Ather Energy launched the Rizta scooter, at the second edition of the Ather Community Day in Bengaluru. Designed and engineered after a decade of the first product, Rizta now wants to appeal to the family. Is it going to be late to party? Or does it have enough char “Rizz” ma?
This is after the 450X was pitched as a sporty scooter all these years because it was small in every dimension. Rizta, as name that can sound witty in innumerable ways, comes with new connected features such as the SkidControlTM and WhatsApp on the dashboard. Good luck getting not distracted while riding. Rizta seems to be “competitively” priced for the mass market, the Rizta starts at INR. 1,09,999 (Ex-showroom Bengaluru).
The Rizta will have 2 models and three variants – Rizta S and Rizta Z with a 2.9 kWh battery and a top-end model Rizta Z with a 3.7 kWh. The 2.9 kWh variants will deliver a predicted (Also claimed) IDC range of 123 kms and the 3.7 kWh variant will deliver 160 kms. While Ather offers the Rizta S in 3 monotone colours, the Rizta Z will be available in 7 colours which include 3 monotone and 4 dual tone colours.
Ather Rizta FINALLY gets a large floor board. Furthermore, the Rizta Z features a backrest for enhanced comfort by providing lumbar support for the pillion. With 56L storage space, including a 34L underseat capacity, and an optional 22L Frunk accessory, Ather believes Rizta offers a large storage space in the scooter market, making it easy to carry day-to-day essentials. However, the River Indie is also as good as this and Ola S1 comes very close too. The under seat storage can also be fitted with an optional multi-purpose charger with an 18W power output, which can charge electronic devices.
The SkidControl™, is Ather’s proprietary traction control system that controls motor torque to mitigate the loss of traction while accelerating on low friction surfaces such as patches of road with gravel, sand, water, or oil, claims the company. This has been enabled by the in-house developed motor control system, Ather Drive Controller™ (ADC™), claims the company.
Additional safety features, such as FallSafeTM, Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Theft & Tow Detect, and Find My Scooter which were previously seen on Ather’s 450 series of scooters, too are integrated into the Ather Rizta. All three variants come with a top speed of 80 kmph and two riding modes – Zip and SmartEco. Moreover, ride assist features such as MagicTwistTM, AutoHoldTM, and Reverse Mode, which were integrated in the 450 series are also present in the Rizta.
The Rizta has a low center of gravity, balanced weight distribution from front to rear, and equal balance on both sides, allowing precise control regardless of the rider’s level of skills or prevalent riding conditions, claims the company. The Rizta has a 1286mm wheelbase.
Ather also announced its entry into the Smart Helmet category with the Ather HALO product line. Ather HALO is a full face, top of the line, integrated smart helmet. It will feature audio by Harman Kardon. It offers riders a seamless experience with its proprietary auto WearDetect technology, wireless charging, and allows them to control music & calls through the scooter’s handlebar. Something that sounds gimmicky already. HALO also comes with Ather ChitChatTM, which enables helmet to helmet communication between the rider and pillion. It has two colour options.
HALO has also been designed to add a layer of safety for the rider by allowing critical sounds, thus delivering an uninterrupted and safe listening experience, claims the company. You can charge the helmet in the boot too. Halo’s wear detect technology allows the helmet to recognize when it’s worn, enabling a seamless 3 way pairing of the helmet, phone and scooter, claims the company.
In addition to this, Ather introduced HALO Bit, a module that can be attached to Ather’s half face helmets. Ather has developed an ISI and DOT rated custom half face helmet, which will be available to all customers soon and will be compatible with HALO Bit, enabling every Ather helmet to be a smart helmet. The introductory price of HALO is INR 12,999 and HALO Bit is INR 4,999.
Ather also rolled out AtherStack 6.0, the latest upgrade to its software stack. AtherStack powers all the experiences on Ather Scooters It is built on various interconnected layers of software, firmware, system algorithms. The latest update brings a host of new features and experiences to the scooters including a new mobile app, integration with WhatsApp on the Ather dashboard, live location sharing, ping my scooter, auto reply to calls and Alexa integration. Existing Ather owners will also get AtherStack 6.0 as an over the air update with some of these features.
With WhatsApp on the dashboard, the rider can now read their most recent messages on the dashboard when the scooter is at a standstill, essentially eliminating the hassle of checking their phones during their ride. The new ‘Ping my scooter feature’ gives Ather owners the ability to find their scooter amidst a sea of other two-wheelers with the help of loud audio and visual cues, which can be activated with the tap of a button on the new Ather App. Another new feature in AtherStack 6.0 is the integration of Alexa Smart Assistant, which comes with over 50 prompts available in both English and Hindi. Riders can access information like the current charge status, last parked location, trip feasibility, push navigation and more with just a voice command. Live location sharing is another new safety feature that allows a rider to share their location while on the move, to a pre-set contact, claims the company.
The all-new mobile app brings a more personalised and seamless experience to Ather customers. Along with a new interface, the app brings a new feature named WidgetX that provides the user with contextual information on the home screen. The app also provides detailed insights into their ride history, savings due to switching to EV and commemorates various milestones.
All three variants come with Ather’s 5 year optional warranty program, ‘Ather Battery Protect’ that extends battery warranty to 5 years/60,000 kms. This warranty program not only covers battery failures but also guarantees a minimum of 70% state-of-health for the battery at the end of 5 years, claims the company.
For home charging, the Rizta S and Rizta Z with a 2.9kWh battery come with a 350W Ather portable charger and the top end Rizta Z with 3.7 kWh battery comes with a 700W new Ather Duo charger. Rizta owners will also have access to Ather’s comprehensive fast-charging network, with 1800+ fast charging points, claims the company.
Bookings are now open for the Ather Rizta, and deliveries will commence starting June 2024. Expect delays for the same given the track record. The Ather Rizta S with 2.9 kWh will be priced at INR 1,09,999 lakh (ex-showroom Bengaluru). The Ather Rizta Z with 2.9 kWh and Rizta with 3.7 kWh will be available at INR 124,999 and INR 144,999 ex-showroom Bengaluru. The Rizta is finally going against legacy rivals which are already far ahead. Ola leads the pack with the Bajaj Chetak and TVS iCube just behind. The Hero Vida is formidable as well. All of them getting new top and base variants with price cuts has made the Rizta life tough in this big fiesta.
