Ather Energy joins hands with Bounce app for scooter sharing service

India's EV startup Ather Energy joins hands with Bounce, India's dockless shared mobility service for a ‘Peer to Peer’ (P2P) scooter sharing program. The pilot program was launched in Bengaluru on May 25. The Ather 450 two-wheelers purchased via Bounce's website can be booked for ₹499 and will be delivered on priority basis post the lockdown once deliveries resume.

Bounce had introduced the P2P initiative called ‘ScooterHero’ where individuals could rent out their vehicles directly during the lockdown. It aimed to help Covid-19 frontline workerslike healthcare workers, delivery partners, or civic authorities. Taking the P2P program a step further, the partnership with Ather enables new Ather 450 owners to utilise the down-time of the vehicle by listing them on the Bounce App for all their customers and earning an additional income. Unlike the typical dockless model Bounce offers, the P2P scooters are picked up and returned to the owner by Bounce customers.

Commenting on the tie-up, Co-founder & CEO of Ather Energy Tarun Mehta, said, "We have always offered unique purchase models that have been designed to make ownership hassle-free. This partnership with Bounce allows our owners to decrease their overall cost of ownership and break even on their investment faster. The Ather scooters are designed on a connected and intelligent platform and the transition to a rideshare use has been seamless. The connectivity will increase the confidence of Ather owners and Bounce renters both, to sign up for the program."

Vivekananda Hallekere, Co-founder & CEO of Bounce said, "The current way of owning a vehicle and using it only for few hours a day puts a lot of stress on the entire eco system including parking. Bounce brings in trust to enable people share assets. During times of Covid when public transport won’t be ideal, driverless solutions will help move people. It will also enable people to generate cost from existing assets."

Ather is the first brand to partner with Bounce to make their products available through this program. To opt for this model, consumers need to book the Ather 450 through the Bounce platform and on delivery the commercially registered vehicle is ready to be listed on the Bounce app. Bounce customers will now be able to rent the vehicle for hours or days, as listed by the owner. Consumers will be remunerated by Bounce when their scooter is rented.