Ather Energy Ltd is betting on a flexible technology platform for its future products the country’s top automobile manufacturers look to prepare for changes in market conditions and consumer demand.
EL, the new technology platform Ather unveiled on Saturday, can accommodate several different formats, vehicle body types, battery packs, chemistries and features, allowing it to develop a range of products over the next five years.
This comes a fortnight after its rival Ola Electric and four-wheeler maker Mahindra and Mahindra unveiled their own technology platforms that can be used to build several types of vehicles. While Ola’s Gen 4 platform will help build future two-wheeler, three-wheeler and four-wheeler EVs, Mahindra’s can accommodate both internal combustion vehicles and electric vehicles. It joins Tata Motors in having access to such technology.
All-in-one solution
Tarun Mehta, co-founder and chief executive of Ather, told Mint that consumers are developing premium tastes in electric scooters and the market need several types of products as a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work.
“We realised that we should spend more time making it a more versatile platform so that we can build out several products,” Mehta said. “What’s staring at us for the next 10 years is the need for not just one or two scooters but maybe several scooters, and every time you do a scooter development you don’t want to go back to the drawing board.”
Mehta noted that the scooter market was following the trajectory of the motorcycle market in terms of choice, with a range of products available from 100cc to 350cc.
Vehicle platforms are the foundational structure, with major components and systems in place, on which different models can be developed. Having a single platform for several types of products can help firms reduce costs significantly.
“You need to build a vast portfolio of products out of which you will hopefully have enough successes. Because only with a wide portfolio can you sustain a large distribution and only with a large distribution can you sell enough to really start mattering,” Mehta said, adding that there is a reason legacy players maintain a vast range of products even though only few models drive sales.
A flexible technology platform would helps firms react quickly to market shifts and regulatory changes. Rajesh Jejurikar, executive director and chief executive officer (auto and farm sector), Mahindra and Mahindra, said after the launch of Mahindra’s new technology platform that it would help the company meet new emissions norms effectively by letting them tweak their portfolio requirements between ICE and EV vehicles quickly, depending on the situation.
Ather surges, Ola stutters
The push for flexible platforms comes as startups such as Ather push for profitability. Ather made a net loss of ₹812 crore in FY25, down from ₹1,060 crore a year earlier. Its operating profit margin improved from -39% to -26% during the fiscal year.
The company is locked in an intense competition with legacy players and Ola Electric for market leadership. Its sales have continued to surge while Ola has struggled to hold on to its market share. Ather, which listed on the bourses this May, doubled its sales to nearly 40,000 electric scooters in Q1 compared to last year, according to Vahan data. Meanwhile Ola’s sales nearly halved to around 58,000 during the first quarter compared to last year.
Since listing in May, Ather’s share price has risen 48% while Nifty Auto index has increased 10% over the same period.