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Bringing Style, color and performance to the electric scooter market.
Electric vehicles are the future, that’s a no-brainer today. Electric scooters have been on the market for years now starting with the Yo bike. Bangalore based Ather Energy has some eye-catching offerings that could possible tip the scale towards buying an electric scooter over a petrol scooter.
There are two offerings by Ather, the 450 Plus and the 450X. The 450X being the premium offering of the two is our subject matter. At first sight it appears to be sleek, stylish and aerodynamic. In the looks department it has a very high score as the contouring and highlighting seems to have been very carefully and thoughtfully done in order accentuate the smart and sporty character that the company is trying to capitalize on. The four available colors Space Grey, White, Mint Green and Series 1 all scream plush and premium with immaculate finishing and attention to detail.
The scooter gets all the bells and whistles that would make many scooters green with envy. Disk brakes up front and in the rear give excellent braking. Central monoshock suspension for the rear wheel, a light in the 22L storage under the seat, guide me home lights and side stand sensor are just some of the features that make this e-scooter stand out. The biggest bell would surely be the touchscreen dash and all the settings in it. It has a swipe to change operation method which is just like a mobile phone.
There are 4 riding modes which I have taken the liberty of renaming for easy understanding. Paralysed Donkey, Limping Dog, Greyhound and Cheetah. I think the names are quite self-explanatory in what they stand for. I almost fell asleep in the the Paralysed Donkey struggled to make distance but the maximum claimed mileage per charge of 116kmpc (km per charge) is on this mode of course. The Cheetah was what makes this bike the performance monster with 6kW claimed peak power output and 26Nm claimed torque. But alas your Range will be cut into half of the Paralysed Donkey mode’s 116kmpc. The noiseless transmission with just the electric drive sounds belies the power that is being produced by the scooter. The icing on top of the cake would surely be the reverse mode. Yes, reverse mode. Some may find it completely unnecessary given the weight but surely there are others who would consider it a godsend while coming out of their parking spaces.
All this for an ex-showroom price of INR 1,61,426 In Pune as on 18th March 2021 that would be approximately 1,80,000 on-road after paying big brother and his friends. A little on the pricey side but Ather has certainly tried to cushion the blow by adding even more conveniences. Apart from the installation of a home charging point and the portable charger(available as an accessory) that can be used at any 5amp plug point, they have claimed to have installed public charging point from which you may charge your bike. OTA updates to the software package of the dash are promised that will provide bluetooth music connectivity and call alerts. Quick charge features may make this scooter the favorite among many demographics with 80% charge happening over 3hr 35mins and unto 15km with a 10 min charge. Ather offers 2 after sales packages for service at low quarterly or yearly fees which add many useful features to the mobile Ather app like remote location tracking and remote charge monitoring and make service more accessible and user-friendly.
The heart of any electric vehicle is the battery and this battery could be better. Ather offers a 3-year warranty on the scooter and even a buyback plan for a 3-year-old Ather scooter but can afford to give only a 3-year warranty on its battery that costs half the price of the whole scooter. In the range department, the battery performs well as it can be charged 80% in about 3.5 hours but it has a poor lifespan which may make a customer shell out half the scooter’s price anytime after 3 years.
The Ather 450X is one of the best electric scooters available on the market currently, there is no doubt about that. Whether it keeps being at the top over the next few years is something that remains to be seen.
