Ather Energy installs over 430 fast charging points in TN to promote EV adoption
Ather Energy
has achieved a milestone by establishing over 430
fast charging points
in
Tamil Nadu
, aimed at promoting
EV adoption
through convenient charging access to customers.
The company has set up the
Ather Grid
fast charging points across 38 cities of the state. Besides, Light Electric Combined Charging System (
LECCS
) have also been established in 50 places. The LECCS facility developed by Ather, is open for industry-wide adoption and allows different brands of
light electric vehicles
to use the same charging facilities.
Ather Energy
Chief Business Officer Ravneet Singh Phokela said Tamil Nadu has been one of the earliest markets ever since we entered the State in 2019. The company has been investing in building a reliable
charging network
, he said.
"Charging has often been seen as one of the key barriers, and it is something we have focused on solving from day one. Crossing 400 fast chargers in Tamil Nadu is a reflection of that commitment." he said in a company statement on Tuesday.
"As our retail footprint grows, the charging network will continue to scale alongside it, making EV ownership truly seamless," he added.
In Tamil Nadu, as of June 30, 2025 the company has 44 Experience Centres and 42 services centres.
Across India, Ather operates over 3,300 Ather grid fast charging points, the company said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
From land sops to tax breaks, states woo EV makers as Centre eases off
New Delhi: India's states are racing to seize the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing wheel, offering lucrative clean-energy policies as the Centre eases off the accelerator. From Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, top manufacturing states have put in place new EV policies over the past two years, dangling land discounts, tax breaks, and capital subsidies to woo EV makers and component suppliers. Joining them soon are Gujarat and Haryana, which are scheduled to release their new clean energy policies within the next one year. The development comes at a time when multiple key central government schemes to boost manufacturing in the EV sector have not had much effect due to delays in disbursals and tough localisation norms. While production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes for EVs, their components, and batteries have seen low disbursal due to stringent application process, the EV manufacturing scheme attracting foreign automakers to make in India saw more than a year delay in issuing guidelines for applying under the scheme. Meanwhile, states are rushing in to fill the gap with attractive sops, a fact noticed and leveraged by EV companies as they seek to build a robust manufacturing presence at relatively low cost. Thumbs-up from EV companies During Ather Energy's earnings call on 4 August, CFO Sohil Parekh highlighted the subsidies the company is receiving from the Maharashtra government for its upcoming plant. 'We have a significant capital subsidy chunk which will be received against the total capex investment. And from an opex point of view, we have a 2.5% GST uptake that we will receive from the state share, which is all the vehicles that are being sold out of the state," Parekh told analysts and investors. The executive added that the capital subsidy is over a period of seven years and the GST subsidy is over a period of 15 years. Moreover, all of these were over and above the standard sops, where there is a discounting and exemption on electric duty, stamp duty, and land price, etc. Similarly, Everta, an EV charging equipment manufacturer, is also investing ₹150 crore in a plant near Bengaluru. Among the factors deciding the location of the plant, the management specifically highlighted the role of state's policies. 'We are setting up a plant in Karnataka due to the favourable clean mobility policies of the state government," Manasvi Sharma, CEO of Everta, said during the launch of the brand. Vietnamese electric vehicle company Vinfast also signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government last year to invest ₹16,000 crore and set up a manufacturing unit there. This month, the company began rolling out cars from its plant, which will assemble its premium electric SUVs. The management of the Vietnamese company highlighted that the company's decision to open a unit in the state was driven by government support, among other factors. In its new EV Policy 2025-2030, Karnataka, a state with more than 5,400 public EV charging stations and over 250,000 EVs, has offered capital subsidies on the manufacturing units set up in the state. This includes incentives worth 20-25% of the upfront cost of fixed assets for EV makers, manufacturers of EV components, charging infrastructure and battery swapping infrastructure manufacturers, as well as makers of EV battery packs and cells. Upfront incentives for manufacturing are also a part of Maharashtra's offering to these companies. Its new EV policy, also set to run from 2025-2030, offered 20% fiscal incentives for manufacturers in the EV sector, since the government identified it as a 'thrust sector". Under Tamil Nadu's 2023 policy, EV manufacturers could choose between a 100% waiver on state goods and services tax (SGST) for every vehicle sold in a 15-year window, a turnover-linked subsidy, or a 10% capital subsidy on new manufacturing units worth over ₹50 crore. The policy also allowed investors a 20% capital subsidy on new EV battery manufacturing projects set up in the state. Further, Tamil Nadu offered incentives on research and development in the EV ecosystem, with financial assistance for technology transfer agreements and new infrastructure as part of its EV Special Manufacturing Package. Why states are better armed According to Abhishek Saxena, a former public policy expert with Niti Aayog, states have better ability to solve the bread and butter issues faced by EV manufacturers. 'EV manufacturers need quick access to land and better tech infrastructure," Saxena said, adding that states are in a better position to provide these. 'On the other side, the Centre's policies don't address the ecosystem problems faced by manufacturers and rather depend on the final product." The Centre's schemes to boost manufacturing include two PLIs for automobiles, auto parts, as well as EV cells – PLI-Auto and PLI-ACC – with a cumulative outlay of a little over ₹44,000 crore. The central government planned to dole out nearly ₹26,000 crore under PLI-Auto scheme to incentivise the manufacturing of zero-emission vehicles, but received a lukewarm response from the industry in its first year– ₹332 crore in FY25. Now, according to the Union minister of heavy industries H.D. Kumaraswamy's statement in a 6 June email interview with Mint, the scheme is set to disburse ₹2,000 crore in FY26. Meanwhile, the PLI-ACC scheme, notified in 2020, was set to provide incentives to companies to set up battery manufacturing units with a cumulative capacity of 50 GWh. But out of the 40 GWh capacity awarded, only about 1 GWh has been utilised. The government had to penalise the companies for delays in setting up manufacturing plants, and no disbursal has happened under the scheme as of date. The government also notified the scheme to promote the manufacturing of electric passenger cars in India (SPMEPCI) in June, aiming to attract foreign EV makers to set up manufacturing units in the country worth about ₹4,150 crore by reducing the import duty on fully built units brought into India. But, no EV maker has announced its participation in the scheme as of date. Randheer Singh, former director for electric mobility at Niti Aayog and chief executive officer of ForeSee Advisors, said that a key distinction between state-level policies and central government schemes for EV manufacturing lay in the approach to localisation. 'Many state policies are designed to encourage quick industry participation, often welcoming companies that establish assembly lines and source components or raw materials from outside the state or country," Singh said, adding that central initiatives on the other hand place greater emphasis on developing domestic capabilities, with a strong focus on indigenising the supply chain to enhance India's resilience and self-reliance. 'For instance, the strict localisation requirements under the PLI schemes, as well as subsidy programmes such as PM e-Drive, are intended to foster a robust local component ecosystem," Singh said. Strict compliance with localisation norms–companies have to prove 50% localisation–is illustrated by the small number of companies with approved products under the PLI-Auto scheme. Only 17 of the 82 companies have received approvals from testing agencies till date. Similarly, the scheme for foreign automakers also calls for 50% localisation in five years after setting up a new manufacturing plant. PLI-ACC scheme, too, calls for manufacturers to reach 60% domestic value addition within five years of operationalising a manufacturing unit.
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Ather teases voice command features for Halo helmet
Ather Energy is all set to unveil voice commands for its Halo helmets on August 30th, which is when they are celebrating Community Day. This would make Ather the first electric two-wheeler manufacturer to offer voice as a direct communication medium between the rider and the scooter. As of now, it is not clear whether the brand will be integrating Google Assistant just like they have done with the Google Maps or whether they have developed a new assistant. We will have to wait for the Community Day for the brand to get further information on this. This is the third Community Day that the brand will be celebrating, and it is now open to non-Ather owners as well. The theme for this year's Ather Community Day is 'Technology that works like magic. The company says it focuses on the philosophy of building technologies that feel effortless, invisible, and reliable in day-to-day use. Also Read : Ather 450 series likely to get cruise control update soon. Check details 2025 Ather Community Day: What should you expect? Ather is set to present its new EL scooter platform, which will serve as the foundation for the company's forthcoming range of budget-friendly electric scooters. Alongside this, the brand will reveal concept models, next-generation fast-charging systems, and the upgraded Ather Stack 7.0 software—slated for rollout to both new and existing customers. The upcoming event will also feature enhanced interactive zones, giving attendees direct engagement with Ather's design, engineering, and software teams. Last year's Ather Community Day, held in April, saw the debut of the Ather Rizta—its first family-oriented scooter—along with the Halo helmet range and the introduction of Ather Stack 6.0 software. With the launch of the EL platform, the publicly listed company is targeting the entry-level e-scooter segment, going head-to-head with players like Vida, TVS, Bajaj, Ola Electric, and others. There's also curiosity around whether Ather will explore Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) or adopt removable battery technology in its future products. Ather 450S launched Ather Energy has rolled out a new variant of its 450S electric scooter, offering greater range without compromising on performance. Equipped with a 3.7 kWh battery pack, the refreshed 450S delivers an IDC (Indian Driving Conditions) range of 161 km on a single charge. Priced at ₹1,45,999 (ex-showroom, Bengaluru), it's designed for riders who want the sporty appeal of the 450 platform, paired with the reassurance of longer riding distances. The launch reinforces Ather's strategy to broaden the 450 lineup. While the 450X continues as the flagship with advanced software capabilities, the latest 450S fills the space between the entry-level 2.9 kWh model and the high-end 450X. It retains the same performance DNA but makes it available to a wider customer base at a more attainable price point. The battery remains neatly housed in the scooter's floorboard for optimal weight distribution and handling. Check out Upcoming EV Bikes in India. First Published Date:
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Ather Energy installs over 430 fast charging points in TN to promote EV adoption
Electric two-wheeler manufacturer Ather Energy has achieved a milestone by establishing over 430 fast charging points in Tamil Nadu , aimed at promoting EV adoption through convenient charging access to customers. The company has set up the Ather Grid fast charging points across 38 cities of the state. Besides, Light Electric Combined Charging System ( LECCS ) have also been established in 50 places. The LECCS facility developed by Ather, is open for industry-wide adoption and allows different brands of light electric vehicles to use the same charging facilities. Ather Energy Chief Business Officer Ravneet Singh Phokela said Tamil Nadu has been one of the earliest markets ever since we entered the State in 2019. The company has been investing in building a reliable charging network , he said. "Charging has often been seen as one of the key barriers, and it is something we have focused on solving from day one. Crossing 400 fast chargers in Tamil Nadu is a reflection of that commitment." he said in a company statement on Tuesday. "As our retail footprint grows, the charging network will continue to scale alongside it, making EV ownership truly seamless," he added. In Tamil Nadu, as of June 30, 2025 the company has 44 Experience Centres and 42 services centres. Across India, Ather operates over 3,300 Ather grid fast charging points, the company said.
