In a quick interaction with Express Computer at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2024, Swapnil Jain, Co-founder and CTO, Ather Energy, discusses the company’s innovative use of IoT and data to enhance the user experience of its electric scooters. Jain highlights how Ather Energy leverages data from over 350,000 vehicles to improve product design, predict maintenance needs, and provide over-the-air updates to customers. He also discusses addressing range anxiety through robust range prediction algorithms and expanding the Ather Grid charging network across India. Additionally, Jain shares insights into how Ather Energy explores the use of AI to accelerate product development.
How do you leverage IoT to enhance the functionality and user experience of Ather scooters, and what impact has this had on customer satisfaction and engagement?
We have two major advantages when it comes to connected vehicles. First, we are the pioneers in bringing a fully cellular-connected two-wheeler to the Indian market. On the product development side, one of the biggest advantages is the data we gather. Currently, we have around 350,000 vehicles in the field, and the data collected from these vehicles is invaluable. We leverage this data to improve our product design.
One of the key ways we use this data is to understand cohort usage patterns and design products that are highly relevant to them. While you can always design for the worst-case scenario, we choose to design for the statistically significant cohort. The data collected are processed by the Ather Data Platform, which gives us intelligence on customer cohort usage patterns, product performance, post-sales journey and charging insights.
Additionally, the data plays a crucial role in root cause analysis and predictive maintenance. By monitoring abnormalities in the data, we can address issues proactively and resolve them before they affect the customer.
Finally, over-the-air updates are an important aspect of our strategy. This allows us to continuously enhance the customer experience, even for products that were purchased years ago. For example, a customer who bought a product four years ago continues to receive updates, further improving their experience with the vehicle.
How long will each product get these updates?
Honestly, there isn’t a set deadline at the moment. As long as we can support the platform, we continue to provide updates. For example, the first product we sold in 2018 is still receiving updates. I personally have the first batch of vehicles, and I make sure that the updates are applied to those as well.
What advancements have you made in battery design and management to address range anxiety?
A significant part of range anxiety stems from the unknowns. Anxiety often arises when there are uncertainties. For example, one of our biggest priorities was to make sure that our range prediction algorithm is highly robust.
Are you leveraging AI for that?
We are leveraging data, yes. However, I wouldn’t call it AI, as that term has become overused. Instead, we use data to make sure that our range predictions are robust. When the range displayed on your vehicle is accurate, it reduces anxiety. Another important aspect is planning our charging infrastructure. This is crucial in addressing range anxiety, as unplanned travel is always a possibility. To support such unexpected trips, we need to have the right infrastructure in the right place. Currently, we have around 2,500 charging stations across the country, which can support the charging needs of Ather vehicles. This network plays a significant role in alleviating customer anxiety.
What are the key challenges in scaling the Ather Grid charging network across India, especially in smaller cities, and how do you ensure accessibility and reliability for users?
There’s nothing specifically different about smaller cities compared to larger ones. The only distinction might be that there are fewer vehicles in smaller cities, but I don’t think that has a significant impact. What matters more is the uptime of the charging infrastructure. This is a challenge across the entire industry, and we’ve been actively working to improve it. It’s pointless to have charging infrastructure in place if it’s not consistently available. This is a common issue globally, as many players struggle to maintain high uptime for their charging stations. We have made it a priority to ensure that our customers have access to reliable, high-uptime charging infrastructure.
Are you currently leveraging the benefits of AI in any capacity or if not then what can be the use case potential of it?
On the product development side, there isn’t anything that customers would see yet. However, we are leveraging AI to speed up our product development process. Specifically, we are exploring how AI can assist with code generation and data analysis. At this point, the use of AI in our product development is still in the early stages. While we have begun to explore these possibilities, it’s too soon to discuss any concrete results or outcomes.