Electric scooter maker Ather Energy said the company will offer its proprietary charging connector to other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to adopt for their two-wheelers, paving the way for an interoperable two-wheeler fast charging platform for the country.

Common standard

Tarun Mehta, Co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy, told BusinessLine that considering Ather is among the oldest electric two-wheeler manufacturers, it was the right thing to share access to charging infrastructure. “This will increase the penetration of electric two-wheelers in the country. We should see a significant jump in its sales,” Mehta said. He added that the company will not charge royalty for anyone who wants to use Ather’s proprietary technology.

He said this would not only reduce range anxiety by allowing all scooters to access Ather Energy’s 200 plus fast chargers, but also allow more OEMs to build products on a common standard, thus lowering infrastructure investments.

Robust charging infrastructure is one of the major drivers in accelerating the faster adoption of electric two-wheelers. In order to maximize the usage and efficiency of charging infrastructure, there need to be common connectors that can be used across products.

Since its inception, 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.

Opening up Ather Energy’s connector technology will promote the use of a common connector, allowing all electric vehicle (EV) owners to use any fast charging solution across the country, hence enabling the entire ecosystem to work together to fast-track EV adoption in India, a statement from the company said.

Connector standards

While there are global standards for electric four-wheelers like the CHADEMO and CCS, there are no connector standards customized for two-wheeler fast charging anywhere except in China. Two-wheeler fast charging requirements are unique. The shape and size of the vehicle make it impracticable to adopt a four-wheeler charging connector. Similarly, the same connector would be used for normal as well as fast charging. Indian road environment, temperature, and moisture require a standard designed for Indian conditions with adequate field tests for safety and longevity.

Designed by Ather, this connector has a combo AC and DC charging within it. 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 pilots. Finally, it is designed for production at low costs, which allows it to be used in mass segment vehicles.