As demand is expected to increase in the future, Ather has launched its second manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu
Ather has registered strong growth in November 2022, with YoY gain of 260.08%. A total of 7,234 units were sold in the month, as compared to 2,009 units in November last year.
While YoY growth is commendable, MoM growth is down by -11.92%. Ather sales in October 2022 were higher at 8,213 units. This was something that was expected, as auto sales tend to taper off after the festive season. Ather has maintained its market share in November and expects sales to bounce back from January 2023 onwards.
Production capacity expanded
Ather recently launched its second manufacturing facility in Hosur, taking overall production capacity to 420,000 units per year. As of now, the company is producing 600 scooters per day. It will soon be increased to around 1,500 units per day. Ather’s second manufacturing unit is twice as large in area, as compared to the first factory. It has 2 vehicle and 3 battery lines.
While production has been boosted, Ather has ensured that there are no compromises on quality. It is among the EV brands that have had relatively fewer issues related to battery fire, low range, build quality, etc. Ather’s deep focus on quality continues, as more than 200 parameters are evaluated for every scooter that passes through the assembly line.
With increased automation, Ather has been able to reduce assembly time by 20%. Automation also helps reduce faults and defects linked to human error. A higher level of consistency and accuracy can be achieved with increased automation. However, the human element is still necessary, as there are tasks that machines cannot do. Ather currently provides direct employment to around 1,600 individuals.
Ather has consistently expanded its retail footprint across the country. With increased production capacity, it has become imperative to explore newer sales hubs. Towards that end, Ather launched nine new retail outlets in November. The new outlets are located in Salem, Dwarka, Gurugram, Patna, Hassan, Jamnagar, Bengaluru and Tuticorin. With the new outlets, Ather has expanded its reach to 59 cities. It currently has 73 experience centres across India.
Ather Electric Scooter Discounts, Offers – Dec 2022
Ather is also working on reducing the acquisition burden on consumers. Even with FAME II subsidy, Ather 450 Plus and 450X are priced at Rs 1.34 lakh and Rs 1.56 lakh in Bengaluru. This is quite high, as compared to popular ICE-based scooter Honda Activa that is available at a starting price of Rs 75,000.
To make it easier for consumers to switch to electric, Ather has launched a first-of-its-kind EV finance scheme in partnership with IDFC Bank. For example, Ather 450X with on-road price of Rs 1.62 lakh can be purchased at monthly EMI of Rs 3,456. This will be a 48-months loan with a fixed interest rate of 8.50%. Consumers will benefit from zero processing fee and low down payment of Rs 39,416. Down payment can be even lower in case the buyer opts for a vehicle exchange scheme.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
