The existing customers of Gen 2 and above scooters, including the Ather 450 Apex, 450X and Rizta Z, will get this feature through OTA update
Ather Energy has introduced Pothole+ Alerts feature for its existing customers of Gen 2 and above scooters, including the Ather 450 Apex, 450X and Rizta Z. It uses the data generated by Ather’s connected scooter fleet to warn riders beforehand about potholes, broken road sections, uneven surfaces and speed breakers ahead while on the go. Ather Pothole+ Alerts feature also informs the riders about the smoothest route before a ride begins, besides the fastest one. Such connected features are developed on the basis of the real-world riding data collected by the brand over the years.
Announcing the rollout on X, Ather Co-founder and CEO Tarun Mehta said the feature had been nearly nine years in the making.”The challenge was never the idea. It was the data,” Mehta wrote. He explained that building the feature required a large connected fleet travelling the same roads over time, allowing Ather to generate the scale of fleet intelligence needed to accurately identify road conditions.
Ather electric scooters such as Rizta and 450 series are offered with onboard compute and connectivity which allows the company to regularly collect real-world riding data and roll out new features through over-the-air (OTA) software updates. “Pothole+ Alerts represents one of the first large-scale applications of this connected ecosystem, transforming millions of kilometres of ride data into a feature that benefits riders every day,” added Mehta.
The Pothole+ Alerts feature has been integrated into the brand’s navigation system. It will deliver advance notifications for potholes, broken road sections, uneven surfaces and speed breakers. The alerts are displayed on the TFT instrument console while they can also be delivered through the scooter’s speakers, the Ather Halo smart helmet or any compatible Bluetooth headset.
“Pothole+ Alerts is just the beginning, with the company planning to build more rider experiences on top of its growing road intelligence dataset,” concluded Mehta. The Bengaluru-based pure EV brand updated the 450X, 450 Apex and Rizta Z with ‘Voice on Ather’ feature through an over-the-air (OTA) update in June 2026. However, it was only available for its Gen 3 and above scooters in the Indian market.
Rolled out under the AtherStack 7 update, it allows the riders to connect with their Ather electric scooter through simple voice commands, identical to Google Assistant or Apple’s Siri. The riders can use ‘Voice on Ather’ to access navigation and vehicle settings, while calls can also be made as it is fully integrated with your existing contact list. In addition, the owners can control the media through voice commands like “Play the next song” and “Pause”.
