Ather Energy: Revolutionizing Mobility in India with BigQuery and Cloud IoT Core

Ather Energy's customers are people from various backgrounds in India, a country with a fast-growing economy and a population of 1.3 billion. Initially, the company expected its customers to be tech-savvy individuals, but it has seen rising demand from a broader demographic. The customers are willing to invest in the Ather scooter, which costs about US$1,800, as they understand the long-term benefits such as structured electricity plans, predictive maintenance, and route optimization. The aggregated data from all scooters on the road also provides key intelligence for Ather Energy to develop future models based on customer habits and requirements.

Ather Energy, a Bengaluru-based startup, aimed to redefine the mobility segment in India by creating the country's first intelligent electric scooter. The founders, Swapnil Jain and Tarun Mehta, envisioned a scooter that could navigate the complex Indian terrain and evolve based on road data, driving habits, and vehicle performance. However, with a small team of engineers and limited resources, they faced the challenge of not only building intelligent applications but also designing a new lithium-ion battery, developing a robust motor, and creating a touchscreen dashboard that could withstand harsh conditions. Additionally, they lacked the time and resources to develop data analytics or maintain IT infrastructure.

Ather Energy turned to Google Cloud to overcome their challenges. They utilized Cloud IoT Core and BigQuery to handle big data processing, allowing them to focus on creating a machine for India’s future. Their premium product, the Ather 450, was equipped with 43 IoT sensors to gather detailed information on every aspect of the driver experience. The virtually unlimited computing power of Google Cloud enabled the deployment of these sensors. The Ather 450 also featured Google Maps Platform-enabled navigation, predictive maintenance, structured electricity use for cost savings, traffic and road condition analysis for optimal route options, and alerts for unoccupied electricity stations in the Ather Grid. Google Cloud software and architecture solutions also allowed Ather Energy to deploy microservices in real time, enabling more frequent monthly platform updates.

• The partnership with Google Cloud has resulted in a unique mobility platform for India and beyond. The Ather 450, equipped with 43 IoT sensors and powered by AI and IoT, has been able to provide a unique driving experience that evolves based on road data, driving habits, and vehicle performance. The use of Google Cloud has also enabled Ather Energy to focus on their core tasks of creating unique mobility solutions, without having to worry about data analytics or IT infrastructure. The company has been able to deliver more frequent monthly platform updates, enhancing the capabilities of their connected vehicle. Furthermore, the data insights gained from BigQuery have resulted in cost savings for both the company and the consumer.

• Empowered a small engineering team to invent a unique IoT mobility system

• Facilitated platform updates every month instead of twice per year

• Enabled deployment of 43 IoT sensors on each vehicle for granular data on driver experience