Upgrades The Ather 450X Needs: A Zig Wishlist!

Ather Energy has set a rather high benchmark with the Ather 450X electric scooter in terms of performance and features. We caught up with Tarun Mehta, the company’s CEO and co-founder, and got some interesting insights about the company and the EV industry. He also shared his vision for the 450X, which you can read here. Now, here’s what we, at ZigWheels, think the future iteration(s) of the Ather 450X should be all about:

A Variant With Dual-battery Setup

The Ather 450X comes with a floor-board mounted battery pack and offers 85km True Range, which is decent enough for everyday commutes. But imagine what a variant with a dual battery setup could do! Apart from around 170km real-world range, it could also allow Ather to extract even more performance.

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Imagine being able to cruise comfortably at around 90kmph. Of course, having a dual battery setup means the 22-litre underseat storage space will take a considerable hit. But even then, you’d still have space on the floorboard to stow small luggage.

Better Tractability In Eco Mode

The top speed is restricted to around 50kmph in Eco Mode. What happens in the real world is that this mode restricts the electric scooter to go easy with the throttle at all times, and consequently, the acceleration is also muzzled down. This forces the rider to switch to a sportier mode for a quick overtake. Ather can mitigate this issue by offering the capability of a speed-burst (of up to 10kmph), which will go a long way in making urgent overtakes easy on traffic-ridden roads.

Sportier Looks And Safer Braking

The Ather 450X’s current colour scheme (white, grey and cyan options) exudes an aura of maturity. A variant with a sportier-looking livery should give the scooter a more youthful vibe.

Like Tarun envisioned, we also think the Ather 450X should get ABS, at least as an option, in the future. The stock petal disc brakes at both ends (200mm front and 190mm rear) are pretty sharp, with the rear locking up under hard braking. Adding a dual-channel ABS should offer the rider better confidence while emergency braking or even handling on wet roads, for that matter.

With these upgrades, the Ather 450X could become a formidable option for those looking for a performance-packed, feature-rich modern electric scooter.