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EV maker Ather Energy has launched its new Konarc electric scooter at a starting price of ₹99,999 as it looks to deepen its presence in the mass-market electric two-wheeler segment. Unveiled at the company’s annual Community Day, the Konarc is the first scooter built on Ather’s new EL platform and will be available in six variants across its S and Z product lines. The variants will offer IDC ranges between 100 km and 200 km. Ather cofounder and CEO Tarun Mehta said the scooter’s 14-inch front wheel and long-travel suspension have been designed to offer greater stability and comfort over longer journeys. The company has also introduced its Advanced Electronic Braking System (AeBS) with the Konarc. Ather claims that the system delivers 20% higher peak braking force, offering riders greater stability and control. The Konarc comes with an integrated 450 W onboard charger that can be plugged directly into a standard power socket. Customers can also use an additional portable charger alongside the onboard unit through the company’s Combined Charging feature, reducing home charging time by up to half. Other features include MagicKey, AutoPop, and AirWalk. The scooter comes with a service interval of 10,000 km or one year, whichever is earlier. All Konarc variants will be equipped with Ather’s fifth-generation Bedrock battery and covered by a warranty of 10 years or 1 Lakh km, whichever is earlier, with a 70% state-of-health guarantee. Sales of the warranty will begin soon. The launch came a day after rival Ola Electric unveiled its S1Z escooter range, powered by the company’s locally developed 46-series lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Bharat Cell technology, as it targets the mass-market electric two-wheeler segment. Besides the Konarc, Ather unveiled three offerings spanning battery technology, charging infrastructure, and vehicle health at its Community Day. Ather’s Battery Safety Upgrade Ather introduced its fifth-generation Bedrock battery platform, with a focus on safety and longer battery life. The battery platform comes with BreachSense, a real-time monitoring system designed to detect microscopic damage following a high-impact accident. According to Ather, an impact can sometimes create a small crack that allows moisture to enter the battery over time. BreachSense is designed to detect such micro-leaks within hours, allowing the company to alert riders and take measures such as activating limp mode where required. The new platform also has five times the cell-balancing capability of the previous generation, allowing Ather to balance battery cells for longer and at a higher intensity. Ather expects batteries using the new platform to reach 70% state of health after approximately 1 Lakh to 1.2 Lakh km, compared with 80,000 km to 1 Lakh km for its previous-generation batteries. Ather’s Bet On Apartment Charging Ather also unveiled AtherNode, a charging solution designed to address limited electrical capacity in residential and commercial complexes. As more residents switch to EVs, apartment buildings can reach their sanctioned load limits, making it difficult to install additional charging points without upgrading the existing electrical infrastructure. AtherNode uses a central gateway to manage up to 1,000 chargers within a residential or commercial complex. The system monitors the charging requirements of connected vehicles and the building’s overall power consumption. When a building approaches its available load during peak-demand periods, AtherNode can automatically reduce or pause charging and resume it when sufficient capacity becomes available. Vehicle Health Reports The company also introduced Ather True Health, a vehicle health report that uses connected-vehicle data to assess a scooter’s condition. The service analyses factors including the scooter’s age, kilometres travelled, riding behaviour, component condition, battery status, and service history to generate a health score out of five. It also assesses components including the battery, motor, dashboard, charging system, belt, and brakes. Ather True Health will also provide an estimated resale value for eligible scooters based on their condition and ownership history. The report and resale-value estimate will be available for scooters that have completed three years on the road and are equipped with AtherStack Pro. Founded in 2013 by Mehta and Swapnil Jain, Ather currently sells the performance-focused 450 series and the family-oriented Rizta range. The listed company launched its first electric scooter in 2018 and operates its fast-charging network, Ather Grid. On the financial front, Ather’s net loss narrowed 71% YoY to ₹51.1 Cr in Q1 FY27. Operating revenue grew 89% to ₹1,216.9 Cr. Hero MotoCorp acquired an additional 3% stake in Ather for ₹1,758 Cr yesterday, increasing its total holding in the EV maker to about 32.8%.
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