Ather Fleet Data Reveals Riding Habits and Road Conditions Across Indian Cities
Data gathered from Ather Energy’s connected fleet has revealed distinct driving behaviours and road conditions across major Indian cities, highlighting wide variations in horn use, cruise-control adoption, and infrastructure quality.
What Happened
At Ather’s Community Day event, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Tarun Mehta shared telemetry insights drawn from the company’s active fleet of 7.65 lakh electric scooters. The data revealed that riders in Kolkata logged the highest horn usage, averaging 137 honks per customer per day, significantly higher than the 82 honks recorded in the second-ranked city.
Delhi riders recorded the highest adoption of Ather’s cruise-control feature, while simultaneously registering the highest number of crashes in the company’s records. In contrast, Mumbai logged the fewest crashes and scooter-fall alerts. Bengaluru generated the highest volume of pothole detections among large cities, though it was also among the cities recording the fewest skids and slippages.
Alongside these insights, the company announced the launch of the Konarc, its first electric scooter built on the EL platform, priced starting at Rs 99,999 ex-showroom. The model offers up to 200 km in test-cycle range, with initial deliveries of select variants scheduled to begin on September 21.
Key Highlights
- Kolkata: Ranked highest in horn usage with 137 honks per customer each day, compared to 82 per day in the next highest city.
- Delhi: Led in cruise-control usage but also experienced the highest crash frequency in the fleet dataset.
- Mumbai: Registered the lowest instances of crashes and scooter-fall alerts across the tracked markets.
- Bengaluru: Logged the highest number of pothole detections among large cities, alongside low rates of skids and slippages.
- Road Surface Variations: In an assessment of roads named Mahatma Gandhi Road, south Mumbai’s Fashion Street stretch was rated among the best, while Ghatkopar’s MG Road was among the worst. Bengaluru’s MG Road performed well following white-topping work.
- National Impediment Database: Over one crore road impediments—encompassing potholes, speed breakers, uneven surfaces, and broken patches—were recorded in Ather’s database as of August 5.
- Hardware Detection: Road defects are captured using an onboard inertial measurement unit tracking vibration, acceleration, tilt, and jolts, requiring validation across multiple scooters before logging an alert.
Why This Matters
The findings illustrate how connected two-wheeler sensors can map urban driving behaviour and surface conditions in real time. Ather scooters log road irregularities using inertial measurement units that record jolts and vibrations, filtering individual bumps until multiple vehicles corroborate the defect. This automated mapping has attracted the interest of a couple of state governments, which have approached the company to explore using the data to monitor road maintenance.
However, the company noted that these figures represent telemetry solely from Ather scooters rather than comprehensive citywide traffic surveys. Fleet concentrations are heavier in established markets like Bengaluru, and underlying trip counts or distance-adjusted metrics were not released alongside the broad comparisons.
What to Watch Next
Deliveries for select S-line variants of the newly announced Konarc electric scooter will commence in a phased rollout starting September 21. Furthermore, discussions could progress regarding how municipal authorities or state governments might apply crowdsourced sensor readings to identify seasonal road damage, which Ather noted typically spikes during the monsoon months.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Ather collect road and driving data?
Ather scooters gather telemetry through an onboard inertial measurement unit that measures tilt, acceleration, vibration, and road jolts. The system requires multiple scooters to cross the same uneven stretch before confirming a road impediment.
Are these findings representative of all traffic in Indian cities?
No. Ather clarified that the data is limited strictly to its own connected fleet of 7.65 lakh scooters and is not a comprehensive or officially controlled citywide survey. Ather’s presence is also higher in older markets like Bengaluru.
What is Ather’s Konarc scooter?
The Konarc is an electric scooter launched on Ather’s EL platform with a starting ex-showroom price of Rs 99,999. It features metal body panels, a 14-inch front wheel, onboard charging, a 10,000 km service interval, and variants offering test-cycle ranges up to 200 km.
Source: Times of India report covering Ather Energy’s Community Day announcements.