Ather 450X is offered in two variants and it gets three new colour schemes and much improved top speed and riding range
With two mainstream two-wheeler manufacturers, Bajaj and TVS, having stepped foot into the electric scooter space, India’s most promising EV start-up, Ather, is responding with a new variant of the popular 450. Dubbed the 450X, it is essentially the much-improved version of the regular zero-emission scooter and it has been launched in the domestic market today for a price of Rs. 99,000 (ex-showroom, pan India) and Rs. 85,000 in Delhi after subsidy.
The Bengaluru-based company is receiving bookings for the 450X Collector’s Edition and it has been said to be sold out almost already. The brand will be setting up new dealerships in Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR, Ahmedabad and Coimbatore among 8 new cities as part of expanding its footprint across the country and it is a good move considering the eventual rise in competition.
The TVS I-Qube Electric and Bajaj Chetak EV are priced right up against the Ather range of scooters and thus Ather will be trying to differentiate itself from its newfound rivals with the 450X and it will be introduced in two trims (more like subscription plans they say): the 450X Plus and 450X Pro priced at Rs. 1.49 lakh and Rs. 1.59 lakh respectively. In Delhi, with subsidies considered, the prices are Rs. 1.35 lakh and Rs. 1.45 lakh (ex-showroom). Deliveries of both the trims will commence in the due course of the year.
Ather has endorsed the 450X as a Super Scooter and three new paint schemes (White, Grey and Green) are part of the package as the existing range gets a single white colour. Among the 450X and 450X Collector’s Edition, the latter is more premium with exclusive graphics and the pre-ordering customers will get gifted with a special t-shirt from their merchandise series.
The brand appears to be going all in with the 450X as it is said to be “quicker, smarter, more connected and looks even cooler”. It will be equipped with fast charging facility and will be launched in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Pune, Chennai and Bengaluru initially. Another point to note is that Ather has penned a deal with Tamil Nadu Government for a production facility spanning 4,00,000 sq. ft.
Ather has invested more than 675 crores on 450 over last five years and it received several patent applications, design registrations and trademarks. The 450 also has the first India-made aluminium frame and the highest riding range Ather says its customers have got was as much as 130 km on a single charge as opposed to much lesser claim. The company has consistently expanded its charging network in Bengaluru and Chennai as well.
The Ather 450X builds on the success of the 450 and has the battery cells are completely new deviating from 18650 form factor to 21700 form factor and is used by Tesla as well. It gives increased power and energy density and thus the battery capacity increases to 2.9 kWh from 2.7 kWh. Consequently, the 450X’s certified range goes up to 116 km and the on-road range up to 85 km (up from 107 km and 75 km respectively on the 450).
The regular 450 can do 0-60 kmph in 3.8 seconds and 0-60 kmph in 8.2 seconds, but the much improved 450X can handle that in just 3.29 seconds and 6.50 seconds – faster than Aprilia SR150 and TVS Ntorq 125 by a big margin. The power has been increased by 15 per cent to 6 kW and 26 Nm while the weight reduced to 108 kg from 118 kg. It also gets a Warp mode with 80 km range.
Other notable technologies include regenerative braking and lower steering inertia while the tyre performance and flick ability have also been improved. The 450X moves to Android open source giving more flexibility for developers and users. The more powerful software, Bluetooth capability and dashboard have enabled the use of accessories such as smart helmet (calls can be attended and other functions) and tyre pressure sensor.
The 450X has also moved to 4G connectivity and features such as auto turn-off indicators, OTR, navigation with Google Maps, ride statistics and remote monitoring are carried forward from 450. The fast charging capability has also been sped up by 50 per cent with new generation chargers. Ather claims that the consistent battery with infinite warranty enables consistency range and performance. The top speed of Ather 450X is at 80 kmph.
