NEW DELHI:
Electric scooter
manufacturer
Ather Energy
will ramp up production, introduce new scooters and expand sales network as it believes the road to electrification is pulled by a few years due to several extrinsic factors.
“It almost makes you think that somebody planned this. Petrol prices rising and the revised government subsidy look attractive. This is part of a larger green energy push by the government. I think this pulls forward the timeline for electrification by a few years. This new subsidy and all the policy that is coming to India is for greener push,” said
Ather
Energy co-founder and chief executive
Tarun Mehta
.
Ather Energy’s Hosur facility in Karnataka has an installed capacity to roll out 1.1 lakh units per annum. Mehta said the Bengaluru-based firm plans to ramp up production capacity to five lakh units per annum by the end of next fiscal.
The company currently manufactures two electric scooters products -- 450X and 450 Plus. Mehta is hopeful of strengthening 450 product line-up over the next year by adding new variants.
On Friday, Ather Energy opened a new experience centre (retail outlet) at Lajpat Nagar — its first in Delhi. Backed by the likes of HeroMoto Corp and Flipkart founders Sachin and
Binny Bansal, Ather CEO noted that the company aims to be present across 50 cities by the end of the current fiscal and expand its operations to around 100 cities by the end of FY23. Ather is currently present across 13 cities.
Earlier this year, Ather expanded its presence across Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kochi, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad. Mehta noted that the EV maker is looking to have about 500 fast charging points by the end of the current financial year. At present, it has 142 fast charging points across the country.
With the increase in FAME II subsidy, Ather Energy reduced its product prices by up to Rs 14,500.
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