Ather Dot -the home charger consumes around 3 kWh of electricity to fully charge an Ather 450X. Depending on the cost of electricity per unit, one full charge may cost anywhere between ₹12 - ₹20 (ballpark domestic electricity tariff).
Ather Dot - the home charger has been designed to let your vehicle charge overnight when it’s lying idle in your parking lot for almost 6-8 leisurely hours. This is because fast charging frequently can have an adverse effect on the battery. The purpose of a fast charger at public locations is to let you stop by, and quickly top-up your vehicle, on your way; if at all the need arises.
Yes, we agree that the portable charger gives you the flexibility of charging anywhere. But that might not be the only thing that should guide your choice of a charging solution.
Both the home charger and the portable charger have been designed keeping in mind different needs and use cases. The former suits a user who has a designated parking space, and for intra-city travel needs upto say 50 km on a given day. The portable charger is suitable for a user who may not have an allotted parking spot, and for longer distances especially along stretches where it may be difficult to spot Ather Grid (network of fast charging points). Having said that, the home charger is designed for overnight charging, and offers a better experience. It has the following safety features:
- It is water resistant that lets you charge even during rain showers
- Authenticated power transfer to prevent power thefts from your meter.
Also no lugging around the charger, because overnight charging should be enough. And the fact that there is an Ather Grid within a reasonable distance from wherever you are should eliminate the need to go hunting for a socket/plug-point with a portable charger in your boot. Saves time, saves effort.
Things to keep in mind while using the portable charger: Most of the sockets around do not meet the safety standards; hence the portable charger might reject quite a few of them, as the safety of the battery is of utmost importance.
- Should not be used to charge vehicle when the surrounding surfaces are wet.
- The open socket at your parking spot could lead to power theft.
Ather Dot - the home charger can be installed by any professional electrician. A step-by-step installation guide that comes along with the charger, gives detailed instructions to make it easy for any trained electrician to install. If you would like us to install it for you, the standard installation would cost ₹1800 excl. of GST. Additional charges may apply for non-standard installation scenarios.
Standard installation: When your parking spot location is such that the length of wiring from your electricity meter to the parking is around 5m, it’s a standard scenario for installation. The cost of cable, conduit and labour comes up to ₹1800 excl. of GST.
Non-standard installation: In case the distance between your parking spot and the electricity meter is higher, and it demands wiring exceeding 5 m, it’s a non-standard scenario for installation. In this case, we charge on actuals for extra wire, routing and the labor.
The portable charger would be compatible with a 15A socket, and through means of an adapter, with a 5A socket as well. Ather Dot comes with a connector that can be plugged into a 5A socket or directly to the circuit breaker.
This is a valid concern, but not really as big a phenomenon as might be perceived. Among the installations that we have carried out, very few have had permission issues from the landlord or the society. We’ve had instances where, after some initial hesitation, permission has been granted. In cases where theconcerned parties have some apprehension, you could make a case for installation to your landlord or society by encouraging them to go through this document addressing common concerns.
Also just for your understanding the regular installation involves minimal drilling. It just requires four small 1-inch diameter holes for mounting the point and standard drilling holes for wire routing, which is a regular practise and damaging in no way.
We can assure that there is no need to worry since the installation / uninstallation procedure is simple enough for any electrician to perform.
We are working out the pricing of the portable charger and will update you closer to your purchase.
You can charge at Ather Grid for free until 31st March 2021. We are working out the fee per charging session and will communicate it closer to this date.