Third time’s a charm

Ather has launched the Gen 3 version of the 450X which promises more range and performance. We took it for a ride to see how it performs

- Rahul Ghosh

According to research undertaken by Ather Energy, the average number of clicks done by most Ather 450 owners is around the 30km mark. However, range anxiety was still an issue, which restricted them from fully enjoying the Ather 450X’s sportier modes. The company felt the need to breach the 100km range mark, hence the birth of the Ather 450X Gen 3.

The second generation 450X offered a range of 70km in Ride mode and 85km in Eco mode. Looking at it we say that this range is good for smaller towns where distances are less. However, if you are a resident of the NCR region or ride long distances, this range could prove to be appropriate and require the owner to recharge every day. To sort out this issue, the Ather 450X Gen 3 gets a bigger 3.7kWh battery pack. The unit sits within the floorboard and Ather claims that it should offer a range of 85km in Ride and 75km in Sport. There is a new Smart Eco mode that adapts to your riding and offers a range of up to 105km. The overall Indian Driving Cycle (IDC) range too has jumped up to 146km. When it comes to charging, the Ather 450X Gen 3 can be juiced up to 100 per cent in five hours and forty minutes using the portable AC charger. DC fast charging enables 15km worth of charge in 10 minutes. Additionally, the Ather Grid network is coming up fast and this should further instill confidence in owners to ride out without the worry of getting stranded. So quite clearly the Gen 3 is packing in a lot more as far as the battery pack is concerned.