National: Ather Energy, one of India’s electric vehicle manufacturers, has announced plans to expand to its second international market, Sri Lanka. Ather Energy will open its first experience centre in the Sri Lankan market in the upcoming quarter through collaboration with Evolution Auto Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture between Sensei Capital Partners, Atman Group, and Sino Lanka Private Limited. In November 2023, Ather established its presence in Nepal, which marked the company’s entry into the international market.As their national distributor, Evolution Auto Pvt Ltd will manage Ather Energy’s sale and service operations in Sri Lanka. In addition, Ather will also focus on establishing a network of fast-charging infrastructure across the country, to ease the process of electric vehicle adoption and make it a hassle free experience.Speaking on this development, Ravneet Singh Phokela, Chief Business Officer, Ather Energy, said “We are thrilled to enter the Sri Lankan market. Sri Lanka has been a part of our global expansion plans after Nepal, where we established our presence last year. With the increasing cost of ownership of petrol vehicles and the economic and environmental benefits of electric vehicles, the Sri Lankan market has shown an increasing preference for EVs. Ather’s electric scooters are known for their performance,design and reliability, through which we aim to appeal to new-age Sri Lankan customers, who appreciate quality modern products. Our partnership with Evolution Auto Pvt. Ltd. will enable us to deliver the customer experience that Ather is known for, to our customers in Sri Lanka, while also focusing on setting up well networked charging infrastructure for EV users.” Commenting on the partnership with Ather, Zahran Ziyawudeen, CEO, Evolution Auto, said “Our mission at Evolution Auto is to pioneer sustainable transportation in Sri Lanka, making eco-friendlyelectric mobility accessible and efficient for all. We are incredibly excited to collaborate with an industry giant like Ather Energy to launch a world-class range of scooters in Sri Lanka.” Ather opened its first Experience Centre (EC) in Nepal last year, and ever since, has set up 3 Experience Centres and 07 fast-charging grids across the country. In India, Ather has a retail sales network with 208 Experience Centres and 1973 fast-chargers Ather Grid (as of March 31st 2024).