Ather Energy has introduced the Konarc electric scooter in India, with prices starting at Rs. 1 lakh (ex-showroom, Bengaluru). The new model was unveiled at the company’s annual Community Day and is positioned as a more comfort- and practicality-focused addition to Ather’s scooter portfolio.
The Konarc is currently offered in three variants: S 100, S 125 and S 161. The numbers indicate their respective IDC-certified range figures. Ather has also confirmed plans for additional versions, including Z variants with 125km and 161km IDC range ratings, while a model capable of up to 200km IDC range is also under development.
Deliveries of the Konarc are scheduled to begin in September.
The three variants use different battery capacities and power outputs. The S 100 is equipped with a 2.1kWh battery and produces 4kW, while the S 125 and S 161 use 2.7kWh and 3.5kWh batteries, respectively. The latter two produce a peak 4.7kW and all three variants develop 16 Nm of torque.
Despite the different battery sizes, the current variants have a claimed top speed of 70 km/hr.
Ather quotes TrueRange figures of 80 km for the S 100, 100 km for the S 125 and 130km for the S 161. These figures are lower than the corresponding IDC range figures and are intended to provide a more representative indication of everyday riding range.
The Konarc comes with a 450W onboard charger as standard. Buyers can supplement this with a 900W external charger, taking the combined charging capacity to 1.35kW.
Using the standard charger, Ather claims a 0-80 percent charging time of four hours for the S 100, 4 hours 30 minutes for the S 125 and 5 hours 40 minutes for the S 161. With the additional charger, the respective times are reduced to two hours, 2 hours 25 minutes and 3 hours 10 minutes.
The company also claims that the scooter can add around 13km of range in 10 minutes for the S 100 and 15km in the same period for the S 125 and S 161 when using the faster charging setup.
Practicality is another focus area for the Konarc. It gets 31 litres of underseat storage, an 18W USB Type-C charging port and an underseat light. The S 100 features a 4.2-inch DeepView instrument display, while the S 125 and S 161 receive a larger 7-inch unit.
Other convenience features include Park Assist reverse, which uses the electric motor to move the scooter backwards, and AutoHold, which keeps the scooter stationary when stopped.
The Konarc is based on Ather’s new EL platform, which the company says has been developed using 26 lakh kilometres of field data.
The architecture combines a new chassis, powertrain and electronics system and has been designed to support multiple scooter formats. Ather claims that reducing the number of components can make assembly around 15 percent quicker and potentially reduce periodic servicing time by up to half.
The company also demonstrated the platform’s serviceability, with technicians removing and reinstalling major battery and motor components during the launch event. The exercise is intended to highlight the potential for shorter workshop turnaround times when larger components need to be replaced.
The Konarc uses a PMSM electric motor with an IP67 rating, while its battery pack also carries an IP67 rating and is housed within an aluminium casing.
