Coimbatore: Ather Energy, India’s electric scooter manufacturer, today inaugurated its new retail outlet – Ather Space, at Ramnagar, Coimbatore, in association with Rajdurai’s E-Vehicles Pvt Ltd, a leading 2-wheeler service company. The Ather 450X, one of India’s quickest and smartest scooters, alongside the Ather 450 Plus will be available to test ride and purchase at Ather Space. This is Ather Energy’s third experience center in Tamil Nadu after Chennai and Trichy.
Tamil Nadu Government was one of the earliest to introduce EV policies to drive the adoption and manufacturing of electric vehicles in the state. The government offers incentives to vehicle manufacturers ranging from full reimbursement of state GST paid on the sale of vehicles to exemptions from electricity tax for manufacturing units and a 15 – 20% subsidy on land cost. The policy also provides a complete exemption from motor vehicle taxes for battery-powered vehicles until 2022, as well as the creation of EV parks in major auto manufacturing hubs and locations. The state’s EV policies are designed to build the perfect ecosystem for electric vehicles. Ather Energy’s factory in Hosur is supported by the government of Tamil Nadu under its EV Policy. Ather Energy commenced its operations in Chennai in 2019 and has an active community of Ather owners there.
Ather Space is geared to provide a unique ownership experience along with complete service and support for the owners. The new Ather Space will offer customers an opportunity to learn about every aspect of the vehicle and provide a complete overview of the various parts with a stripped-bare unit on display. They can also book test ride slots on Ather Energy’s website before visiting the experience center. Earlier this year, Ather expanded its presence across multiple cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Kochi, Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Trichy, Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Kozhikode, Indore, and Nashik.
Ather Energy is one of the few OEMs that also invests in building charging infrastructures. The company has installed 7 fast-charging points, Ather Grid, which can be found at Peelamedu, Ram Nagar, Sai Baba Colony, Saravanampatty, Racecourse road, Kuniyamuthur, and Sulur. All of the Ather Grid sites are strategically located across Coimbatore, making them easily accessible to EV owners. Ather Energy plans to add 8-10 more charging points to strengthen the charging network to provide smooth and stress-free rides for EV owners in the city. Ather Energy also helps customers in setting up home charging solutions in their apartments and buildings.
The ex-showroom price post the Fame II revision for the Ather 450X is INR. 146,296 & INR 127,286 for the Ather 450 Plus in Coimbatore. These prices are expected to further reduce once the state government subsidy guidelines are issued.
Ravneet Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy: “Since we entered Chennai, we have been getting a lot of requests for test rides from other cities of Tamil Nadu, especially from Coimbatore. We began deliveries in the city a couple of months back and have received a tremendous response so far. A lot of credit goes to the Tamil Nadu government who has been promoting EVs in a big way in the state and also to our partners Rajdurai’s E-Vehicles Pvt Ltd. They have been extremely supportive in organizing the test rides and starting the operations. Tamil Nadu is the second state where we have on-ground operations up and running in 3 cities and we are already looking to expand to a few more cities by the end of the year”
Vaishnavi, Managing Director, Rajdurai’s E-Vehicles : “We are delighted to partner with Ather Energy to drive EV adoption in Coimbatore. Ather Energy has built a sustainable, high-quality, and well-performing electric vehicle from scratch along with the supporting charging infrastructure. We have been receiving a great response from the customers and have already clocked 400 deliveries. We also have customers from Trippur, Erode, Salem, Pollachi. With the opening of Ather Space, we strive to provide the best experience to our customers.”
