Last week, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council announced a reduction in GST on electric vehicles from the prevailing rate of 12 percent to 5 percent. Thanks to this, the Ather scooters – the 340 and 450 – have seen their prices drop. The Ather 450 now costs Rs 9,000 less at Rs 1.13 lakh in Bengaluru and Rs 1.22 lakh in Chennai. The 340, meanwhile, now costs Rs 1.02 lakh in Bengaluru and Rs 1.10 lakh in Chennai. Essentially, on-road prices have reduced by about Rs 8,000-9,000.
Ather recently began operations in Chennai with deliveries set to begin from September. The company had earlier revealed an ambitious sales target of one lakh units by June 2021 and is working on expanding to multiple cities over the next couple of years.
The Ather 450 recently received FAME II-certification that reduced its cost by Rs 5,000. The reduced GST rate now makes it, and the 340, considerably more affordable, and much closer to popular 125cc bikes. On the other hand, the Ather 450’s electric rival – the Okinawa i-Praise – currently costs Rs 1.14 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), but it should also see a price cut thanks to the reduced GST.
What community is saying on the 450?
Ather prices are on-road in the respective cities.
Suraj Sreekumar
Stephen Raj Antony
Dinshaw Magol
