BIKES BRIEFING

Their scooter will be here soon but Ather Energy plays it smarter than others by first setting up 30 charging stations in Bengaluru

Mandatory updates for all motorcycle lovers

BENGALURU BASED START-UP ATHER Energy is going all guns blazing with the introduction of 30 charging outlets in the city of Bengaluru to cater to both two-wheelers and cars. The total number of charging stations will reach 60 by the end of this year making it the largest charging infrastructure in the country when it becomes operational.

A smart move we think, since the next thing on Ather’s cards is the company’s electric scooter, the S340 is going to be launched sometime later this month, and we all know that the biggest crib of naysayers, as well as adopters of the e-scooter is the lack of infrastructure support.

The charging stations will be located strategically at malls, cafes, restaurants, tech parks, multiplexes and gyms in the city. Christened AtherGrid, it will be free for the next six months to all EV owners. With the help of its app, which will also be free for the first six months, customers can find the nearest charging point and monitor charging status remotely.

The charging stations are designed so that the power will be drawn only when the EV is connected and will also have an auto cut-off feature.

At the launch AtherGrid, Tarun Mehta, co-founder and CEO of Ather Energy said, “Electric vehicles cannot become a viable alternative without making charging infrastructure availability a greater priority. It is critical for us to make public charging convenient and accessible. Range anxiety and the inconvenience associated with charging will not be a deterrent to electric vehicle adoption.”