In a new advertisement, Lithium-ion batteries are baked in an oven while the battery designer for Ather Energy sits on top of it. While the batteries bake beneath him, Shreyas Seethapathy is also savoring a cup of ice cream.
Bengaluru-based, The internal Ather team chose to use this imaginative approach to show how secure the batteries are. The one-minute commercial discusses how the battery operates effectively in all kinds of weather.
The background of the advertisement features some noticeable digital flames. India’s electric vehicle (EV) market is still in its infancy and has some growing pains. Recent reports of malfunctions and fires involving Pure EV bikes, Boom Motors bikes, Jitendra EV bikes, and Hero Electric bikes have been reported.
The Li-ion batteries used to power these vehicles are the cause of the issue. These batteries can occasionally malfunction or overheat, leading to combustion and a vehicle explosion. People have expressed concerns about the bikes‘ safety and may wait to purchase one even though gas currently costs more than Rs 100 per liter.
“We observed that consumers were beginning to grow uneasy about the category itself. We felt it was our responsibility to address these concerns since we are one of the businesses currently developing the class, says Nilay Chandra, director of marketing and charging infrastructure at Ather.
He continues by saying that the business hasn’t made a special effort in the past to discuss these benefits of owning an electric bike.
Because we believed it was the minimum standard that any severe company entering this category with a long-term intent would take care of, “We’ve never done a campaign on reliability or safety.”
EVs have been known to malfunction in other ways besides by catching fire. An Ola EV bike unexpectedly shifted into reverse last month, causing an accident involving an older man.
Ola had requested Rs 499 in July 2021 to reserve the bike, but there were also numerous delivery delays. Ola S1 Pro bikes are advertised to provide a smooth ride regardless of the weather, but the marketing does little to guarantee the bikes’ safety.
Many new players, Chandra continues, don’t fully comprehend battery technology. Therefore, the campaign needed to give the impression that EV problems are not common in this category.
“There was no competition when we first started. Instead of communicating a range under 100 km, we could have expressed a range of 117 km to attract more consumers. To ensure that they entered the category with realistic expectations,
Users of EVs do worry about range. One of the most significant marketing difficulties for the EV market, according to Vivek Srivatsa of Tata Motors, is the problem of “range anxiety.” Users who experience this phenomenon worry about getting stranded in the middle of nowhere without a car charge or access to a charging station.
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