Ather Energy is preparing for a major expansion of its retail network and manufacturing capacity as it looks to increase volumes with its newly launched mass-market electric scooter, Konarc.
Priced from ₹99,999 ex-showroom, Konarc is expected to become Ather’s highest-volume model as early as next year. The company also plans to more than double its manufacturing capacity to support the expected growth.
With Konarc expanding Ather’s product range, co-founder and CEO Tarun Mehta said the company can now support a much larger retail network. Ather is targeting 1,500-2,000 retail stores across India over the next few years.
“With a product like Konark, our portfolio is now wide enough to afford somewhere in the vicinity of 1,500–2,000 retail stores across the country. This is a target that we will take over the next few years,” Mehta said.
Ather is also making its largest product investment so far. The EL1 platform and Konarc development are expected to require ₹400-500 crore or more, excluding go-to-market and marketing expenses. The investment covers research, development and testing.
“Platform investments precede product investments, which remain substantial. Ather began work on the platform in 2019, but paused before picking it up again around 2024, making it roughly a two-year effort. The platform and product together will involve an investment of ₹400–500 crore or likely more,” Mehta said.
Konarc is central to Ather’s strategy of reaching beyond its traditional customer base and encouraging more consumers to shift from internal combustion engine scooters to electric mobility.
“When we thought of Rista, Rista was born from a mindset of how do we get more people to buy an Ather. Konark was conceptualized from a problem statement of how do we get more people to buy an electric,” Mehta said. “That will remain our number one priority,” he added.
Konarc’s contribution will remain limited this financial year because of capacity constraints. However, Mehta expects it could become Ather’s biggest-volume model next year.
“This fiscal will still be small because there is limited capacity. But by next year, I would not be surprised if Konark is possibly our largest volume share,” he said.
Ather’s existing plant can produce 35,000 units per month, while its new facility will add another 42,000 units. Once fully operational, combined capacity will reach 77,000 units per month.
“It takes typically a couple of quarters for a plant to hit its peak capacity,” Mehta said.
The Konarc, Ather’s first production model based on the new EL architecture, is available in S and Z variants with 100km, 125km, 161km and 200km range options. It includes a 10-year or 100,000km battery warranty and access to around 6,000 public fast chargers. Deliveries of select S variants begin on September 21.
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