simple answer is by cutting down on features. As teased on social media, the new electric scooter features a simple LCD instrument console instead of the fancy TFT touchscreen. It still gets various ride modes but loses out on navigation.

The other big difference is the battery pack; the Ather 450S features a 3 kWh battery pack as opposed to the 3.7 kWh unit seen on the 450X. The top speed of both scooters is the same at 90 kmph, but the range has reduced to 115 km as opposed to 146 km on the 450X. 

With the revision of Fame 2 subsidies, electric two-wheeler manufacturers have been struggling with respect to sales. More affordable variants are likely to aid brands in bringing in decent sales volumes. Whether or not EV brands will be able to sustain the same sales momentum as witnessed in the past few years will be interesting to observe.