The new affordable Ather electric scooter will be offered with the BaaS subscription model in order to reduce the upfront cost for the buyers.
Ather Energy is all set to launch an affordable electric scooter in the Indian market. The upcoming Ather e-scooter will be offered with a BaaS (Battery-as-a-Service) subscription model, confirmed Ravneet Phokela, Chief Business Officer – Ather Energy. The Bengaluru-based EV startup will celebrate its Annual Community Day in August 2025 and we expect it to unveil the new electric scooter at this event. Currently, it is the only mainstream EV brand which does not have a model priced below Rs 1 lakh in the Indian market.
The BaaS program is not something very new for the Indian buyers as the Honda Activa e: and Hero Vida VX2 are already available with this subscription model. It benefits the brand in a big way by reducing the overall pricing of the electric scooter. In simpler terms, the customer only pays for the vehicle while the battery cost is not included in the final pricing under the BaaS model.
The customers need to pay on a monthly basis for the battery usage as per their average run. Hence, the upfront cost of the e-scooter is reduced up to a big margin through this programme as battery makes for nearly 30-40 percent cost of an EV. Ather Energy aims to price the upcoming electric scooter below the Rizta S which costs Rs 1 lakh (ex-showroom).
“Our studies indicate that there is an inherent desire in the market to buy EVs. Some consumers understand the benefit of total cost of ownership, while some have the challenge of the initial cost of acquisition. We believe this [BaaS] can solve that challenge,” Phokela said. Recently, Ather’s biggest stakeholder Hero also announced the introduction of the Vida VX2 with Bass plans.
Recently, Ather Energy had confirmed that it will showcase the new EL electric scooter platform at the Community Day in August 2025. Besides the EL architecture, we expect the brand to unveil multiple concepts, next-gen fast chargers and Ather Stack 7.0 at the event. “The new EL platform, engineered to be versatile and cost-efficient, will enable Ather to expand its product lineup to cater to a wider range of customer needs, while the new fast charging solution will make charging quicker and more convenient,” read the official statement from Ather Energy.
Last week, the company had also stated that it intends to double up the sales network and open 700 new stores across the country by the end of FY26. It has plans to enter new cities in Northern India while adding as many outlets in high density metro cities. Currently, Ather has 351 Experience Centres in India, out of which 46 percent are in Southern India.
