Ather Energy: Motivating India for Smart Electric Scooters

Description

In June 2019, the Indian government's think tank, Niti Aayog, mandated that all new motorized two-wheelers with an engine capacity of up to 150 cubic centimetres (cc) would need to be electric-powered by 2025. The chief executive officer and co-founder of Ather Energy wholeheartedly supported this mandate, as his firm's objective was to develop India's first smart electric scooter. Despite his confidence in revolutionizing the concept of two-wheeler driving in India, the task ahead was challenging and complex. How could the company encourage consumers to purchase Ather Energy’s products? What personality types should the company cater to? What roles did Indian consumers' requirements and psychology play in motivating them to purchase Ather Energy’s products?

Learning Objective

This case is intended for advanced undergraduate-, graduate-, and executive-level courses in consumer behaviour. It is also suitable for a marketing management course in a module on analyzing consumer markets. After working through the case and assignment questions, students will be able to ·understand Ather Energy's (AE) strengths and weaknesses, thereby determining its opportunities and challenges; ·analyze the factors that influence Indian consumers, to better understand their e-two-wheeler requirements; ·apply Personality Trait Theory to identify which personality types AE should cater to; ·understand how favourable perceptions and positive attitudes toward AE’s products can be created; and ·use the motivation process model to present AE’s offerings as need- and goal-fulfilling objects.

Keywords

electric vehicles India Motivation