Ather Energy to Launch Second E-scooter Mfg Facility in Tamil Nadu

Electric scooter brand Ather Energy has commissioned its second manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, to cater to the growing demand of its electric scooters – the 450X and 450 Plus.

The company plans to manufacture 400,000 units per annum, jumping from its current capacity of 120,000 units. Ather Energy had set up its first manufacturing facility at Hosur earlier this year.

In October, Ather Energy registered its best-ever monthly sales numbers, registering 12-fold growth over the last year and achieving revenue run rate of $100 million, making it the largest EV maker by value in this segment.

 “The EV demand has been shooting up across the country, and customers are coming in expecting electric scooters to wow them. This customer expectation is why our 450 series of electric scooters – the 450X and 450 Plus is seeing massive demand as it is the best electric scooter in the country today,” said Tarun Mehta, Co-Founder & CEO, Ather Energy.

“Our experience centres are scaling up rapidly, and our retail footprint is set to grow by six times in the coming quarters. So, within just ten months of opening our current facility, we find ourselves already operating at full capacity. We are commissioning the second plant to be ready for 2022. With this capacity expansion, Ather is well on its way to becoming the country’s largest EV producer by next year,” said Mehta.

Ather Energy claims to have been registering 20% month-on-month sales growth since November 2020, highlighting the “strong demand” for its electric scooters.

The company’s present Hosur manufacturing facility, set up in February, enables 90% of the manufacturing of Ather Energy’s 450X and 450 Plus to be localised, including the battery pack, which is made in-house by Ather Energy. The company has committed to invest INR 650 crores in the next five years to enhance operational efficiency and production capacity to meet the exponential surge in demand.

Apart from the EV manufacturing, the facility will also focus on lithium-ion battery manufacturing. The company claims to be the only EV OEM in India to make its battery packs and has filed 13 patents on the design and manufacturing of the li-ion batteries.