Make in India: Ather to launch S340 smart e-scooter on 23rd February

Slated to be unveiled at the SURGE conference in Bengaluru, the Ather S340 is part of the global move towards vehicles powered by alternative energy, prompted by pollution concerns and the rapid depletion of fossil fuels. The Ather S340 is the first product of Bengaluru-based startup Ather Energy, founded by ex-IITians Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain.  Buoyed by the government’s Make in India initiative, the S340 has been in the making since mid-2013 and will be made in the country.

The ‘S340’ in the product’s name stands for ‘scooter,’ ‘3kW electric motor,’ and ’40 amp-hour battery pack.’ So, as you’d guessed by now, the scooter is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack, which has a claimed life of 50,000 kms. Although the scooter’s size is similar to that of any 100cc scooter in the market, it is 20% lighter than the other scooters in the market. The makers have focused on weight reduction, thereby optimising the weight to improve its efficiency.

In its prototype form, the Ather S340 is capable of achieving a maximum top speed of 75 kmph, and sprint to 60 kmph from standstill in 11 seconds. Whereas a typical e-scooter in the market takes up to 6 to 8 hours for a full charge, Ather claims that the S340 can be fully charged in just 1.5 hours. It also reportedly consumes only 2.5 units of electricity for total charge-up.

Other than the electric powertrain, one of the highlights of the Ather S340 is its smart connectivity features. A touchscreen dashboard in the vehicle will enable users to create personalised profiles, choose riding modes and set other ride preferences. The dashboard contains a Vehicle Control Unit (diagnostic system) that constantly monitors the rider’s behavior, a GPS, and an indicator showing how much distance can be travelled on the remaining charge. The personalised profile feature will allow users to create their profile comprising all the basic information.

Flipkart founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal are prime investors in Ather Energy, having invested $1 million in the company in December 2014. This funding round also saw the participation of Raju Venkatraman, serial entrepreneur and CEO of MEDALL. In May 2015, the startup also scooped up a fund of $12 million from Tiger Global.

Ather Energy hopes to launch the S340 within the first half of 2016 in the cities of Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi.