Motor and Performance:The power produced by the Motor in normal mode is 3.3 kW (4.4 HP) and in the sports mode is 5.4 kW (7.2 HP). Being an electric scooter, it produces a massive 20.5 Nm of torque, all of which is delivered at once. Ather accelerate from 0- 40 in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 80 km/h. The massive torque will also prove helpful in stop and go traffic and while driving on steep roads.
Design and feel:
The scooter looks sleek and sharp. The are no over-designed strips, no tacky pieces of vinyl and no vibrations. The scooter is covered in LED in the most subtle way possible. The front cone-shaped headlamp takes the center stage and the rear tail light gives the scooter a good share of head turns. The sophisticated use of green colour makes it distinctive from the rest of the herd. The rear sprocket too adds to posh yet solid nature of the Ather 450.
Range:
If you own an e-vehicle then you must be familiar with range anxiety. The range of the electric product is never the actual stated one. It is always less than that and decreases even further when the vehicle is ridden hard. That seems to not be a problem on Ather 450 because the company claims that this scooter has a “True-Range” in "Eco-mode" of 75 km/full charge. The company says that the range will stay the same in your respective riding mode.
If this is true, then it is a really impressive feat because of the C-rate or as we like to call it the consumption rate is directly proportional to the amount of charge left in a battery before it shuts down. Meaning if you will use the battery at a higher rate, then it will discharge quickly while still having a good amount of charge left in it.
Consider the process of taking out ice-cream from a big scoop and the scoop will always take out the intended amount or none at all. It is easy when the ice-cream is full but becomes almost impossible when the amount of ice-cream left is less than what could fit in the scoop.
The people at Ather Energy seems to have figured the problem out. Our guess is, by using ECU controlled battery management which cuts power when necessary. All in all, it is a commendable feat.
Suspension and Chassis:
The scooter employs an aluminum chassis which is almost hollowed inside as the battery pack and the motor, are placed beneath the footrest. The absence of an engine also makes enough room in the under-seat compartment for a full sized helmet. Chassis also consists of a monoshock at the rear and telescopic forks at the front. Final drive is through a belt, which adds to the “maintenance free” theme of the scooter. Ather 450 achieves a low center of gravity; most of the weight over the swing arm is of the rider. I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be the most comfortable scooter.
Tech goodies:
Just a single 7-inch touch screen takes place at the center console, which displays riding mode (sport, eco), speed, charge left and all the usual stuff. Ather has also installed several charging stations throughout the city for their scooter and other e-vehicles. The locations of all these stations come pre-installed in the scooter and get’s regularly updated whenever new ones pop up. A big real-time map can also take over the entire screen in case you're trying to figure your way out in an unfamiliar part of town.
Ather spéciale:
The company say’s that it will install a brand new charging station at your home whenever you buy their scooter. The installation will be free of charge and for a subscription plan of Rs 700/month, after every three months, you will get back all the money spent on charging your scooter. The 700 rupees also include free “at home” maintenance, breakdown assistance and unlimited data services.
Should you buy it?
The short answer is Yes. The long answer is “In order to support and mutually benefit from the environment-friendly technology and have the ownership of a scooter which will eventually pay for itself in a span of few years, you should buy the Ather 450.”
You have a scooter which will run “free of cost”, all you have to do is pay the one-time price of Rs 1,24,750. I highly suggest that you consider Ather 450 as your first scooter as it will enable you to save the environment and your hard-earned money.
A good response from the public will send a message to other motorcycle manufacturers that India is ready to accept the electric as the future of transportation. It will not only speed the R&D in headquarters of Honda, Bajaj and TVS but will also save our precious environment, which is continuously suffering an onslaught of pollution.
Another e-motorcycle manufacturer “Emflux one” stunned everyone at the Auto Expo 2018, when they revealed their Emflux one which featured top of the line equipment and range. With the addition of Ather on the low-cost spectrum of an Indian rider’s budget, it won’t be long when the electric vehicles take over a huge chunk of the population.
