EV firm Ather opens new testing centre in Bengaluru, bets big on R&D

IPO-bound Ather Energy, an electric two-wheeler manufacturer backed by Hero MotoCorp on Thursday unveiled a new product testing and validation Centre- ‘The Juggernaut’ in Bengaluru. The 38,692 sq. ft. space will design, validate durability and safety across vehicle, system, and component levels, the firm said. It will also conduct on-road endurance tests for its vehicles.

The EV manufacturer said its MTS 334 road load simulator, not found with many OEMs, is capable of replicating real-world two-wheeler riding conditions and will compress 1,00,000 km endurance test into just 15 days. A process which usually takes around 10 years to cover on road, according to the firm's chief technology officer, Swapnil Jain.

“EVs are radically different from ICE vehicles and are a relatively new technology, so it is important to thoroughly test all the components of the vehicle,” the CTO said, adding that their products are designed around Indian riding conditions and extreme usage scenarios, reflecting how customers use scooters.


With three R&D facilities in Bengaluru the firm said it is investing heavily in research and has plans to invest Rs 7,500 million from the net proceeds of their IPO into research and product development over the next three years. “As of December 31, 2024, Ather's R&D expenditure was Rs 2,388 million, accounting for 15% of revenue from operations, and about 46% of its total workforce is dedicated to R&D,” the company said.

Jain told ET that Ather is developing two new platforms– a new scooter platform (EL) and a motorcycle platform (Zenith). “The EL platform is in an advanced stage of development and will be a cost-effective and versatile platform for scooter lines, incorporating a new powertrain, electronics, and chassis while utilizing elements from the Ather 450 platform,” the CTO said.

A new battery platform using lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) cathode chemistry is also under development to change the existing battery platform.