Ather Energy, a Bangalore-based start-up, today unveiled an electric scooter called the S340. The scooter is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack, has a top speed of 72km/h and a range of upto 60km, according to the company. The S340’s IP67-rated battery can last for as much as 50,000km. The vehicle achieves an 80 percent charge in 50 minutes in fast-charging mode and can be charged from any five-ampere socket.
The scooter gets features such as LED lights that respond to ambient light conditions, a touchscreen dashboard, on-board navigation and drive modes like Sport and Economy to enable a personalised experience. The touchscreen is integrated with a S340 mobile app that keeps the rider connected with the vehicle, and can also sync navigation routes remotely.
The company has a manufacturing unit set-up in Bangalore, and production of the S340 will commence by end of this year. It is planning to build an online-only purchase model with doorstep delivery and service. It will also start pre-ordering in Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune initially in the next quarter. The company is still working on the price of this scooter.
“The future will be connected and inevitably electric, and the Ather S340 has been built as a manifestation of this philosophy,” said Tarun Mehta, CEO and co-founder. “The electric vehicle has been designed and built mostly in-house with engineering precision,” he added. Ather Energy aims to set-up a public charging infrastructure in every city it operates in, by partnering with government and private enterprises.
The company has been founded by IIT graduates Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain in 2013 and has received funding from Tiger Global and Sachin and Binny Bansal (Flipkart founders). According to reports, Ather Energy, which has raised Rs 81 crore till date, is planning to invest Rs 25 crore for the manufacturing of this scooter.