Is it believable that Ather had components to produce only 10 scooters and they started their production line to build only 10 scooters and shut it down for want of components ? What kind of production planning is this ? 10 scooters can be assembled in an ordinary workshop. It does not require production line. Their is something more to it than what Ather team is putting out its side of story for the delay.
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I agree with @c_s_harish , there is definitely something else. It’s better you guys be honest and be upfront on actual reasons for the delay.This community will understand and support for sure.
We at our works facing similar. Half the year gone by. Not even achieved 10% of the yearly target.
China is failing as a manufacturing hub. This is going to hurt in larger way.
Is @magneta suggesting that Ather is procuring all its components from China…??? If so why is it doubly priced than the other Chinese scooter…???
Things that can be guaranteed to be procured from china are magnets,battery and electronic components since there is zero manufacturing capability for these in India and some old companies which used to make components in India have long shut shops. If you don’t have a good supplier, you will get fake mosfets, ICs, resistors etc from china.
The fact that they said in some of the components a rejection rate of 90% means they must have been ripped off by some overseas supplier(suppliers them self can get ripped off some where in the supply chain).
Like in all EVs the most time consuming production will be the battery pack, since Ather is using 18650 my fairly accurate guess is around 200 to 220 cells per vehicle and thats the only component which has a shortage world wide. I have been importing cells for my personal use from china and let me tell you there are lot of fake sony/samsung/lg/sanyo cells in china and I believe Ather mostly has gotten a lot full of fake cells, which is practically impossible to know until a charge and discharge test and temperature is done. If Ather has enough sales volume they could import it directly from the manufacturer to avoid going to suppliers.
This is all just my speculation.
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I think your order will be in Jan 2020 looking at their schedule plan 
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Appreciate for ur valuable reply… will wait.
Go green, Go ather
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Guys,
Please mind the sentences used in the forum. Agreed that there is delay in the deliveries. But the company is trying their best to provide us with good product and the forum is to discuss about the matter in more constructive way.
Please step into their shoe and understand their problem. no company co-founder will come and respond to the delay in delivery in market.
They are also young and energetic people like you and me who are working towards their goal and their goal is to deliver good and quality product in market
Please analyse the facilities given by the company and compare with others and understand.
So please understand this and help them develop.
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No I am not aware of Ather. In my company, though our supply chain partners are European, sub systems are manufactured at their chinese plants.
Bosch would also go to China for shopping the PCB-level components to build their EV kits. If you guys can trace their suppliers, that can help.
Sanyo (now Panasonic) makes some of the best Li-ion batteries. As someone mentioned earlier, it’s better to buy batteries directly from the original manufacturer and not depend on a supplier.
Edit: Hire me, and I’ll do that for you 
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@chethan.bn,
Atlast we have some reasons that have been cited by Tarun for the possible delays. But Ather team have been pretty smug to believe that customers will have infinite patience. Even though i am not an expert, it is pretty clear from Tarun’s communication that they had made many wrong estimations and planning was wrong.
@tarun,
Appreciate your communication on the reasons for delay.
However, this brings to the fore apprehensions about what else could go wrong in future. The immediate question is about the reliability and performance of the product that is being used in real life situation. Positive feedback on the delivery dates and details about the after sales support would also sooth some frayed nerves.
The lucky few customers who got their delivery in the first lot seem to be surprisingly silent in the forum. It would help if they are able to provide some objective feedback in the forum. Or else, we could name this forum as Ordering and Delivery only!
Anand
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Agreed that the customer will not have infinite patience.
As a startup company they know that every minute they delay is loss for them and they are working towards it.
Ather is also customer who got incorrect product initially and they are waiting for the parts (imagine the patience and pressure that they have undergone)
We should be happy that all the defective parts were identified and caught initially before the production.
About the planning and estimations, I think it was made considering many factors, but few things come in last minute that might have affected the whole production.
Even they are learning as a startup company.
As a company they have apologized and given the explanation for delay.
If you look at Ather as company the tests they have performed to get this product on road are many.
They have made the product as simple and cost effective as possible.
Yes, I agree that the first customers should contribute in the forum.
As per the communication sent by Ather the company is collecting the feedback from the customer and they are trying to improve the scooter in production.
All I am asking is please have mutual respect in the forum.
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@chethan.bn I have no idea why you have been responding to concerns raised by the ATHERS CUSTOMERS here … I am sure you think you are helping but it’s not helping me … you have no insights on the exact reasons for the delay and so your responses to the concerns raised by the customers and enthusiasts on the forum adds no value …
If anyone can add value in here by giving proper response it would be ather team …
As far as ather goes as a company … it shows it has serious flaws in its operations which negatively IMPACTS the people at end of the day …
It’s not the product which develops itself, it’s the people who do that … and they (ather) have failed on multiple fronts which have cost them the trust they had few weeks back
People will look at options and make choices from now on … let’s leave it at that
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No product in the market can sustain if extensive tests are not carried out on them. Even the proven products do undergo constant testing. If Ather scooter are extensively tested on road, it is good for the company and for the customer.
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Please read the book ‘Toyota Way’. You will understand how they mass produce zero defect free vehicles.
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Everybody is appreciative of Ather team’s enthusiasm and commitment to produce the best quality electric scooter, it should not stop there, it should translate into production and the product must roll out of the assembly line.
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Every product has what is known as development cycle. Once the product is developed the production should happen immediately. Testing of the product is the part of the product development.
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Defect free mass production of scooters is a different ball game. The question here is not about the product or its quality. The question is whether the Ather team has the necessary expertise to mass produce scooters.
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If Ather’s team expertise lies only in product development and R & D, in my opinion they should confine themselves to that activity and partner with an other company who has the expertise to mass produce quality scooters.
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In my opinion production has not commenced and it is already too late. My apprehension is further delay will only cause more harm to the company.
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Ather team should not be carried away by the handful of cheerleaders. They should take their production business seriously and roll out scooters as fast as they can.
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Very well written! I agree with you completely.
Quite a discussion!!!
Thanks,
I could make up my mind after all this.
I’ve been following Ather since 2016 when I came across article describing scooter they were working on. Felt good, wished I would have one someday, but didn’t expect much as knew there is long way to go for Ather.
June 2018, after product launch, mere wish turned in hope, and after lot of thinking about is Ather really ready to deliver or not, I decided to bet and booked 450.
After mail in last week, my wait time changed from Jan 19 to April 19.
Now, I know there is still long way to go for Ather. From prototype for testride to actual mass producible product.
No hopes now, just wish.
I will keep my booking, my bet, on, for now, let Ather deliver when they can.
But meanwhile, for a year (as per delivery promised) or 2(accomodating similar roadblocks), 
, Will buy something else!!
some good Li battery options out there now. Pocket friendly too.
Who knows, I might find something, may not be as fancy as Ather, but real and a available on road which will work out just fine.
Till I get 450, (if I could still retain my enthusiasm by then 
)
All the best guys and Team Ather. Continue the good work.
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The scheduled delivery of the bikes is a disaster! I have read the reasons behind it. But as a customer I don’t have it what was promised !
Pushing the date 3-4 months will not work for many customers specially for those who depend on bikes for daily commute.
Hopefully Team Ather understand that it is a competitive world and u are giving enough time for ur competitors to launch and sell bikes. And slowly existing Ather fans may move to other company e bikes.Very few people will wait for a brand which is yet to prove.
Ur customers are ur real marketing people here.
The better timely services, more positive words spread by the happy customers!
I believe in this product and Hope I get my bike within the new schedule!
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My journey,
Had booked on June 5, got pushed to December which is like a atrocity of a delivery timeline. Bought a 2018 used Aprilia SR150 for 65k since taking car out for 40km daily is not my dream. Waiting for Emflux or Ultraviolette or 22 to bring out a higher range variant anytime mid 2019 and then buying that. I Did not trust the ather team anymore (if i did, i would have waited till December)… Goodbye forum members
Regards,
Ex-Ather enthusiast
Always a EV believer
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@anil.m.nayak
First of all, I am not responding to all the concerns raised by Ather customer…. I am responding to them who have addressed to me…. nobody can be sure of what I am thinking. If my comments are helping somebody its great if its not helping its fine… nobody cannot be sure whether I have proper information or not… regarding adding value it depends on how one takes it….
We are not the people to tell if Ather has flaws in its operations or whatever… The company knows it better and they are working towards it.
One can tell if the company has failed or passed on multiple fronts only when they are in the company looking at things…
People can look out for options, but they are smart to make right decisions….
My ask is simple and clean please respect the person who is on other side of desk (Ather Team) and their hard work and dedication towards product.
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There are few products (which I would not like to name it here) in the market who have not undergone extensive testing and they are sold in market. Proven product may or may not undergo constant testing. My point was to tell the effort which the team members are putting in.
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Sorry I am not book reader, good for Toyota or who ever who has written that book, but One thing is he or she who ever has written that book would have seen the ups and downs that would have come their way. Who knows there might be book in future saying “Ather way” or whatever they want to name it. Every company has their own way of doing things. During this course there can be few hick ups. Which people should understand and co-operate.
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Infact the product has already rolled out of assembly line. They are facing few road blocks on continuing their production on which they are looking into it.
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Yes, once the product is developed the production should happen but between product development and production there are many things the company must do during this time there are some factors that might affect the production. People should understand this.
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The ball game can be understood only when one plays it. Expertise will come only when we start to work we understand pros and cons of it. We need to appreciate team for their confidence in starting production of product.
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In my opinion if the team has developed the product they should be the one who should be producing it because they know exactly how the product is and should be. Expertise is gained once the work is done.
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Production may or may not be started. In my opinion its never too late once you have everything set correctly.
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Ather team are not carried away by anybody. They are working to get the scooters on road as fast as they can
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