Ather Energy offers its proprietary fast-charging connector to rival electric scooters

Electric scooter maker Ather Energy on Tuesday said it will offer its proprietary fast-charging connector to other EV two-wheeler manufacturers as well for faster adoption of these vehicles. This will pave the way for an interoperable two-wheeler fast charging platform in the country, it said. The move would also help in reducing range anxiety by allowing all scooters to access Ather Energy’s over 200 fast chargers.

At the same time, it will allow more original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to build products on a common standard, thereby, lowering infrastructure investments, the company said in a release. Designed by Ather, the connector has a combo AC and DC charging with the same connector. Its size has been designed to be suitable for integration into two-wheelers and three-wheelers with the ability of CAN 2.0 communication with control and proximity pilot, as per the company.

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Moreover, the proprietary connector has been designed for production at low costs, which allows it to be used in mass segment vehicles, Ather said. Ather Energy has invested in building a fast-charging network, Ather Grid, and has been providing normal speed charge options to all electric two-wheelers and four-wheelers free of cost. A robust charging infrastructure is one of the major drivers in accelerating faster adoption of electric two-wheelers, it said, adding that in order to maximise usage and efficiency of charging infrastructure, there needs to be common connectors that can be used across products, the Bengaluru-based EV maker said.

According to Ather Energy, while there are global standards for electric four-wheelers like the CHADEMO, CCS, among others, there are no connector standards available customised for two-wheeler fast charging, except in China. Stating that the fast charging requirements for two-wheelers are unique, it said, the shape and size of the vehicle makes it infeasible to adopt a four-wheeler charging connector. Similarly, the same connector would be used for normal as well as fast charging.

“Electric two-wheelers are now going mainstream with the big push through FAME 2 by the government. Consumers need a fast-charging network in public locations to make this shift and that’s exactly what we are doing to build this category,” said Tarun Mehta, Co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy. Sharing Ather’s proprietary charging connector is a big step for having a common connector and hence interoperable chargers for all two-wheelers, he said.

“At this stage of the category, the industry needs these collaborations and we are already in talks with some OEMs to take this industry collaboration forward,” Mehta added. Opening up Ather Energy’s connector technology will promote the use of a common connector, allowing all EV owners to use any fast charging solution across the country, the company said.