Ather Energy S340 Electric Scooter set to be India’s First E-Bike

An Indian-based smart vehicle start-up is developing what will be the country’s first electric scooter. Ather Energy is currently working on its Ather Energy S340 Electric Scooter that is set to be ready in 2016.

India is a country with huge congestion problems and scooters are a common way of getting around in the country. However, adoption of electric vehicles has been slow due to high costs and what many see as a compromise in performance when it comes to electric vehicles.

These are the two problems that the founders of Ather Energy set out to tackle when they decided to set up their smart vehicle company. Swapnil Jain and Tarun Mehta met when they were classmates at the Indian Institute of Technology. The two combined to create an e-bike that would better what is available to the huge number of scooter users in India.

The company claims that it is is “building the best scooter in the country and not just a good-enough electric scooter.” The smart vehicle start-up also claims the Ather Energy S340 Electric Scooter “out-accelerates its petrol counterparts, charges up over a lunch break, has a Smart dashboard, and an immortal battery pack.”

Ather Energy S340 Electric Scooter

In terms of specs, the S340 will have  an impressive top speed of 75 Kmph (about 46 miles per hour). The e-bike features android powered navigation and theft prevention, usage data, and will weigh in at around 20% lighter than the average petrol scooter at 15 Kilograms.

The Ather Energy S340 Electric Scooter is able to charge 8 times faster, achieving an 80% charge within an hour. The smart scooters battery pack is designed to be 3 times lighter than current versions and can virtually charge up during a lunch break. With a 50,000 km life and a battery management system, the right price point for the S340 will surely provide value for money.

Update: The company expects the Ather scooter s340 price to be no more than ₹1 lakh. The vehicle was officially unveiled on February 23 2016 and an official Ather e-scooter S340 price will be forthcoming soon.

The company’s name has Greek origins in the word Aether, which refers to the purest of air breathed by the gods.  Ather’s success in this project could have huge  implications for pollution control in India and developing nations.

With the Global push to reduce emissions and look after the environment, countries which are huge polluters such as the United States, China, and India have pledged to climate change goals. This is why the success of the Ather Energy S340 Electric Scooter is crucial.

An electric scooter that can outperform its combustible engine counterparts but costs the same is a big step forward for electric vehicles and green energy. This is what the Ather Energy S340 Electric Scooter potentially offers, but as mentioned above, the Ather e-scooter s340 price may also be a crucial component of that.

Widespread adoption of the Ather Energy S340 Electric Scooter in a large country such as India and other developing countries could help cut down on gallons of emissions and help arrest the climate change issues the world is now facing.

The Ather Energy S340 Electric Scooter will be the first electric scooter to be made and produced in India. The huge home market as well as potential export opportunities bring with them a promise of a top selling product.

If Ather succeeds, what will matter is not how much money the company makes from the Ather e-scooter s340 price , but the impact their smart scooter will have on future transportation and saving the environment.