[AnniHilat0R]

Originally Posted by mazda4life

Just to add to the other posters, this model will have a 4G sim instead of a 3G which is a good thing. Also, I think it was a clever packing by offering the bike at 99K and then forcing the user to buy a pack. I really feel that, this nascent industry needs Government support to make it affordable and increase the adoption. They touted that the battery warranty was infinite and want to understand the fine print of that claim.

Their website is up and running.

What I am curious about is their rollout plan and the terms of the subscription.

From their website, it seems if you buy the scooter outright, its stated as a 3 Year Warranty for the battery

https://www.atherenergy.com/index450x_web

[Zappex]

The launch was disappointing with lots of glitches and lags.

The product will be priced at:

Plus: ₹1.49L
Pro: ₹1.59L (Same hardware-software unlocks performance)

(With 3-year battery warranty)

There is a subscription model with a down payment of ₹99k and additional monthly installments:

Plus: ₹1,699/-
Pro: ₹1,999/- (Same hardware-software unlocks performance)

(With infinite battery warranty)

I think the model is ridiculous "if" one has to pay up this monthy amount till the end!

Hope this clarifies some of the confusion.

[AnniHilat0R]

Just got an email regarding the launch highlights and my pre-booking.

Not sure if its different for different cities, but I am based out of Mumbai and my email states:

Deliveries will begin in the Q3 2020. More updates coming your way soon.

Going ahead and cancelling my pre-order.

[DarthVeda]

that 159k pricing is really took all the awe of the features and excitement I had for this. we are paying 46k more for:
1. Colour
2. 1.2 second faster acceleration
3. 10km additional range (by changing the cell structure, they achieved more capacity)
4. 4G and Bluetooth connectivity

This in my opinion, does not warrant that steep price. You can keep these for yourself Ather, i will stick to 450 for now.

[KPR]

The scooter is getting costlier (upfront purchase) with "x" version and that too with only a 3 year warranty on battery. What happens after that? Spend 50k on a new battery say after 5 years when it's dead? Except for few geeks in south Indian metro cities I'm sure this scooter isn't going to sell well in pan India.

[i74js]

Too optimistic ! Going the Tesla route in a price sensitive market where established players have started offering products in the same segment.

I would take the liberty of comparing Ather with Piaggio Vespa wherein if they are reasonably successful, they can play with stronger margins compared to mass market players.

It is too early to comment if the revised price is suicidal for the the brand.

[vRSiva27]

From what I understand from the official website, the Plus Variant will come with a TrueRange of 70km, whereas the Pro Variant will come with a TrueRange of 85km.

So, if you buy the 450X, and choose to take up the Plus Variant, what you essentially get is lower range (by 5km) than that of the 450?

Ather seems to have gone full premium in terms of pricing this one in a market that is seeing new introductions from the some of the biggest/most trusted manufacturers. This strategy has worked for Tesla in the US, but the variance in terms of packaging the products is something that Ather needs to take a leaf out of, especially in a price sensitive country like ours.

[RYP]

Disclaimer : I love EV's, Tesla and Ather in particular.

Was eagerly awaiting the 450x launch, and boy they were delivering the goods until the last 10mins of the event. Let me take you through the event in a nutshell.

Things that could be improved upon the 450 are,

Bigger Battery - Check
Better Performance - Check
More Range - Check
4G eSim - Check
Snapdragon 212 - Check
Android OS - Check
More Colours - Check
Tesla reference - Check
Compare to other EV's - Check
Lame Vodafone 3G jokes - Check

All was well until money came in, then it went downhill, and spectacularly

Here's how it goes,
99k for the vehicle, but you can't run it yet. Oh ya, then you pay 1700/- or 2000/- PER MONTH depending on how fast you wanna go. If your battery capacity goes below 80% on the 5th year or the 50th year of ownership you get it replaced for free. Yay!

or

You pay 1.5L or 1.6L upfront depending on how fast you wanna go + Ather Connect is mandatory, which is 3k a year

Summary:

Yay!

Incredibly cool scooter and that connected helmet

Nay!

Dubious subscription plans

Best course :

Get the 'regular' 450. You pay atleast 40k less, which is essentially the savings on the new gizmos and slightly better chassis. And they aren't worth 40k

[CarManMotorcycl]

The pricing has ensured that Bajaj and TVS has a good opportunity to capture the EV scooter market with their offerings. I have a feeling the Bajaj Chetak will sell more than all the EV scooters because of many reasons(not appropriate for this thread).

[highlander]

With the BS6 pricing catching upto Ather, it has a good road ahead to get more customers. Hopefully the 450 will continue to be sold at the current pricing.

Power Drift Review out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCZ3PRpcISs

[pogo0120]

Originally Posted by CarManMotorcycl

The pricing has ensured that Bajaj and TVS has a good opportunity to capture the EV scooter market with their offerings. I have a feeling the Bajaj Chetak will sell more than all the EV scooters because of many reasons(not appropriate for this thread).

I agree. Plus points for Bajaj. Large dealership network, established brand, good looking metal body scooter(with some plastics), biggest battery (3KW vs others).

If Ather could do 4KWhr battery and cross the psychological barrier of 100KMS (110+), I would have said yes. But frankly I am lost here. I don't know what TVS doing with smallest battery and hub mounted design! I always liked Ather, only thing that bothered me was plastics and wanted to see what Bajaj's offering would be. Now, I am kind of inclined towards Bajaj, still will wait for Team BHP review.

[pavanmadhini]

The whole idea of a software map change for 10k on the exact same hardware sounds ridiculous for a vehicle.
Which makes the Plus variant seem like a phony placeholder to drive customers to pay up more for the Pro variant.

I was really looking forward to the launch and was hoping they'd push the range beyond 100kms. Missed opportunity in my books.

Cancelling my pre-booking for sure.

[bugatti]

Going to differ a bit in my reasoning. I pre-booked an Ather 450 in July 2018. Haven't been interested in the 450 because I don't even use my motorbike much these days (commute by cycle). The 450 wasn't too appealing as a replacement for my dad's TVS Jupiter either.

With the 450x teaser, my interest was piqued, but I didn't prebook (I shared the offer codes on this forum) because I wasn't sure what was on offer. Maybe a bit faster, an improvement in battery life. 4g..

But having watched the livecast, I was actually pleasantly surprised. Better power, better range, faster charging, lower weight?, and so many more improvements that makes it a much more compelling buy. How the heck do you shave off 10kgs!! from a bike like this? It is now a comfortable weight for my father to use. And by the time this scooter comes through in Q3, an EV will finally have become a viable addition to the family.

They've actually really made this attractive enough for me (and family) which made me go ahead and book one now.

There are other reasons why I'm planning to stick with Ather rather than go in for a Chetak or TVS. This is a much more sorted out product. This scooter is likely to make my life more comfortable, convenient, save me time, and plaster a grin on my face every time I accelerate. The entire package makes it irresistible. A decision like this is part economic, part desire.


P.S
I'm in not a fan of having to take the scooter for service to the dealership. 2 hours+ wasted. Any some of my issues aren't even resolved.

If everybody thought only economically, then you'd only sell (or buy) Nanos or 800s.

Seeing the ownership experience of numerous 450 owners over the past 2 years, I do feel that the co. is putting out a really good VFM product. A lot of thought has gone in to improve the product. Every aspect of the vehicle has been rethought. It's not just power and range. This product has the ability to save me time and money. No hassles, no shit to worry about. And a 30k premium is something I'm willing to pay.

Given my father's age and his abilites over the next 5 years, I feel the 450X is far more suitable than moving to any 125cc scooter. My father can use the Plus mode, and I, the Pro mode (I'm guessing).

Even if I have to replace the Jupiter, I'd have to spend 77k on another scooter for literally the same product. I'm a little surprised at how costly 2 wheelers have become in the past 5 years. Paying taxes to the govt and all.. with the Ather, the govt instead pays me.

A 125cc scooter will inevitably be heavier than the Jupiter (both the 450x and Jupiter are 108kgs). Given the increased power output, I can use the 450x like a motorbike, my father, like a light scooter.

EVs are now becoming a better option compared to ICE scooters. Why?
I think the battery might last for 45-50k km, which might be 5-7 years. Atleast with the Ather, I believe their battery quality is better and will last longer than its competition. This alleviates the battery life anxiety issue for me.

Compared to petrol scooters, I think that the cost factor of the 450x is still a bit higher. 3 years back, there was a wide difference, it is however rapidly narrowing, when the time comes to replace the battery in a 5 years, battery pack costs will have fallen by 40-50 %.

Despite the initial higher price, given the conveniences the 450X offers, I will instead save time using this scooter. And given time = money,
I'll save money long-term. So my total cost of ownership is lower than owning a ICE scooter.

In the city, with so much stop and go traffic, 450x makes good sense, fast acceleration, good brakes and tires.

With an ride range of 100km, I'd only have to charge the scooter once a week.

With the numbers Tarun shared about dealer interest and pan-India demand, it's because people want a product like this, it speaks for itself. And I believe the bookings will reflect that.

Cons:I think the subscription prices are on the higher side. 1299 and 1499 would be more digestible.

The prices mentioned are for Bangalore only. However, the Rs 1.59L excludes state subsidy, road tax, insurance and registration charges. Any idea what the on-road final price might be? Also, will the Ather Connect plan charges be different than that of the 450?

[shashank.nk]

I'd converted from a regular booking to 450x hoping to buy the latest one as i've waited long. I'm left quite disappointed with the price like others.

Leasing option isn't up yet, so will wait and decide whether to cancel or not. If I understand right, pay 99k and then pay an additional amount upto 2k per month to go faster, this works out to 24k a year which is dangerously close to the amount I spend on my car.

I'm gonna wait and see if they reduce the price or if leasing options make sense, else I'll be cancelling.

[igp_79]

The product is great. But the price is very steep.
The subscrition model is actually excellent as the company keeps getting funding. But what would have been approriate is if they had priced the scooter at Rs. 75000 - 80000 upfront (at par with the ICE scooters). And kept the subscription plans at say Rs 900 and Rs 1100 (the numbers sound palatable and in tune with what we quietly cough up every month for our premium streaming services like Netflix).
Yes, The profits would have been lesser and the aggressive expansion plans will have to be funded through the capital funding route. But soon they would have captured the market like nobody else and would have become the two wheeler Tesla of India. Even the world would have taken notice. The product is that good.
Well, they know there finances best...and I know mine. Will have to cancel.
However I still wish Ather the very best and am hoping and praying that they do not become a 'could have been' in the brutal Indian automobile industry.