I’m not sure I’d say half 
It’ll be interesting to see how many actually upgrade ( sell and buy the 450X)
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I dont think it makes any financial sense to upgrade unless it was with the battery subscription model, even for which a 450 owner will have to shell out close to 20k - 30k more(depends on whether you claim the FAME subsidy again or not), and then pay the monthly subscription fee of about 2k.
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Selling a 450x:
We are going to get the same value as sold thru OLX. I am pretty sure we can’t get a better value unless Ather is going to give some exchange bonus.
Ather initially promised some attractive upgrade offers for existing owners. From what I understood so far, Ather is going to help the process seamless. I did not see any hint of exchange bonus or anything which is going to increase the sale value of 450.
@abhishek.balaji - Is there any surprise yet to be revealed about this?
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Not being pedantic here hopefully, but owing to how rapidly battery technology and life are both increasing, I was always under the impression that there is MORE financial sense on the long run in going for full upfront payment than a subscription model (wherein eventually you’ll end up paying more than the one-time payment). I felt the only ones who will be compelled to go for subscription are those who are not comfortable with paying (or unable to pay) the full amount in one go…
Let me know if I am missing something here 
P.S.: Yes, I own a 450 already!
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True for most people
There are sites which rent out smartphones and home appliances. It is surely going to very expensive than buying outright, if you are going to own them for a longer period.
But, if you are going to own for a shorter period either because you move to different locations or you keep upgrading to latest versions, renting / leasing is going to be hassle free.
Similarly, for most riders whose average daily ride is < 30-40 kms and planning to keep the vehicle for 4 years minimum, buying outright (even thru loan) is going to be better.
However, if your average distance is very high and worried about range / battery degradation, your chance of battery replacement may be faster than others. Or, if you are going to upgrade to Ather 450X, Y or Z, buying thru lease / subscription will be hassle free and slightly cheaper.
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That’s what I thought too, but then I have seen discussions on the forum wherein people on lease are now saying it is not going to work out for them:
But having said that, yes, I guess end of the day, financial feasibility of Ather’s schemes will completely depend on individual usage and preferences, and it will be difficult to brand one scheme as making more financial sense than the other 
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All these maths and logics are irrelevant until Ather comes up with their numbers and finance details.
I don’t think they are interested in releasing these numbers soon as this is something which they should have worked before instead of just 3-4 weeks before deliveries.
Also for “Subscription” guys, it would be more costly than EMI at the end of the tenure for sure.
And the connectivity charges are included in 2k which you’re paying monthly. So you’re only paying around 1500₹ out of your 2000₹ per month for the battery as an EMI. Also as per my thinking the exit charges will be big. Don’t expect anything near 2-3k.
So ultimately you’ll be paying a significant amount.
If you can buy it upfront that’s going to be the cheapest way if you plan to keep 450x for 5-6 years.
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Buying upfront will be sensible, as you can choose not to pay for anything more, at all. Rest costs are optional although recommended, like for the OTA updates and Ather Grid charging. For less usage, and long term owners, buying upfront will make sense, I reckon too. Im considering the same now.
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Yes untill there is an announcement and clarity from Ather’s side it is irrilevant. Because right now we donot know
- What are the exit plans we have if we want to own the batter at later stage.
- What is the minimum lockin period for this subscription model
- What are the exit plans if we want to sell the vehicle because we own the vehicle but not battery.
So there should be a clear stategy put out there from Ather for us to understand.
I would love it if Ather can prove me wrong, but I have never to date seen a business model where the TCO through subscription ends up being lesser than upfront payment if you are planning to stick with the product for a normal assumed duration. What we should not forget is no matter how receptive Ather is to its customers’ needs, it is a startup business trying to find a path to profitability after all, and therefore has no reason to go against the basic tenets of Time Value of Money.
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Guess the idea is to make one wait till the last minute and announce a slightly higher priced plan so that there will be takers for Finance options. That way finance corps won’t lose on their share of loans and ather delivers the initially launched subscription plan. A win win.
Now I have made my mind to go with full purchase as I have lost patience. Waiting seems futile and causes anxiety. Already “anxiety tank” is empty waiting for the S1 launch.
Now I am like, open the payment window and take my money!!!
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Looks like you’re being too optimistic and losing your patience. Please control your excitement and don’t let Ather Team know anything about your plans otherwise they’ll throw another surprise at you face.
You never know what twist they can introduce. Nothing is fixed yet and not any thing is going to be fixed anytime soon
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It won’t be fixed anytime soon. And I want the S1 ASAP. Window should likely open by end of Oct. Thinking of not checking the forum daily (that too on a browser cuz only owners get the ease of forum integrated in app) Will just wait for the email and then take it forward.
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You are not alone! Just hang tight. Also it will be a good idea to go though the posts on 450 and find the quirks you like and don’t, so that you’ll be equipped for test drive day and make a wise decision. I know we’ll be buying it anyways 
It is funny, that I post this and I get a regular badge!! Irony died on this post. Here I am back on the forum after logging out for “half a day”!!
You’ll get that only next may at the earliest.
I don’t understand how they can ask for confirmation of our S1 preorders without announcing the finance and trade-in deals, specially for those looking to upgrade from their 450s. @abhishek.balaji by when can we expect more clarity on this? I can’t confirm until details are out.
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I thought it is November. December I can understand. How did it become May all of a sudden?
You’ll be getting the 450X with black panels. The actual series 1 will be an upgrade to your panels in May of 2021 So technically you’ll get the series 1 as a whole only in may
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Hey @samitbanerji. The confirmation which Ather is asking, is for colour because Series 1 is exclusive and based on the preference given by eligible customers they produce that quantity.
However the confirmation of colour is not equivalant to that you are commiting to take the vehicle. If we as a customer doesnot want to take/purchase the vehicle even after colour confirmation we are certainly allowed to do so and we can get the refund. We are allowed to do so any time even if you confirm the color option for seties 1. This conformation is just to understand the quantum of vehicles which they have to produce as they are exclusive.
If after confirming you donot want you can cancle the order or can transfer the order to someone else if you wish to do so.
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