Bangalore recently celebrated Ather Community Day. Over the last one, the company focused on what makes this community unique. Ather had roughly 6,000 users at the last event and now has around 80,000 owners. 40,000 of which were recorded in the previous six months. Ather believes that the next 40,000 users will be recorded during the following three months.
Ather is sure that the Billion Kilometer mark will be reached over the next three months, based on a total mileage of 500 million kilometres. At this presentation, Ather emphasised the importance of software, or firmware as it is known in the industry, on an electric car. AtherStack software has gone through several modifications, enabling various functionality along the way. Ather announced AtherStack 5.0 on this platform. New features have been enabled.
With AtherStack 5.0, users can traverse the system using a redesigned user interface. There is a flowing space to improve user experience with enhanced swipe detection and touch recognition. This is far more intelligent than previously. Ather is attempting to shift tapping functionality to more user-friendly gesture-based interactions.
Ather is attempting to alter the touchscreen interface to resemble that of a smartphone. Bluetooth and network icons are located where they would be on a phone. According to Ather, the 450X is the world’s first scooter with Google Maps.
Ather is now providing vector maps, which allow for zooming, rotating, changing perspectives, and even stacking.
Live traffic is now incorporated for 450X and 450 Plus owners. This is more akin to Google Maps on a smartphone. In addition, Ather is introducing the AutoHold feature, which resembles mechanical brake locks on a traditional scooter. This had been tested for two years. In the following months, Ather plans to include Cruise control, Crawl control, and enhanced regen.
In December 2022, Ather Battery Protect went live. It is a 2-year extension warranty, bringing the total guarantee to 5 years or 60,000 kilometres. It provides complete coverage for any failures. This bundle also includes a Performance Guarantee, which guarantees range and performance at 70% even after 5 years, as well as deep discharge protection. Otherwise, Ather will replace components at no cost. Ather Battery Protect comes included with the new 450X, and owners of the Gen 2 and Gen 3 models can purchase it at a reduced price beginning in January 2023.
Trip Planner has also been improved, and now enables return trips with many stops. Ather has erected up to 900 fast-charging grid stations, with a total of 1300 by March 2023. Ather has now developed a 3.3 kW universal AC charger capable of charging cars, 2W, and has a scan and pay system. This is a scalable installation that can have any number of units at your permitted building.
Also Read:
- 2022: The year when Electric Vehicle Revolution picked its pace in India
- Lucid Group has officially started delivering its Air EVs in Saudi Arabia