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Ather Energy has been in the electric two-wheeler space for quite some time now, and so far, its portfolio has primarily consisted of the 450 range of electric scooters and the Rizta. Both are based on the same platform, and while they are genuinely good electric scooters, I would not really call them affordable.
And that is important because, at the end of the day, a company needs to expand its market share. That becomes difficult when your products are positioned at a relatively premium price point. This is where Ather realised that it needed a completely new platform, one that could underpin a more affordable scooter aimed at a much larger audience.
That brings us to the EL Platform.
We first got to see the EL Platform at Ather Community Day last year, and now, we finally get to experience the first electric scooter based on it. It is the Ather Konarc, and it is a very important product for the company.
Why? Because this is Ather's most affordable scooter yet, and if the company's plans work out, it could eventually become its highest-selling product.
Ather invited us to Bengaluru for its Community Day, where it launched the Konarc and gave us an opportunity to ride it. So, after spending some time with the scooter, here is everything you need to know about it.
Think of the EL Platform as a common foundation that Ather can use to build different kinds of electric scooters.
Instead of developing every scooter from scratch, Ather has created a set of common components that can be adapted to different designs, sizes and use cases.
The company says the platform has been developed using 26 lakh kilometres of real-world field data, and it brings an entirely new chassis, powertrain and electronics architecture.
Another big focus here is simplicity.
With fewer components and a simpler architecture, Ather says the new platform can be assembled around 15 per cent faster. And that simplicity should also benefit the owner because periodic servicing can be carried out up to twice as fast.
The service interval has also been increased to 10,000 kilometres.
So essentially, the EL Platform is Ather's new foundation for its next generation of scooters, with a focus on flexibility, simpler hardware and easier ownership.
Now, the first thing you will notice about the Konarc is that it looks very familiar.
And that is completely intentional.
The Konarc is designed to be a mass-market scooter, so Ather has gone for a more conventional and approachable design rather than something radically different.
Up front, you get a proper front apron with a full-width LED lightbar, Ather badging and a headlamp mounted on the handlebar. There is also quite a bit of piano black finish here, and while it looks good when new, I suspect it will pick up scratches over time.
Interestingly, Ather says the decision to mount the headlamp on the handlebar came from feedback from its dealers.
Move towards the side and there is a metal side panel, which is actually the only metal body panel on the scooter. Everything else is made from plastic. You also get Konarc badging here.
The single-piece seat gets black stitching and looks reasonably premium. Towards the rear, there is a new LED tail lamp that integrates the turn indicators, giving it a similar visual treatment to the front lightbar.
Our test scooter was also equipped with a rear backrest for the pillion, which is a nice touch.
Overall, the Konarc looks like a scooter that most people would be comfortable buying.
And honestly, that is a good thing because that is exactly what Ather wanted.
The riding triangle is familiar and very easy to get used to.
There is plenty of room to move your feet around, although there is a raised section running through the centre of the floorboard. So, while the floorboard is spacious, you may not be able to carry some larger objects here as easily as you could on a completely flat-floor scooter.
The seat itself is large and supportive, while the handlebar falls naturally into your hands.
My only small complaint is that the front portion of the seat is quite narrow, which could be an issue for some riders. However, our riding time with the Konarc was not long enough for me to comment on long-distance comfort with complete confidence.
For many buyers, practicality is one of the biggest reasons to choose a scooter over a motorcycle, and this is an area where the Konarc does quite well.
Yes, there are rivals with a larger floorboard, but the Konarc gets a useful and fairly deep front cubby that can actually accommodate everyday items. There is also a hook placed which can be used to hang stuff.
But the real highlight is the 31-litre underseat storage.
It is deep enough to be genuinely useful, and depending on the helmet you use, you should be able to fit a helmet along with some additional belongings.
Suspension duties are handled by telescopic forks at the front and a single shock absorber at the rear.
What I really like is the way Ather has tuned the suspension for everyday riding.
It is soft enough to absorb bumps and potholes without making the scooter feel unsettled. On broken roads, the Konarc manages to keep things comfortable and composed.
Helping with that is the 14-inch front wheel, which gives the scooter a good amount of stability when dealing with rough surfaces.
Then there is the handling.
The Konarc has a very neutral character. It does exactly what you ask of it, without hesitation, and there is no real learning curve to riding this scooter.
It feels predictable, which is exactly what you want from something designed for everyday use.
Then we come to the brakes.
There is a disc brake at the front and a drum at the rear. The higher-spec Z variant gets Ather's new Advanced Electronic Braking System, but the S variant we tested uses a more conventional Combi Braking System.
And surprisingly, the CBS setup itself is very well calibrated.
The front brake is not overly sharp, but it is progressive, and when you use both brakes together, the scooter gives you plenty of confidence that it will stop when you need it to.
In fact, this is one of the better CBS systems I have used on an electric scooter.
Ather is known for packing its scooters with features, and the Konarc is no different.
The variant we tested came with Ather's DeepView display. It is not a TFT unit, but honestly, I did not have many complaints about it during our ride. Even the switchgear on offer feels of really nice quality.
You also get a reverse mode and AutoHold.
Then there is a feature called AirWalk, which essentially allows you to move the scooter forward or backwards while walking alongside it. This can be quite useful in tight parking spaces.
The higher variants get a TFT display along with smartphone connectivity.
There are also a couple of interesting features exclusive to the Z trims.
One of these is MagicKey, which is essentially an evolution of the wireless key system and can also be used to unlock the underseat storage.
Then there is AutoPop.
All you need to do is give the scooter a small nudge below the grab rail and the seat pops open automatically, thanks to a hydraulic strut.
It is a very neat feature, and I can genuinely see it being useful when your hands are full.
Powering the Konarc is a side-mounted PMSM electric motor that produces 4.7 kW of peak power and 16 Nm of peak torque.
The claimed top speed is 70 kmph.
There are three riding modes on offer: SmartEco, Eco and Power.
Unlike the Rizta, where the lower-powered modes can feel quite restrictive, both SmartEco and Eco are actually usable on the Konarc.
The throttle response is also very well tuned.
Power delivery is linear and predictable, and there is none of that jerky response that you sometimes experience on electric scooters.
I also appreciate the fact that Ather does not completely cut power every time you apply the brakes.
Overall, the Konarc feels smooth, easy to ride and perfectly suited to urban use.
The variant we test rode comes with a 3.5 kWh battery pack.
Ather claims an IDC range of 161 km, while the real-world range is claimed at around 130 km.
The battery is IP67 rated, and Ather is also offering an extended warranty of up to 10 years or 1 lakh kilometres, which is quite impressive.
But the biggest change here comes from the EL Platform and its charging architecture.
The Konarc gets onboard charging, which means you do not need to carry around a bulky external charger.
Instead, you simply connect the charging cable to the scooter and plug it into the socket.
The onboard charger is rated at 450W and can charge the 3.5 kWh battery from 0 to 80 per cent in around 5 hours and 40 minutes.
But Ather has another trick up its sleeve.
There is something called Combined Charging.
You can plug in an additional 450W charger alongside the onboard charger, effectively doubling the charging rate to 900W.
That brings the 0 to 80 per cent charging time down to around 3 hours and 10 minutes.
And then, of course, there is Ather's fast-charging network.
Ather Grid can add up to 15 km of range in just 10 minutes, which is useful when you need a quick top-up while out on the road.
So, what do I make of the Ather Konarc?
Honestly, I really enjoyed my time with it.
The Konarc does not try to reinvent the scooter. Instead, it focuses on the things that matter to a mass-market buyer: comfort, practicality, predictable performance, useful features and relatively simple ownership.
And that, in many ways, is exactly what Ather needed.
So, if you are in the market for an electric scooter, I would definitely recommend that you go and test ride the Konarc before making a decision.
However, there is one important thing to keep in mind.
A lot of the features that were showcased as highlights of Ather Community Day are not available on every variant, and the scooter you eventually buy may not have everything that made the launch event look so exciting.
So, make sure you look at the exact variant, features and equipment before making your purchase.
But as a platform and as Ather's first proper attempt at the mass market, the Konarc is a very promising start.
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