Ather’s new budget scooter steals features from luxury cars

Bengaluru, India-based Ather Energy has been making high-quality electric scooters (the Vespa-like kind) for roughly a decade now, and aims to strike a balance between usability and innovation. That philosophy is evident in its latest model, which features several clever features you won't find on other two-wheelers – and in fact, might only get in a modern car.The newly launched Konarc is Ather's most affordable scooter yet, built on the company's brand-new EL platform to cater to families and cost-conscious commuters. The base variant starts at just INR99,999 (around US$1,190).That'll get you a swingarm-mounted motor capable of 5.4 hp, 11.8 lb-ft (16 Nm) of torque, and a top speed of 43 mph (70 km/h). It's not much, but it'll do for city commuting in high-traffic areas. The 2.1-kWh battery is good for an effective range of 50 miles (80 km), and the onboard charger gets it from 0%-80% in just 4 hours from a wall outlet. Pehelewans push Ather Konarc to its limits! The other variants bring higher battery capacity and range. It's the top-end model, whose price hasn't yet been announced (but will be above $1,530 that the 3.5-kWh variant costs), that's getting all the best features. The Konarc is a practical, family-friendly budget scooter that can spec with all kinds of usability featuresAther Energy Up first is the 7-inch touchscreen dashboard. This not only displays your vehicle info, but also brings Google Maps-based navigation. It supports live traffic info, and pairs with an app that plans your route based on remaining range and charging station availability along the way. The 7-inch dash supports Google Maps for navigation, and can respond to voice commands as wellAther Energy The dash also supports voice commands. Perhaps more crucially for sport-crazed India, it can show cricket scores in real time, saving riders the need to whip out their phone every other second.The top-end Konarc Z gets a proximity-sensing smart key, which automatically unlocks and locks the scooter while it's in your pocket. What's especially cool about the implementation here is that you don't have to worry about someone else riding off with your bike while you're standing near it. The handlebar mechanically locks when you step away. Plus, it'll only unlock when you're actually seated with the key on you. The key fob can be wirelessly recharged via a spot on the bike in an emergencyAther Energy You can also use the key to unlock the under-seat storage, which has a capacity of 31 liters (6.8 gal – enough to hold two half-face helmets). Like in a car – and unlike virtually every scooter – the seat opens up entirely on its own. There's also a large button on the Konarc's rear end you can press to pop open the seat when your hands are full. As someone who's struggled for years with a basic everything-manual scooter, this sounds like a dream. The seat can be opened to reveal 31 liters of storage using the rear button, as well as with the key fobAther Energy Ather says it's also mitigated a couple of potentially awful situations that might arise with the key. If you've misplaced it, the Konarc's screen will show the key's last known location. And say you need to ride someplace, but your key's out of power, simply tapping the key to a specific point on the bike's body charges it up enough for it to work again and unlock your vehicle.The mobile app lets you remotely lock your vehicle in the event that it's been stolen, can display battery capacity and switch on charging when it's plugged in, and can also serve as a backup key in case you've lost the physical one. Even when your phone is completely offline, the app can provide an authentication code you can enter on the bike's touchscreen to start it and ride away. Ather's mobile app can remotely control bike charging, anti-theft locking and even provide a code to unlock your bike if you lose the physical key fobAther Energy The last one's not exactly borrowed from cars, but it's especially thoughtful. Scooters like the Konarc are especially popular in countries with population density, which means you'll often struggle to find a parking spot – and when you do, you might have to maneuver your vehicle into a cramped space, which means a lot of crawling back and forth.Ather's Airwalk feature provides just enough power to help you move the vehicle while walking alongside it effortlessly. The company says you won't feel the bike's weight, and it works when you're moving both forwards and backwards. The scooter automatically unlocks when you approach it with a key in your pocket – but it won't start until you're actually seatedAther Energy All this functionality will become available in the top-end Konarc Z, which will come later on, and get a height-adjustable backrest to boot. The more basic versions can now be pre-ordered in India, with deliveries starting this month.Ather built this model on an entirely new platform, which has been developed to withstand bad roads, and allow for easy maintenance. Expect to see these features on future models atop the same platform in the coming years – and for other brands to copy them even sooner.Source: Ather