Bengaluru-based Ather Energy has announced its second manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The company opened its first unit here earlier this year scaling up production of the 450 Plus and 450X electric scooters. The announcement arrives as the company has witnessed strong demand for its offerings and will expand annual production to 400,000 units from the current 120,000 units with the new plant scheduled to be operational in 2022. carandbike did visit Ather Energy's first manufacturing facility in Hosur earlier this year and you must check out the production process for the electric scooters.
Also Read: Inside Ather Energy's Manufacturing Facility: 1 Scooter Built Every 4 Minutes
Speaking on the development, Tarun Mehta, Co-Founder & CEO, Ather Energy said, "The EV demand has been shooting up across the country, and customers are coming in expecting electric scooters to wow them. This customer expectation is why our 450 series of electric scooters - the 450X and 450 Plus is seeing massive demand as it is the best electric scooter in the country today. Our experience centres are scaling up rapidly, and our retail footprint is set to grow by six times in the coming quarters. So, within just ten months of opening our current facility, we find ourselves already operating at full capacity. We are commissioning the second plant to be ready for 2022. With this capacity expansion, Ather is well on its way to becoming the country's largest EV producer by next year."
Ather fast-tracking its plant expansion comes on the back of a best-ever monthly sales numbers in October 2021. While the company does not share sales numbers as a policy, Ather did say that it registered a 12-fold growth over last year achieving a revenue run rate of $100 million. The manufacturer says this makes it the largest EV maker by value in the segment.
Also Read: Living With The Ather 450X Electric Scooter: Road Test Review
The current Hosur facility produces an average of 9,200 units every month from a single assembly line and a two-shift basis
Not just October but Ather's sales have been growing month-on-month by an average of 20 per cent since November 2020, according to the company. Ather says it recorded a three-time hike in walk-in customers, web inquiries and test rides between April and October 2021. The company recorded booking numbers grew by four times during the same period.
It's not clear at the moment how much Ather plans to invest in the second plant. carandbike has reached out to the company and will update as soon as we get a response. That being said, Ather previously announced its commitment to invest Rs. 650 crore over the next five years to enhance operations at the plant and take the total installed capacity to 500,000 units per annum. Ather is also in the process of expanding its network across India and aims to have 150 experience centres in 100 cities by March 2023.
