Is Ather taking a price fight with its most affordable model yet?

• Konarc will be available in six variants, with 100-km, 125-km and 161-km versions. A 200-km variant is also planned.

• The scooter features Ather’s MagicKey and AutoPop technologies, along with a larger 14-inch front wheel and metal body.

• The Konarc is positioned as a more affordable alternative within Ather’s portfolio, but its pricing could overlap with the Rizta.

Electric two-wheeler maker Ather Energy has launched its latest scooter, the Konarc, based on its versatile EL platform that can support multiple products. The company unveiled the model at its Community Day.

The Konarc will be available in six variants. The entry-level version, with an IDC range of 100 kilometres, is priced at ₹99,999. The 125-km and 161-km variants are priced at ₹1,21,999 and ₹1,44,999, respectively. A top-end variant with a 200-km range will also be offered, although Ather has not yet disclosed its price.

“Konarc has been designed to make EVs [electric vehicles] mainstream in India. We have understood the needs of the vast majority of buyers who are still waiting to go electric and have engineered Konarc for them,”  Tarun Mehta, co-founder and CEO of Ather Energy, said.

Konarc’s first two variants will hit the market in September, while the rest are scheduled for release in October-December 2026. Ather Energy has extended the battery warranty on its models from 7 years to 10 years or 1 lakh KM.

Ather bets on add-on tech

With the latest model, Ather Energy is doubling down on its add-on tech in the vehicles. In the Konarc model, Ather has introduced MagicKey, which can automatically unlock the scooter without physical interaction when the rider comes in its proximity. 

Similarly, the company’s AutoPop feature can open the boot automatically when the rider stands next to it. 

“We started working on software-led braking, fast charging, and connected scooter experiences well before they became expected in the market. That head start matters because it gives us the experience to integrate these technologies deeply into the vehicle and bring the engineering depth we have built over the years to a much larger set of riders. AeBS, MagicKey, AutoPopTM, and AirWalk are examples of that approach, each designed to make everyday riding more effortless,” Swapnil Jain, Co-founder and CTO of Ather Energy, said

Ather has introduced several new features in the Konarc model. These include an increase in the front wheel size from 12 inches to 14 inches, a metal body, and a middle stand.

Is Ather playing a price game?

Starting at Rs 99,999, Konarc is Ather Energy’s most affordable model so far. Earlier, its Rizta model offered the entry-level variant at Rs 1,21,999. 

While Konarc’s entry-level variant puts it at par with its competitors, such as TVS iQube and Bajaj Chetak variants, at nearly the same price, could lead to cannibalisation of the Rizta model. Konarc’s middle-level variant is priced about the same as Rizta’s entry-level variant.

However, the company management says that a different cost structure comes into play with the models. “ I think it'll be incorrect to contrast Rizta versus the EL platform, saying this is a cheaper product line. The only difference is that it has a product at ₹99,999 that Rizta does not. And if Rizta's cost structure allowed us, we would have had a product at that price point as well,” Ravneet Phokela, Chief Business Officer of Ather Energy, said.