Ather 450X Discussions

[ram.panchapakesan (Ram Mohan Panchapakesan)]

@abhishek.balaji

The 450X has a lower upfront cost compared to the 450.

You seem to have not understood the pulse of the customers.

[kslbhat]

Thanks for reply.

@abhishek.balaji

The 450X has a lower upfront cost compared to the 450.

kslbhat:

I agree it has lower upfront cost only in the case you wanted to own it without battery (Subscription) But not cheaper as mentioned at launch…

[abhishek.balaji]

@govindrover

Does the monthly subscription plans Plus and Pro include Home Charging, Public Charging and Vehicle Service.

It includes Ather Charge, covering

• All data usage charges
• Unlimited Public charging
• Access to Future OTAs
• Data storage and pipeline costs

[abhishek.balaji]

@vishwanathp

Sir when can expect Ather 450x in Hyderabad

Deliveries will begin Q3 2020. We’ll be in Hyderabad soon for test rides!

[shrvnthrdy (Shravanth Reddy)]

So If I go for subscription plan which I believe will be payment for leasing the battery and after 4 years my battery has been replaced. Now I have decided to exit the subscription. So do I have to pay the exit fee for the replaced battery? Or else it will be depend on the years I’ve been paying for my subscription?

[abhishek.balaji]

@abhilashthomas18

Any lease options? Return after 3 years?

Lease and financing options will be available. We’ll announce them soon.

[abhishek.balaji]

@lajith4u

Hey @Ather.Team Im from the upcoming cities for 450X, But my daily driving distance is around 15 km only, so Im not satisfied with subscription plans you introduced. So either get me 450X without any subscription plan, I just need speed and range on screen not any other gimmicks, plus portable charger and service if required. No esim, ota update required (if that neccessary you can consider giving option to data tethering from our mobile or visit your store). Else please allow to choose 450 over 450x on upcoming cities. If none of these happens I have to consider other brands. Please update ASAP.

Hey,

You can purchase the 450X Plus, without any additional subscription. This will let you use the scooter with the home/portable charger. Ather Connect/Charge/Service plans are optional.

[abhishek.balaji]

@viswanath.kasi

Ather team confirmed that the subscription cost of Rs 2K or 1.7K does not include the annual maintenance subscription like Ather One or Ather Connect and that they will be announcing it in few days/weeks

The 450X at 99k gets you the scooter, with a monthly fee for the battery. You pay for the cost of the battery over time. The additional subscription fee of 1.7k or 2k a month is for the subscription amount towards the battery along with a slew of other features (Fast Charging, Connectivity, constant performance). If you want to own the scooter along with the battery, we have the upfront purchase options.

[aayushk16]

For anyone thinking that the Ather will pay dividends in 3 years, I have done a little bit of math. For my comparison with the 450X, I have taken the TVS NTORQ, the best 125cc scooter available currently in the market.
I took an assumption of filling Rs.200 petrol per week to travel 30km per day for 5 days. Ather will take 2 full charges per week to run 30km daily for 5 days a week.
NTORQ: The NTORQ costs Rs.84,000 (approx.) on road. Three years worth petrol will set you back Rs. 31,200 and I’ve kept a leeway of Rs. 5,000 for additional costs. This takes the total to 1.2-1.25 lakh for 3 years.
450X(With subs.) : The 450X costs Rs.99,000. The Pro subs. costs Rs.1,999 p/m. which goes to Rs. 72,000(approx.). This brings the total to 1.71-1.75 lakhs.
450X(Without subs.): The 450X will cost Rs. 1.59 lakhs(i.e. 1.75L approx. on road) upfront. Along with the mandatory Ather Connect for 3 years, the total cost will be anywhere from 1.95-2 lakhs.

As you can see, the 450X is still much more expensive than an ICE scooter. I’ve also calculated for the 450 which will set you back around Rs. 1.4-1.45 lakhs.

Conclusion: The Ather 450X is the best scooter in the market by far. There is no product in the WOG 2-wheeler market which reaches the benchmark set by the 450X. But the 450X is far too expensive to be compared to a ICE scooter. The 450 is the more even comparison for ICE scooters, or even for Chetak or the i-Qube. The 450X is a scooter in a category of its own.

Notes for Ather:

1. I hope that you will not neglect the 450 as that will be the mass seller because of it being the cheaper option. Let it not drown and be forgotten because of the 450X, just like the 340.
2. Maybe rebranding the 450 to a 350/400 name. It would probably be better for it to exist as its own product with its own identity. Or the X should be advertised as a separate “upgrade package” for the 450.
3. Hope you find a way to undercut the pricing of the 450X by 20-25k.

[abhishek.balaji]

@toraghavan09

every scooter owner is concerned with the vehicle, how to charge it, where to service it, and if it can improve what to do to improve. sell the scooter. sell the charging solution to them. charge a sum of money for vehicle service, OTA. no one cares about the connectivity. if you want ride data to improve the drive experience and improve the scooter collect data at the scooter itself. let the user get back home. connect the vehicle to his home network. Y not run all sort of AI/ML and fancy stuffs and improve the scooter when it is back home? There is no necessity that the data collected need to be sent as and when collected and if not the data becomes irrelevant. with Ather it is not that people who use the scooter goes to unknown places daily and they want navigation. A company cannot become a million dollar company on a new technology within a span of 5 to 10 years and neither can they milk customers to become one in a shorter time span. i was fascinated about the 450 and wanted to get one. but looking at the business strategy they have i dont feel like going with Ather unless the feedback is considered.

Hey, you are free to purchase the 450X at the upfront price, and not take any subscription plan. You can still charge and ride the scooter at home. Data and other smart features will not work, and you’ll not be able to get new features through OTAs.

[abhishek.balaji]

@arvind_nair

I was thinking… Why discontinue a perfectly good vehicle, the 450? Why not sell both of them together? As an owner, I think it’s a waste of a good product. They are basically two different price points. This I think is how the 340 and 450 actually should have been. Significant difference in price with the latter having pro features.

Although the 450 should get 4G before this is even considered.

To add to this:

The price of Ather 450X and the current on-road price of Ather 450 are not comparable because the Ather 450 is extremely underpriced at Rs.1.13 lacs on-road. We did this to introduce a premium product in a price-sensitive market when we launched. In fact, if we had continued with 450, we would have increased its price anyways. Considering the experience of Ather 450 users, we’re convinced that the price of Ather 450X - a much superior product compared to the Ather 450, is justifiable for the value and experience it offers.

[abhishek.balaji]

@NitinPatil

Had a word with Ather customer care to cancel my booking , they asked me to hold has they are working on restructuring the subscription plan and will be announced soon. They also told they don’t have much detials w.r.t collector edition…in total not happy with pricing

Hey hope we can still clear up the pricing, we’ve tried to explain it better:

"There are two options to own a Ather 450X:

Pay the upfront cost of 1.49/1.59L, where you own the scooter completely.

• This gets you a standard 3 year warranty on the scooter and the battery. In these 3 years, if your battery degrades to 70% or lesser, we’ll replace it as per warranty.
• Since you’re buying it upfront, you can opt for subscription to Ather Charge or Ather Connect or Ather Service. It is NOT mandatory.

Pay 99k and pick a Pro/Plus performance pack:

• This means you own the scooter without the battery and pay for the battery as a subscription, unlimited warranty, data services, over-the air updates, unlimited fast charging at Ather Grid. This way, you can own the scooter with a much less upfront cost of 99k.
• This also means that if your battery degrades to anything less than 80% of its original capacity, we’ll replace with a new one. This works like your regular warranty, but for the entire lifetime of the scooter.
• This plan would be ideal if you want your scooter to provide a consistently high performance throughout its life, without you ever worrying about degradation.
• There is an exit option from the subscription, right from day one. Along with the option to pause upto a month, when you’re not going to be using it.

We have zeroed in on the theme for the Collector’s Edition vehicle, which is ‘Inside Out’. We will reveal more details soon. Additionally, for our Collector’s Edition customers, one year of servicing is free, along with exclusive Ather merchandise.

[abhishek.balaji]

@srivatsabs24

Those of who were thinking of upgrading from 450 to 450x needs to wait longer as they are tweaking pricing for new buyers. My question is so when should i take call on upgrade if they don’t have any information regarding pricing for us who already have 450 ? Customer care are clues less regarding this as they told they are 1st considering pricing for new buyers then existing customer’s.

Hey, here’s more info on the upgrade program:

If you’re on lease, you’ll have to complete atleast a year on the current lease plan as per the current lease terms. If you choose to upgrade, you’ll get your current lease refundable deposit (minus an exit fee) adjusted towards the new refundable deposit and continue to pay a revised monthly rental. There would be minimal paper work, no processing fee, no KYC/credit checks and no hassle of selling the vehicle.

For example:

If you purchased the 450 on lease and the upfront payment was Rs. 60k and monthly rental was Rs. 2589, post 12 months you’re eligible for a refund of Rs. 48k on closing the lease.

For the 450X, if your downpayment is 99k, you’ll have to pay 99k-48k = 51k and the revised monthly lease rental.

We’re working with leasing partners for the new plans and will announce them soon.

For all other customers:

We’re working on offering customers a “Ather Health Certification”, which will use deep system data to ensure:

• Dashboard functionality
• Battery health (SoC, performance)
• Motor health
• Peripheral system function

These data are gathered from vehicle performance logs, User ride statistics, periodic servicing logs, and charging logs.

Once you get this health certificate, we will help you sell your current Ather 450 through an exchange partner and you can pay the remainder towards the 450X upfront/loan/lease payment.

• Ather will tie up with exchange partners to provide easy exchange options.
• We’re estimating current market value of pre-owned Ather 450 to be round Rs. 85k - 95k depending on age and condition on different platforms.

Hope this answers your queries. Over the next couple of months, we’ll come out with more details on the exchange/upgrade program and how it’ll exactly work.

[abhishek.balaji]

@samarthraj

To be honest, I am pretty happy with 450. I have just 1 concern and that is connectivity. Even if Ather provides upgrade for 450’s dash with just bluetooth and 4G options, I will be happy enough to continue. For my usage pattern, both upfront purchase or subscription option will be expensive. I would rather keep 450 for my wife and go for a BS6 ICE motorcycle.

4G module upgrade is definitely coming. We’ll announce more details soon!

[abhishek.balaji]

@rajdkn

Ather, you can make your profit either by following the Iphone model or the Xiaomi model. Your recent pricing strategy seems to resemble the former and sure, it is a good strategy if you were operating out of the US. But to succeed in India, the product will need to be affordable to the masses and you seem to have shot yourself in the foot with the 450X launch! Only die hard fans of Ather would prefer the expensive product and that wont last for long. You were the underdog in the industry and everyone loves to see them succeed. Allow us to help you succeed by paying heed to the feedback from us and revise your pricing strategy!

Hey raj,

The price of Ather 450X and the current on-road price of Ather 450 are not comparable because the Ather 450 is extremely underpriced at Rs.1.13 lacs on-road. We did this to introduce a premium product in a price-sensitive market when we launched. In fact, if we had continued with 450, we would have increased its price anyways. Considering the experience of Ather 450 users, we’re convinced that the price of Ather 450X - a much superior product compared to the Ather 450, is justifiable for the value and experience it offers.

This allows to sell the 450X at a sustainable price, and offer a lot more of the great experience to future owners!

[abhishek.balaji]

@sanjayraj1305

Honestly Guys think before you start opening the gateway for payment … Alot of people are paying Monthly Emi’s and other things which I’m sure they hate alot to keep paying monthly … So make sure you guys don’t be those subscription brand that people hate paying it will Have a very Negative Effect…

Hey Sanjay,

We still have the upfront payment option for those who want the traditional experience. For those looking for more flexibility in payment and for those who value consistent performance over the years, we introduced the subscription model.

Detailing how the pricing works for the 450X Plus and Pro:

Subscription pricing

What you pay upfront: Rs. 99,000 (Including GST)

You get:

• Ownership of the 450X scooter (minus the battery)
• Ather Dot, the home charger

What you pay monthly: Rs 1999 (inclusive of GST) for Pro performance pack or Rs 1699 (inclusive of GST) for Plus performance pack

This includes:

• Cost of the battery , paid over time: Rs 1580
• Ather Charge: Rs. 470 (Rs 400 + GST)
  • All data usage charges
  • Unlimited Public charging
  • Access to Future OTAs
  • Data storage and pipeline costs
• Lifetime flexibility: Move up or down different performance packs, even future packs
• Infinite battery warranty
• Snooze option (Once per year, for a month, pay only Rs. 500 instead of your regular subscription fee)
• Exit option anytime, by paying an exit fee + residual value of the battery based on Battery Health.

Upfront payment

Ex-showroom price (Bengaluru)

450X Pro Rs. 159000 450X Plus Rs. 149000

Includes:

• Ather Dot - the home charger
• Battery Warranty: 3 year, unlimited km

Optional costs

Ather charge: Rs. 400 per month This includes:

• All connected services and data charges
• Unlimited Public Charging
• Access to all future OTAs
• Data storage and pipeline costs

Ather Service: (Price to be announced soon) This includes:

• All scheduled vehicle services

For more on pricing, check out https://atherenergy.com

[abhishek.balaji]

@kslbhat

I don’t understand the logic?

When there is no change in the built and cost of scooter for Plus and Pro, When you have built it same, then whats the point in controlling the performance(Range,Pick Up, Bluetooth, Etc…) of Ather over the software??? and price it differently for each plan? I believe its unethical.

At launch you said that you don’t create variant, and you expect to pay different price for the same??? Is there any cost you incur between Plus and Pro?

It’s actually a common practice in the auto industry, where the hardware remains same, but software controls the variants.

There are costs incurred in enabling a lot of features including certification, subscriptions, data storage and pipeline costs, etc. Initially hardware is the same in the Plus and Pro, and the subscription model allows you to switch based on your requirement.

If we see enough demand for the Plus model, without the smart features or the performance requirements of the Pro, we will consider changing hardware to make them different variants.

[abhishek.balaji]

@saurrabh

Am quite astonished with such pricing, Everytime Ather builds upon data they have about riding stats and being a data driven company , How they can make such a stupid pricing plan albeit they also have the sales data service cycles and costs , Its no where a pricing which can kick ev adoption, With todays pricing and subscription plans i do not see even a single reason i should opt a 450x for an Activa or Ntorq they literally killled every reason one might consider an EV over an ICE scooter , In 1.7L why i shouldn’t go for a Dominar or even KTM if i want pure performance??

Our users have given us great insights and feedback that went into the development of the 450X. But the 450 in market was a first generation product.

The price of Ather 450X and the current on-road price of Ather 450 are not comparable because the Ather 450 is extremely underpriced at Rs.1.13 lacs on-road. We did this to introduce a premium product in a price-sensitive market when we launched. In fact, if we had continued with 450, we would have increased its price anyways. Considering the experience of Ather 450 users, we’re convinced that the price of Ather 450X - a much superior product compared to the Ather 450, is justifiable for the value and experience it offers.

[abhishek.balaji]

@harsha.a

Is there any deadline to cancel the order to get the refund ?

No deadline, you can hold on to your pre-order or cancel anytime for a full refund.

[abhishek.balaji]

@saran.be.2005

What difference that we make moving from petrol to Electric. 1699& 1999 + electric charges at home + Subscription Fees (10K) which is equivalent to the amount that we spend on petrol price. Even after 5 years also its not even come to breaking point on cost analysis. @abhishek.balaji it was surprise shock.

Hi Saran,

The subscription plans are for flexibility in purchase options, and for those who want to enjoy the infinite warranty and consistent performance. We also have the traditional upfront purchase options.

Link to our pricing: Discussions on pricing and subscriptions