Ather Energy, the Hero Motocorp-backed Electric vehicle (EV) startup, on Monday launched its first charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in Bengaluru, and announced plans to set up 30 charging points by the end of May 2018 and 60 charging points by the end of the year.
The company has begun installations of the intelligent and connected charging stations across the city under its EV infrastructure brand AtherGrid.
AtherGrid will have a charging station within 4 km driving distance from any point in the city.
Alongside, the company will also soon start retailing its smart electric scooter S340 in the Indian market.
The charging points will be installed at malls, cafes, restaurants, tech parks, multiplexes and gyms, the charging points will cater to both, four-wheelers and two-wheelers.
"Electric vehicles cannot become a viable alternative without making charging infrastructure availability a greater priority. It is critical for us to make public charging convenient and accessible," Tarun Mehta, co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy said.
To improve EV ownership experience and increase adoption, AtherGrid and its accompanying app will be offered for free for the next 6 months to all electric vehicle owners.
Using cloud connectivity, consumers can find the nearest point available and navigate to the charging location using the app besides remotely monitoring charge status and integrated payment options.
"The number of entrepreneurs and businesses that have come aboard to be a part of AtherGrid is also a testament to the future of electric vehicles," Mehta said.
The startup will soon start selling its smart electric scooter S340 in the Indian market. The two-wheeler, which can travel at a maximum speed of 72 kmph, was first showcased in 2016.