Welcome to ‘Owner Stories’, a series that shares the unique experiences of Ather owners. Get ready to be inspired as we delve into the creative ways these owners utilize their Ather, showcasing the endless possibilities that await.
EP2 - Aditya Reddy from Bengaluru - the first ever Ather owner!
The second episode of our series showcases the experience of the first-ever Ather owner, Aditya Reddy (@aditya.51187 )!
Hailing from Bengaluru, Aditya has been connected with Ather for almost 5 years now because of one very special reason. This reason means a lot to us and Aditya did tell us how much it means to him as well. On 11th September 2018, we delivered our first 10 Athers, with Aditya being the owner of the very first one.
He owns a Royal Enfield Classic Chrome and that was his ride for everyday commute. As much as he loved the Classic Chrome, he says that it was getting physically exhausting traveling 36 kilometers every day on a bike that weighs almost 200 kilograms. Due to this, he was in the market for a scooter that was convenient for his everyday commute.
It was then that Aditya recounts his first time laying eyes on the Ather. He was riding down Bannerghatta Road when he was overtaken by a scooter that got him curious and his exact words were, “That scooter caught me by surprise!”. He tried catching up with the scooter and finally could when the signal turned red. He stood right beside the scooter and asked the rider about it and found it was the Ather. It was then, that he realized that the Ather was exactly what he was looking for.
Since then, he regularly followed up with Ather and when bookings did open, he was able to complete the process in less than 20 seconds. When we asked Aditya how he was able to book it so fast, he says “All thanks to the autofill feature!”. What intrigued us even more, was the fact that Aditya didn’t test-ride the vehicle until long after they had begun.
Aditya waited almost a year for the delivery of his Ather and he also told us about how special the delivery event was for him and his family. He specifically recalls that he wasn’t told he was the first owner until he was called on stage by Tarun himself. Almost 5 years since that day, Aditya tells us there has been no looking back even though taking a chance on this new, unproven product was a scary step.
He told us about a range issue he faced with his scooter where he did not get the True Range of 65 kilometers on the ECO mode. Since the estimated range for the next ride was calculated based on the range of the previous ride, he could not get 65 kilometers of range. He worked closely with the engineers to attain the true range and set a target that was interestingly called the ‘AR mode’ or ‘Aditya Reddy mode’. With engineers making changes to the product with the feedback from the first set of owners, Ather also stopped deliveries so these changes were made and the scooters were then delivered.
We also asked Aditya about his transition from his RE to the Ather. His analogy to explain this was, “Riding the RE is like walking in the ocean and riding the Ather is like surfing”. He also tells us how much it motivates him to run errands with the Ather as one would be excited about the journey and not the destination.
It hasn’t always been a smooth ride with Aditya pointing out an issue he once faced with the service of his Ather. But overall, he says that purchasing his Ather was the best choice he could’ve made for himself. In hindsight, he’s glad he didn’t listen to people around him who told him going with an EV was a bad choice because of battery degradation. Even after close to 5 years of use, Aditya tells us that his Ather feels just the same as it always has ridden over 22,000 kilometers to date. Owner Stories celebrates the journeys of EV owners like Aditya by showcasing their passion for EVs and the limitless possibilities of the technology.
Share your exciting and unique experiences with your Ather for a chance to be featured on Owner Stories!
