Ather Energy launches Ather Grid 2.0, Its Next Gen Charging Tech

Ather Energy, India’s first intelligent electric scooter manufacturer, today announced the launch of what it calls the next generation of public fast charging infrastructure, Ather Grid 2.0. The new fast-charging infrastructure builds on the current generation of Ather Grid with enhanced features to support scale and future faster charging capability.

The installation of this public fast-charging network has already begun in Bangalore and Chennai, and it will soon be available across cities in India, says the firm.

The Ather Grid 2.0 was designed with the aim of creating a distinguishable, approachable, and scalable charging experience. Ather Grid 2.0 will have the ability to support future fast charging capacity, as well as enhanced safety and faster bug resolution. Grid 2.0 will support Over-the-Air updates, allowing Ather Energy to push new features and bug fixes to all systems on the field real-time. It also has improved durability as it is designed to handle degradation, making it more suitable for installations exposed to extreme environmental conditions. The modular design also enables field serviceability of parts with a strong emphasis on remote diagnostics. Ather Grid will continue to stay connected at all times to provide real-time availability of all charging locations in every city.

Nilay Chandra, VP – Charging Infrastructure and Marketing, Ather Energy said “At Ather Energy, we have been continuously focusing on evolving and providing the best customer experience. With the introduction of Ather Grid 2.0, we will be able to fast track our ambition of setting up 500 fast-charging infrastructure by the end of this year. Our charging infrastructure will be available to all players who adopt the connector standard and we are in the advanced stages of conversation with multiple partners for the same. For us, this is the beginning of the Ather Grid network’s expansion, and it is critical to make charging infrastructure convenient and easily accessible to consumers in order to boost the adoption of electric vehicles.“

Within a couple of years, Ather Grid has become one of the largest fast charging infrastructure networks for electric two-wheelers in India. The Ather Grid Network is now spread across 21+ cities and 215+ locations. Ather Energy aims to add 500 Ather Grid locations by the end of FY22, with all new installations being Ather Grid 2.0. The rapid charging network is available to all electric two-wheelers and electric four-wheelers, and it is free of charge until the end of December 2021.  

Ather Energy, one of India’s first intelligent electric vehicle manufacturers was founded in 2013 by IIT Madras alumni, Tarun Mehta, and Swapnil Jain. It is backed by the founders of Flipkart -Sachin Bansal & Binny Bansal- Hero Motocorp and Tiger Global. Ather Energy launched India’s first truly intelligent, electric scooter – Ather 450 in 2018, followed by their new flagship offering Ather 450X in 2020. Ather has also installed a comprehensive public charging network, Ather Grid, designed and built-in India. With 200+ charging points across India, Ather Grid is one of the largest fast-charging networks for electric vehicles in the country.