Ather Energy, a leading electric motorcycle brand in India, has ramped up its collaboration with Siemens Xcelerator, a suite of industry software, to accelerate the development of electric mobility solutions. By leveraging Siemens’ software, Ather aims to shorten design cycles, enhance product quality, and expedite time-to-market.
Ather’s Journey Towards Innovation
Founded in 2013 by alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Tarun Mehta, and Swapnil Jain, Ather Energy has been at the forefront of electric scooter innovation. With the launch of its intelligent electric scooters like Ather 450 and 450X, the company has made significant strides in the electric vehicle (EV) market.
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Expanding Product Lifecycle Management
Ather Energy’s adoption of Siemens’ Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions now encompasses product engineering, virtual simulation, and physical testing across all existing and forthcoming vehicle platforms. This strategic move underscores Ather’s commitment to refining its design and engineering processes for sustainable electric mobility solutions.
Building a Robust Charging Infrastructure
In addition to its focus on product development, Ather Energy has invested in building a comprehensive public charging network called Ather Grid. With over 1600 charging points nationwide, Ather Grid stands as one of India’s largest fast-charging networks for electric scooters. The company plans to expand its network further by adding 250 outlets by March 2024.
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Industry Voices
Swapnil Jain, Co-founder & CTO at Ather Energy, emphasizes the importance of speed to market in the evolving EV industry. He acknowledges Siemens’ role in enabling parallel processing of engineering deliverables, thereby reducing lead time for introducing new products and features.
Robert Jones, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Customer Success at Siemens Digital Industries Software, expresses pride in collaborating with Ather Energy to bolster its capabilities in the Indian market. He highlights Ather’s selection of Siemens Xcelerator as a testament to its effectiveness in product development for sustainable transportation.
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Leveraging Siemens’ Technology
Ather Energy initially adopted Siemens’ Teamcenter® software for PLM in 2018, focusing on faster time to market and minimizing design iterations. Over time, the company has integrated Simcenter™ STAR-CCM+ software for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Simcenter™ physical testing solutions into its testing regime. Recently, Ather Energy’s vehicle engineering team transitioned to Siemens’ NX™ software for new product development and engineering across all vehicle platforms.
Future Prospects
Swapnil Jain looks forward to expanding the use of Siemens tools to control manufacturing processes, particularly in managing the ‘Bill of Processes’. By harnessing Siemens’ technology, Ather Energy aims to optimize design, testing, and manufacturing processes, driving innovation and efficiency in the electric mobility sector.
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