Ather Energy seems to be working on expanding the 450 lineup and a new, more affordable version could be in the works. Ather has trademarked the ‘450S’ moniker hinting at a new variant joining the lineup soon, possibly around the festive season. The Ather 450S is likely to be positioned below the current 450X and could carry fewer features in comparison. A smaller battery pack cannot be ruled out either.

The Ather 450S could fill the void left by the recently discontinued Ather 450 Plus in the company’s lineup. The more affordable variant not only promises more volume but will be in a better position to meet the ₹1.5 lakh (ex-factory) pricing threshold set under the FAME II policy to receive the subsidy.

At present, Ather Energy is retailing the 450X in two variants - Standard and Pro pack. The former gets only the essentials priced at ₹1.15 lakh (ex-showroom, Bengaluru) but carries the same hardware and battery size. Meanwhile, the 450X Pro pack gets all the bells and whistles and is priced at ₹1.45 lakh (ex-showroom, Bengaluru) and is a good ₹30,000 more expensive. The new prices are inclusive of the charger bundled in, in line with the FAME II subsidy requirements.

Details about the upcoming Ather 450S remain under wraps for now but the model could be offered with fewer features and possibly a smaller battery along the lines of the Ola S1 range. This will help the model price the electric scooter more attractively as well. While we do not expect any major styling changes on the e-scooter, Ather could restrict the number of colour options available on the 450S to maintain the exclusivity on the Pro pack.

The Ather 450S is likely to arrive around the festive season, which should keep the sales numbers in the green. A more affordable version will also help get higher footfalls at showrooms across the country.