Ather Electric Scooters Receive Overwhelming Response In Chennai

Both Ather scooters have been sold out till November 2019

• The first batch of deliveries will begin in September and October 2019.
• First two batches will get a one-year Ather subscription free of cost.
• The scooters will be delivered on first come, first served basis.
• The Ather 450 and Ather 340 are Rs 9,036 and Rs 8,444 more expensive in Chennai respectively.

Ather Energy is off to a good start in Chennai. The startup will commence deliveries in three batches. The first batch will be delivered in September and October, while the second lot will be delivered in November and December. As for enthusiasts who have missed out, you need not worry as you can still pre-book either of the scooters in the third batch, deliveries for which will commence soon after. Interestingly, the first two batches have been booked out and it’s only the third batch that’s still available for booking. That said, the company hasn’t revealed the exact number of scooters per batch.

In a bid to make the proposition even more attractive, the e-scooter manufacturer also offered a one year Ather subscription free of cost to the first two batches of customers. To break it down, the ‘Ather One Plan’ as the brand calls it, includes over-the-air updates, vehicle service, public charging and home charging for a year. That’s a saving of Rs 8,400! Impressive, ain’t it?

On the flipside, both the Ather 450 and Ather 340 are priced relatively higher than they are in Bengaluru. For instance, the top-spec Ather 450 is priced at Rs 1.31 lakh, while the Ather 340 retails at Rs 1.19 lakh (both on-road prices). Part of this price difference could be attributed to the 4 per cent road tax imposed by the government of Tamil Nadu. Essentially, this adds Rs 5,837 to the Ather 350’s price and Rs 5,246 to the Ather 340’s. According to the folks at Ather, the second half of the price bump takes care of the cost of two helmets which have to be offered with every new scooter. In comparison, the government of Karnataka has waived off the registration fee. 

Thankfully, both Ather scooters benefit from the FAME-II subsidy - Rs 27,000 for the Ather 450 and Rs 24,000 for the 340. And this price is expected to drop down further in the near future, thanks to the 2019 Budget which proposes a reduction in GST from the current 12 per cent to 5 per cent. Post Chennai, Ather has plans of stepping foot in Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai.