Ather Energy, India’s first smart electric scooter manufacturer, announced a partnership with Southern Railways to set up electric vehicle charging stations across 10 Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) and Suburban stations in Chennai. The partnership is aimed at aiding the company’s vision of building a smart and connected charging ecosystem, alleviating range anxiety, and increasing EV adoption in the country.
As a pioneer in the Indian EV space, Ather Energy is committed to empowering the entire EV ecosystem with charging solutions. The partnership with Southern Railways will provide Ather Energy with a dedicated space of 100 sq. ft. at each MRTS/Suburban station to set up a charging zone enabling the company to place three chargers in one single location. This will help to increase the accessibility and convenience of charging infrastructure for EV owners in Chennai. The fast charging network can be used by all electric two-wheelers and electric four-wheelers owners.
Speaking about the partnership, Aravind Prasad, Head -Charging Infrastructure, Ather Energy,said, “Since inception, Ather has been at the forefront of building a robust ecosystem to facilitate the faster adoption of EVs. We have already installed 60+ Ather Grids across Chennai and 185+ across Tamil Nadu. Our partnership with Southern Railways will allow us to install 10 fast charging points at MRTS/Suburban stations in Chennai, making it more accessible. This will go a long way in promoting the adoption of electric vehicles in the city and pave the way to more such PPP (Public-Private Partnerships) models and in shaping the e-mobility landscape.”
Ather Energy currently has the largest fast-charging network for two-wheelers, with over 1200 Ather Grids, fast-charging points. The company has also released its IP for the charging connector to all OEMs, paving the way for an interoperable two-wheeler fast charging platform. The Ather Grid, designed and built in India, is today the biggest fast-charging network for two-wheeler EVs in the country, with 60% of current installations in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. Ather has also installed these grids strategically across cities to enable intercity rides. Consumers can now easily plan rides from Pune to Mumbai, Siliguri to Darjeeling, or Coimbatore to Ooty to name a few.
In November 2022, Ather inaugurated its second manufacturing facility spread across 300,000 sq. ft. in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The facility will help Ather to expand its production capacity to 420,000 units per year in FY 2024 (April 2023 – March 2024), further enabling the company to fulfil the increasing demand for its flagship scooters.
