Brands
Ather races past 5,00,000 electric scooters
MUMBAI: Ather Energy has just charged past a major milestone. The Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler maker rolled out its 5,00,000th scooter from its Hosur plant in Tamil Nadu, with the milestone model being none other than the popular family scooter, Rizta.
The Rizta, launched last year, has swiftly become the brand’s star performer, now accounting for over a third of Ather’s total production. Co-founder and CTO Swapnil Jain called the achievement a “major milestone”, adding that it symbolises “years of focused engineering, rigorous testing, and meticulous attention to quality”.
From its first prototype to this electrifying half-million mark, Ather’s journey has been about more than scooters. It’s about building a robust and scalable manufacturing ecosystem.
Ather currently runs two plants in Hosur, one for vehicles and another for batteries, with a combined annual capacity of 4,20,000 scooters. To keep up with rising demand, the company is gearing up for its next big leap: Factory 3.0 in Bidkin, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra. Built on Industry 4.0 principles, the facility will supercharge Ather’s total capacity to 1.42 million scooters annually once fully operational.
Founded in 2013 by Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain, Ather has become a front-runner in India’s electric mobility race. With innovations like the Ather grid, the country’s largest two-wheeler fast-charging network, and a growing product line spanning performance and family scooters, the company seems fully charged for the road ahead.
Brands
Hyundai and TVS Motor partner to develop electric three wheelers
Joint development pact targets last mile mobility with localisation push
MUMBAI: Three wheels, one big ambition and a charge towards the future. Hyundai Motor Company and TVS Motor Company have signed a joint development agreement to co-create electric three-wheelers (E3Ws), aiming to crack India’s complex last-mile mobility puzzle. The collaboration moves beyond concept talk into execution mode, building on the E3W prototype first showcased at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. The goal now is clear, design, develop and commercialise a purpose-built vehicle tailored to Indian roads, riders and realities.
Under the agreement, Hyundai will lead design and co-development, bringing its global R&D muscle and human-centric engineering approach to the table. TVS Motor, meanwhile, will anchor the product on its electric platform, leveraging deep three-wheeler expertise and local market insight. It will also handle manufacturing and sales in India, with an eye on exports down the line.
The timing is strategic. India remains the world’s largest three-wheeler market, where affordability, durability and adaptability often outweigh sheer innovation. The upcoming E3W aims to strike that balance combining advanced technology with practical features such as adaptive ground clearance for monsoon-hit roads, improved thermal management for tropical climates, and flexible interiors suited for passengers, cargo or emergency use.
A key pillar of the partnership is localisation. Major components will be sourced and manufactured within India, a move expected to strengthen the domestic supply chain, create jobs, lower costs and improve after-sales support.
The shift from prototype to production will involve rigorous testing, certification and refinement to meet regulatory standards and consumer expectations. Dedicated cross-functional teams from both companies are already in place to accelerate timelines.
At a broader level, the tie-up reflects a growing trend in mobility, global players partnering with local specialists to navigate emerging markets. For Hyundai and TVS, the bet is that combining scale with street-level insight could unlock a new chapter in sustainable urban transport, one that runs not just on electricity, but on relevance.
