Ather Energy, a prominent name in the electric vehicle industry is venturing into the electric motorcycle segment. While the launch timeline remains uncertain, Ather's Co-founder and CEO, Tarun Mehta, shared some intriguing insights at the company's recent Community Day event in Bengaluru.
Power and Practicality
The upcoming Ather electric motorcycle is set to be more powerful than the company's 450 e-scooters. Designed with practicality in mind, it aims to cater to the needs of daily commuters. However, the exact launch date is still up in the air.
Understanding the Market
Mehta highlighted that there are primarily two types of motorcycle buyers. The first group seeks performance and freedom requiring a large battery that brings challenges in terms of packaging, weight, and cost. This complexity has deterred many companies from making significant breakthroughs in this space, even globally.
Targeting the Commuter Segment
Ather's focus, however, is on a different type of customer. This customer prioritizes operational aspects, such as the stability offered by larger wheels compared to a scooter. Interestingly, these customers, especially in the internal combustion engine (ICE) segment, also look for lower upfront costs and reduced running expenses compared to scooters.
This type of motorcycle typically falls within the 110-150cc commuter category. Mehta believes that the electric vehicle (EV) industry has the potential to revolutionize this segment by offering a superior riding experience and lower operational costs.
Addressing the Range Concern
A critical question that needs answering is the range and the optimal battery size that would satisfy the market enough to encourage a transition to electric. Mehta acknowledges that this is a highly complex issue that the industry has been hesitant to tackle head-on. However, he optimistically noted that "someone has got to do it at some point."
Since these motorcycles won't be high-power machines, Mehta revealed that much of the core technology developed for Ather's scooters could be repurposed. "A motorcycle like this could have between 12-15kW of power, and our electric scooters are already close to that range," he explained.
Current Technologies Suffice
Mehta also mentioned that the wait for better battery chemistries might not be necessary, as current technologies are adequate to develop a practical electric motorcycle.
Timeline and Focus
As for the timeline, Mehta stated that experimenting at scale is crucial, and while Ather might not embark on this journey within the year, the new Rizta scooter is their immediate focus. Nevertheless, the company will continue to work on the electric motorcycle in the background, even though the launch timelines remain unclear.
Ather's foray into the electric motorcycle segment is marked by a strategic focus on practicality and commuter needs leveraging existing technologies, and a cautious yet optimistic approach towards addressing range and battery size challenges.