Ather's EV demand explodes 158%; CEO says it could have sold up to 15,000 more scooters a month

Demand for Ather Energy’s electric scooters has surged beyond its ability to supply, with paid pre-orders up 158% year-on-year to 1.5 lakh units in Q1 FY27, according to Ather Energy CEO Tarun Mehta.

“Demand has really gone in a very different orbit altogether, up 158% compared with the same time last year, and the EL (mass-market scooter) launch later this month should further set us up for even stronger demand in the coming quarters,” Mehta told analysts during the company’s first-quarter earnings call.

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This comes despite Ather Energy’s dealers in many states no longer accepting new pre-orders as waiting periods have stretched to two months or more, Mehta said.

Ather’s EV registrations grew 102% from 44,900 units in Q1 FY26 to more than 90,000 units in Q1 FY27.

Mehta estimated that the company could have sold an additional 13,000-15,000 scooters every month had capacity been available. The company’s manufacturing plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, is running at almost 100% capacity utilisation.

Ather Energy’s upcoming manufacturing plant at AURIC in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, is expected to raise annual capacity from 4.2 lakh units to 9.2 lakh units by Q1 FY28.

Ather Energy will launch its first mass-market electric scooter, based on the EL platform, at Ather Community Day on August 29.

Mehta said concerns over fuel availability are also shaping consumer sentiment towards EVs. “People are moving towards electric because … people generally fear how accessible and available fossil fuels would be,” he said.

The TCO (total cost of ownership) advantage of electric vehicles is becoming increasingly compelling, according to Mehta.

“That coupled with the E20 concerns overall, I think creates an environment where customers don’t mind paying a little bit more for an EV because they are starting to appreciate the TCO quite a lot more,” he added.

The first quarter of FY27 marked a significant milestone for the company as it reported its first-ever quarter of positive EBITDA, with EBITDA margin improving to 0.8%, an expansion of nearly 1,650 bps year-on-year. Consolidated EBITDA turned positive at ₹9 crore in Q1 FY27, compared with an EBITDA loss of ₹106 crore in Q1 FY26.

Consolidated net loss for the quarter narrowed to ₹51 crore from ₹178 crore a year ago.

For the quarter ended June 2026, Ather Energy reported consolidated total income of ₹1,260 crore, up 87.2% year-on-year, driven by strong volume growth, calibrated pricing actions and a growing contribution from non-vehicle revenue.