Photography: Siddhant Gadekar
Ather Energy has been at the forefront of the electric scooter revolution and its 450X is unarguably a revolutionary product. The Indian startup continues on this trail-blazing path with the new 450S, a more accessible Ather. Does this accessibility compromise on the finer points that make the Ather 450X an exceptional scooter?
Visually, you’ll be hard-pressed to distinguish the Ather 450S from the higher X variants. Both share the same bodywork. In fact, the logos are the same as well, save for the S suffix instead of X.
The major change comes in the form of a new LCD screen instead of the colour TFT touchscreen seen on the 450X. Ather claims that this DeepView display offers best-in-class contrast allowing for easy readability even in bright sunlight. The screen looks premium and is quite easy to read thanks to larger fonts and upto 18 segments in each digit. Ather has done a good job of making the screen interactive where even the turn-by-turn indicator is designed to display complicated directions. While it does not get touchscreen functionality, you can navigate through the screen via a joystick that’s part of the new switchgear. The screen supports Bluetooth connectivity via the Ather app and you can access all features found on the X variant except for document storage on the screen.
The accessibility comes at a price, in the form of a smaller motor and battery pack. The 5.4kW motor allows for a claimed 90kmph top speed. While the 450S misses out on Warp mode, it gets Eco, Ride and Sports mode. The scooter feels fairly quick in Sports mode and impresses with its immediate throttle response.
With the smaller battery pack, Ather claims an IDC range of 115km which should cover most city-riding scenarios. It also gets access to the Ather Grid’s fast charging network. Under normal charging, a 0 to 80 percent charge will take 6hrs 36min while a full charge will take upto eight and a half hours.
At Rs 1.3 lakh ex-showroom, the Ather 450S is an accessible entryway into the Ather fold but not by much as the base Ather 450X with a larger battery pack costs just Rs 8,000 more. That said, it’s a good option for those looking for a 125cc scooter and also considering switching from ICE to electric. Ather’s vast charging infrastructure should take care of range anxiety and the electric scooter itself as a wholesome package makes the Ather 450S a compelling alternative.
