It is an open secret. Ather Energy has been working on an electric motorbike concept for some time. The Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler manufacturer has remained mostly silent about it, but at the second Ather Energy Community Day, Tarun Mehta, the company’s CEO and co-founder, spoke about the challenges of an electric motorcycle and why even global players are having difficulty entering this market.
Ather Energy: Why aren’t there more electric motorcycles?
The electric two-wheeler market set a new milestone in FY24, growing by around 30% year on year. With such a growth, Mehta explains why manufacturing electric bikes is not as simple as producing electric scooters. According to the CEO of Ather Energy, the aspirations, needs, and passions of a motorbike owner differ significantly from those of an electric scooter consumer. He continues, “There are often two or three sorts of motorcycle buyers. One seeks joy and freedom, while the other is an enthusiast seeking performance. Then there is the commuting segment.”
The first two types of buyers will want to either take the motorcycle for a long ride or seek for power. According to Mehta, the issue of meeting these needs remains largely unchanged. One wants range, and the other wants performance, so it all boils down to a high-power battery. This is a catch-22 situation.
Mehta stated, “If you want freedom, you need a long-range, which requires a large battery. To carry the large battery, you’ll need more power. If you’re aiming for performance, the challenges are relatively similar. So it’s not easy to disrupt these markets with EVs.” He added, “You have also keep in mind, that it’s not been easy for global EV players to enter the motorcycle market.”
Mehta confirmed that in terms of technology and features, all that can be easily transferred from the electric scooters.
Ather Energy may target commuter segment
It’s not all doom and gloom for the electric motorcycle industry. According to Mehta, two-wheeler EVs can currently disrupt the commuter market, which includes 110cc to 150cc motorcycles. “A buyer looking for a motorcycle for operational reasons will need bigger tyres and lower upfront and running costs as compared to a petrol scooter,” said Mehta. He went on to say, “The answer lies in the battery size and the range and that’s why the industry has not yet put its finger on it.”
When asked about the time frame for Ather Energy’s motorcycle, Mehta stated that the company would continue to work on that, but he was unable to give a tentative timeline. “Right now our hands are full with Rizta but we will continue to work on the product, but we aren’t sure about the timeline,” said Mehta.
