Bengaluru-based startup, Ather Energy, has unveiled what is calls ‘India’s first smart scooter’ at the ongoing two-day Surge conference. The startup is founded by IITians Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, and has received funding from Tiger Global.
Ather Energy has launched India’s first truly smart, electric scooter, the S340. Packed with a powerful Lithium Ion battery pack, top speed of 72 kmph and a range upto 60 kms, this connected scooter is designed for urban tech lovers, who are curious about futuristic products.
The S340 smart scooty features a lithium ion battery pack with a top speed of 72 kmph and a range up to 60kms. The battery pack uses the 18650 cell format, also seen in Tesla’s Model S electric scooter. It takes 50 minutes to achieve 80 percent charge using the fast charging mode. The S340’s IP67-rated battery pack claims a life cycle of 50,000 kms and a life span of 5-6 years. It has a distinct sporty look with zero lateral weight offset, a low centre of gravity and intuitive LED lights that respond to ambient light conditions.
The touchscreen dashboard integrates cloud based data to help personalise the consumer ride experience. Features like user profile based sign in, on board navigation, pre-configured drive modes like sport and economy allow a personalised experience. The scooter comes integrated with a S340 mobile app that helps configure the ride and profile preferences. You can even sync navigation routes.
The scooter will be manufactured in India. The manufacturing unit is in Bengaluru and the production is likely to begin by the end of this year. The test rides will begin in the next few months and the company will start taking pre-booking orders in select cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune.
The Ather BMS(Battery Management System):
A centralized BMS is primarily an electronic system that is connected to all the cells in a battery pack and constantly measures their voltage and current. Additionally multiple temperature sensors placed across the pack constantly provide the BMS with temperatures at different sections of the battery pack. Hence at any point of time the BMS monitors:
- Individual cell voltage, total voltage, minimum & maximum voltage
- Temperatures from each sensor, in each section of the pack and overall battery pack heating
- State of charge of the cells and the battery pack
Ather Energy’s S340 Features:
- Touchscreen dashboard with 24*7 connectivity
- On-board navigation
- Range of 60 km in single charge
- 80% charge in one hour
- Top speed of 72 kmph
- 15 patent applications filed
- Manufacturing in Bangalore, Karnataka
- Online-only sales model
- Doorstep delivery and service
The company hasn’t yet announced the price of S340 yet.
