Continuing with its journey of introducing innovative ownership models to promote EVs, Ather Energy joins hands with Bounce, India’s fastest growing dock less shared mobility player for their ‘Peer to Peer’ (P2P) scooter sharing program.
To help COVID-19 frontline workers like healthcare workers, delivery partners, or civic authorities; Bounce had introduced ‘ScooterHero’ a P2P initiative where individuals could rent out their vehicles directly during the lockdown. Taking the P2P program a step further, the partnership with Ather enables new Ather 450 owners to monetize the idle time of the vehicle by listing their vehicle on the Bounce App for all their customers and earning an additional income. Unlike the typical dockless model Bounce offers, the P2P scooters are picked up and returned to the owner by Bounce customers.
Ather is the first brand to partner with Bounce to make their products available through this program. To opt for this model, consumers need to book the Ather 450 through the Bounce platform and on delivery the commercially registered vehicle is ready to be listed on the Bounce app. Bounce customers will now be able to rent the vehicle for hours or days, as listed by the owner. Consumers will be remunerated by Bounce when their scooter is rented.
Ather has introduced new post-purchase plans (Ather One), customized for the sharing model – including a new service & maintenance plan which will address the wear and tear of multi-rider usage. Although, unlike traditional two-wheelers, with the connected features on the Ather 450 and real time diagnostics, owners can rest easy as their vehicle is safe. They will be able to monitor the health of the vehicle and its usage via the Ather mobile app. These scooters will also be eligible for free fast charging at 38 Ather Grid points, for one year and will be delivered with a portable charger that can be used at any 5A plug point, anywhere in the city.
The pilot program launches in Bengaluru from May 2020. The Ather 450’s purchased via Bounce’s website can be booked for INR 499 and will be delivered on priority basis post the lockdown once deliveries resume.
Quote by Tarun Mehta, Co-founder & CEO, Ather Energy
“We have always offered unique purchase models that have been designed to make ownership hassle-free. This partnership with Bounce allows our owners to decrease their overall cost of ownership and break even on their investment faster. The Ather scooters are designed on a connected and intelligent platform and the transition to a rideshare use has been seamless. The connectivity will increase the confidence of Ather owners and Bounce renters both, to sign up for the program.”
Quote by Vivekananda Hallekere, Co-founder & CEO, Bounce
“The current way of owning a vehicle and using it only for few hours a day puts a lot of stress on the entire eco system including parking. Bounce brings in trust to enable people share assets. During times of COVID when public transport won’t be ideal, driverless solutions will help move people. It will also enable people to generate cost from existing assets.”
Users can reach out to Bounce on 080-46897485 or alternatively, write to us at [email protected]. One can also call Ather at +91 7676 600 900 or email them at [email protected]
About Ather
Ather Energy, India’s first intelligent electric vehicle manufacturer was founded in 2013 by IIT Madras alumni, Tarun Mehta, and Swapnil Jain. It is backed by the founders of Flipkart -Sachin Bansal & Binny Bansal- Hero Motocorp and Tiger Global. Ather Energy launched India’s first truly intelligent, electric scooter – Ather 450 in 2018, followed by their new flagship offering Ather 450X, the super scooter in 2020. Ather has also installed a comprehensive public charging network, Ather Grid, designed and built in India. With 38 charging points in Bengaluru and 14 charging points in Chennai, Ather Grid is one of the largest fast-charging networks for electric vehicles in the country. The company’s product line has won 30 awards in design, automotive and technology categories. With over 51 patent applications, 113 trademarks and 123 design registrations to its name, Ather Energy aims to provide consumers with the best possible ownership experience. Ather Energy currently operates in Bengaluru and Chennai and in 2020 will expand to 8 more cities including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune & Hyderabad.
About Bounce:
Bounce is India’s first dockless mobility solution with a mission of making daily commute stress-free, timesaving, reliable and convenient. Founded in 2014, by Vivekananda H.R., Anil G and Varun Agni, this Bengaluru based start-up aims to decongest the roads by encouraging commuters to choose public transport and provide a seamless first/last mile connectivity. With its patented key-less technology, Bounce users can pick up/drop the bikes, bicycles or electric bikes anywhere in the city at any time. Prior to the lockdown, Bounce did about 130,000 rides on a daily basis. With strong presence in Bengaluru & Hyderabad, the company looks to expand to other cities as well.