Make in India: Ather Energy unveils the S340 smart e-scooter

Ather Energy has taken the wraps off its first offering, the S340 smart electric scooter, at the ongoing SURGE conference in Bengaluru. Buoyed by the government’s Make in India initiative, the company, founded by ex-IITians Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, has been developing the indigenous scooter since mid-2013.

The first clue to what the Ather S340 is lies in its name. The ‘S340’ stands for ‘scooter,’ ‘3kW electric motor,’ and ’40 amp-hour battery pack.’ The S340 scooter is powered by a IP67-rated 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. The vehicle achieves an 80% charge in 50 minutes in fast charging mode and can be charged from any 5A normal socket in normal mode.  It also reportedly consumes only 2.5 units of electricity for total charge-up.

The other big highlight of the Ather S320 is its host of connectivity and smart features. Taking pride of place on the console is a touchscreen dashboard that 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. Its integration with the S340 Mobile App keeps the rider connected with the vehicle, to configure ride and profile preferences and sync navigation routes remotely.

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Sharing his vision on the industry, Tarun Mehta, Ather Energy CEO & co-founder said, “The automobile industry is in the midst of a huge technological disruption. The technology of electric vehicle has advanced in leaps and bounds. It is the preferred choice because of its inherent efficiency that will shape urban commute and the smart cities of tomorrow. The other aspect is the connectedness of the world around us, enabling integration of devices and making our life experiences seamless. Intelligent vehicles will revolutionise our commute experience in the future and the S340 stands at the cusp of this exciting reality.”

With a manufacturing unit set up in Bangalore, Ather Energy hopes to launch the S340 within the first half of 2016 in the cities of Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi. The company also plans to build an online-only purchase model with doorstep delivery and service. Pricing for the scooter haven’t been disclosed yet.