[Neo18]

Amazing and well detailed review...deserves a 5 star! I had booked the Ather 450 during the first few days of the launch. Unfortunately, a month down the line , I had to stay outside India for close to 6 months on a work assignment and hence cancelled the booking.

Now that I am back, and have got past the initial euphoria of the product, It doesn't make economical sense for my usage. Given the fact that I already have a 2 year old Activa, I was put off by the high Initial cost and the exorbitant support plan cost. Hopefully, the price will come down in the coming years and we will have many competing products to choose from.

[neil.jericho]

Thanks to BHPian Psl9585 for lending his Ather S450 to our resident TBHP two wheeler tester Crazy Driver. And hats off to you CD, for another fantastic review in the two wheeler section of the forum. I've never been a scooter guy but I know a game changing one when I see one and I think the Ather S450 has almost all the ingredients to become a success over time.

However, a few things stuck out to me when I was reading the excellent review. One, the lack of a centre stand is baffling. From what I have observed, the ability to slide off your scooter and quickly put it onto the centre stand, especially in crowded localities is something people take for granted. That could be a costly oversight from Ather, right? Secondly the fancy side stand makes the scooter lean out a little more than its competition. Maybe a local mechanic jugaad to reduce the tit might be the need of the hour. No centre stand and a big lean angle while parking on the side stand? Not good indeed!

Another miss that I cant believe Ather didnt fix is the lack of a night mode on the big screen. That screen looks way too bright and is potentially distracting for the rider in night conditions.

The incognito mood being reset every time you switch off the scooter is a little odd as well. I'm not sure if talks are already on, but Ather should talk to corporates to get them to provide infrastructure incentives for electric vehicles like provide more charging points and dedicated parking (though it might beat the concept of the Ather grid). Wipro, for example, used to provide dedicated parking and free charging to employees who used the Reva, and this was available more than 6 years ago. Im sure more corporates would love to adopt similar policies to benefit their PR, employees and the environment (not necessarily in that order !).

And before I forget, where is the ABS? Dont they need to add ABS by April 1st?

Overall, Ather has done a very good job indeed and Ive seen their test mules zip around Bangalore for quite a while now. Unfortunately Bangalore's burgeoning vehicular density and increasingly worsening traffic blocks might prove to be counter productive to having it as a pilot city. But I wish Ather the best and hope it helps drive the electric revolution in our country.

[silverado]

If 450 has just 65km range, what does 340 have on offer?
I am in love with this scooter, and since I don't commute even 65kms is good for me, but will it be enough for general masses?

Thanks a lot for this detailed review, by any chance can we expect review of 340 as well?

[superbad]

Nothing gives me more excitement & anticipation than another electric scooter being introduced to the market. Why? At the risk of sounding pompous, I was one of the earliest adopters of commercially available electric scooters when they made an appearance 12-13 years back. Not many would remember the YO bike, which was launched probably in 2005-6. Got me one of those. Reading this review, I'm inspired to post a separate ownership thread for that cute l'il thingy.

Coming back to 2019 & Ather, firstly loud cheers for the two enterprising IIT grad students for taking this bold & unprecedented step. As a first product from a completely new company being helmed by two youngsters, it is BRILLIANT. Kudos & appreciation for the effort & hard work they've put in.

Since scooter is a purely functional entity (as opposed to a lifestyle/luxury vehicle to be used recreationally), the basics which are important for an electric scooter - decent build, good under seat storage space, decent mileage (at least 80-100 Km) & good ergonomics. Rest all is optional. Thus, I can do without the fancy touchscreen, mobile app, gps & gsm connectivity, & vehicular telematics. This would certainly save a few thousand bucks. Just give me a robust charging infrastructure.
Of course, not everybody is same, so for others these things may hold value. And that is where I guess Ather has invested, giving people features previously unheard of in a two wheeler, to create a USP.
If they can give me at least 50% more range & cost maybe 10-15 % less, then I'm interested. However, great product overall. Truly revolutionary.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

That centre console looks cool; although, I'm worried how it will cope up with real-world usage and conditions in the longer term.

All said and done, I believe this is sort of lifestyle vehicle as of now; not yet one that can be somebody's primary vehicle

On paper - they have thought of things, the center console is IP65 rated - so it shouldn't have an issue with water unless submerged. Also, is scratch resistant - and it is not hard to get screen protectors aftermarket either.

Primary scooter in the household may not do such distances either - for example, my wife's Hero Maestro does 36kms per day, and is not a short distance for a scooter commute. Ather could be a perfect replacement in this scenario - but our apartment doesn't have the charging infrastructure set up yet. Will be keeping an eye on hemanth.anand's upcoming ownership report for sure.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

I assume once the charging infrastructure improves, this will be less of a concern.

Charging infrastructure is still not bad for city use - 21 centers have been set up across Bangalore. You can't manage a run to Nandi hills, for example!

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

From what I have observed, the ability to slide off your scooter and quickly put it onto the centre stand, especially in crowded localities is something people take for granted. That could be a costly oversight from Ather, right?

Pillion side footrest as well - Saree clad pillion are almost completely ruled out. But again, Ather isn't targeting volumes just yet, so they may not be initially affected by these lost customers.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Another miss that I cant believe Ather didnt fix is the lack of a night mode on the big screen. That screen looks way too bright and is potentially distracting for the rider in night conditions.

Yes it was certainly very glaring at night! Hope Ather takes note and fixes it with an OTA update.

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

And before I forget, where is the ABS? Dont they need to add ABS by April 1st?

Two wheelers above 125cc! I don't think GOI has thought about powerful electric scooters while formulating this rule.

Originally Posted by silverado

If 450 has just 65km range, what does 340 have on offer? Thanks a lot for this detailed review, by any chance can we expect review of 340 as well?

340 is only on papers as of now - haven't heard of it post launch!

Originally Posted by superbad

I'm inspired to post a separate ownership thread for that cute l'il thingy.

Please do! Such rare ownership reports brings a lot of value to the community!

[vsathyap]

Personally, I feel that the holy Grail for such scooters would be to breach the 100km range. If we can get a product that offers a guaranteed 100km range with aggressive 'sport' mode driving and a more economical 125km range with gentle driving, it would be brilliant!

One point I was looking for - Does this scooter have the regenerative braking system where it reverses the drain and charges the battery while riding on descents and on braking? Having that would push the range by 10 km easily.

And just like the Tesla, if we have a more powerful 'long range' model with something like 150km range with a super charging option, this platform will take off! Yes, the initial costs will be astronomical but considering how many scooters are sold in India, the scale factor will kick in and drive the costs down. Imagine getting an electric scooter for some 75-85K that has a 100km range, and a long range model (150km) for something like 1.1-1.2L! Sure, the manufacturers can give the option to the customers where they can choose between

1) Bigger storage under the seat with a limited 75km range, or
2) Get lesser storage space under the seat, but at the temptation of getting 150km range?

Overall, 2 thumbs up for the guts to start something like this and of course, 5 star rating for the review! Just waiting to see what the next gen of e-scooters will have to offer!

[Mortis]

Nice review !! Although a couple of sections have been repeated eg the storage

The S450 is a pretty good package. The main downers are the lack of range coupled with the long charging time and also the exorbitantly priced support plans : Data plan is too expensive, Charging plan might not work for everyone and mainly the service plan. Aren't electric vehicles supposed to be low on maintenance ? Other than a few minor things it shouldn't require much

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by vsathyap

One point I was looking for - Does this scooter have the regenerative braking system where it reverses the drain and charges the battery while riding on descents and on braking? Having that would push the range by 10 km easily.

It does. Guess you missed this part -

For slowing down gradually while conserving charge – Regenerative braking is provided as well, which is either automatically engaged when braking, or can be manually engaged by twisting the throttle in the opposite direction – yes you read that right! Issue however is that it is very difficult to use the front brakes in this hand grip position, so will need to use the rear brake lever (Activates the front as well via CBS) instead. Regen is automatically disabled when battery charge is sufficient. This IMHO should be improved by Ather because – 1. It helps extend the range as per user needs and 2. When battery is fully charged, twisting the throttle to regen doesn’t even slow the vehicle as usual (and it coasts simply) which could startle a user who is used to braking with regen when slowing down.

[COMMUTER]

Thanks for the much awaited thread. The simple yet stunning design makes one desire it getting replicated in the regular scooter segment.

Though the EVs are appearing to be a bargain in the fuel cost front, their battery replacement costs are a nightmare lurking around the corner for the owner. This bike is being fitted with a 200 Ah battery pack that will cost a bomb to replace. Their claim of IP67 does little to assuage my fears of the big battery pack being similar to their tiny mobile counterparts in that one distasteful aspect which I feel is inappropriate to bring up. I assume this battery pack to be weighing 40kg(somebody correct me if I am wrong). It would have been better If they had provided 200 ah lead acid batteries with a swapping arrangement to offset the effect of weight. Lead acid batteries would have been cheaper to replace, longer lasting, easily available and can be deposited in the routine destinations as back ups that can be charged overnight(If the need be).

[extreme_torque]

I think 60km range in the real world is too low. One decent to and fro journey and you already enter into range anxiety. And this is with brand new batteries remember and as they get progressively worse, so would the range. Has Ather said by how much do they expect the battery to degrade? Given the range and the expected battery replacement time, I think the battery is rated for roughly 900-1000 charges and discharges. Did they also mention what is the replacement cost of the battery because that needs to be factored in the overall cost.

I would also like to point out that auto discharge is a way to ensure a longer lifetime for the battery. Li-Ion batteries work best when they aren't completely charged and discharged.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by COMMUTER

Though the EVs are appearing to be a bargain in the fuel cost front, their battery replacement costs are a nightmare lurking around the corner for the owner.

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Did they also mention what is the replacement cost of the battery because that needs to be factored in the overall cost.

Estimated costs are between 35k - 40k, given the current rates for Li-ion batteries.

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Has Ather said by how much do they expect the battery to degrade?

The battery pack gets a 3 years/unlimited km warranty with 70% battery capacity retention. They expect a replacement at an average running of about 50k kms.

[vivee90]

Thank you for the Superb review. Ather Energy is surely a brand to watch out for in the 2wheeler market of future. Especially with Hero's involvement, the future looks strong and good from management perspective too.

The product is the biggest statement! The fact that they have minimalised branding on the vehicle itself shows the confidence they have in their unique design. The Mechanicals are well sorted with a decent build. And that is a lot coming from a new entrant. Issues with the hi-fi dashboard are understandable since even the established OEMs often fall short in the implementation.

I am hooked to the brand for further updates, especially with the removable battery pack concept proposed by the Government!

[Dry Ice]

Wonderful review and good see an Indian company doing some rather good work! The Tesla-esque OTA updates is awesome to hear/see.

I just hope they are able to fill the market with these soon. Once the big boys start rolling in with their electrics, they might find it hard to hold on to buyer interest for 5-6 months.

That said, I was surprised by the size of it. Maybe it looked bigger in other pictures. You simply dwarfed it in this pic.

[satishv1987]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

The electric motor produces a peak power output of 7.24hp, and while that may not sound much – is coupled with a max torque figure of 20.5Nm available just off idle. That gives it a power to weight ratio of 61.36 hp/ton and an incredible torque to weight ratio of 173.73Nm/ton.

A good friend of mine has been involved in this project right from the proto phase. Apparently, the motor is quite powerful . But the software limits it to 7 HP due to thermal constraints.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by vivee90

Issues with the hi-fi dashboard are understandable since even the established OEMs often fall short in the implementation.

Plus the software will only get day by day thanks to OTA updates. A couple of concerns I have written were addressed by the time the review went live - hopefully the others are fixed soon as well.

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

That said, I was surprised by the size of it. Maybe it looked bigger in other pictures. You simply dwarfed it in this pic.

Not a fault with the scooter. Had a busy start to 2018 professionally as well as with Team Bhp - but ended up neglecting myself and gained a lot of kgs in the process. Would have dwarfed any scooter.

That said - the lean design of the scooter makes it feel smaller compared to the likes of Activa. TVS Wego is one similar product that comes to mind, in terms of lean styling dimensions.

Originally Posted by satishv1987

A good friend of mine has been involved in this project right from the proto phase. Apparently, the motor is quite powerful . But the software limits it to 7 HP due to thermal constraints.

Should be the case. There are heat sinks almost everywhere on the bike. Wonder how upcoming brands like Ultraviolette is planning to tackle this!