Bangalore-based electric two-wheeler OEM Ultraviolette will start delivering its first electric motorcycle, F77, in a few weeks from now. Positioned in the performance motorcycle segment, Ultraviolette F77 might come powered by a battery pack helping it return a range of up to 200 Km.
The TVS Motor Company-backed start-up claims to have clocked 70,000 pre-orders for its first electric motorcycle from 190 countries. A majority, 85% of these pre-orders have been from India, Narayan Subramaniam, CEO & Co-founder, Ultraviolette Automotive, told Mobility Outlook.
“We are looking to deliver 10,000 to 12,000 F77s in the next year. Our capability to manufacture is much more than that but we will take a steady approach as we want to explore advancements on the manufacturing front,” he said.
Ultraviolette F77 Priced Above INR 350,000
While the start-up OEM has not revealed the prices of F77 yet, Subramaniam shared that the final price currently looks to cross INR 350,000. This price will make the Ultraviolette F77 an electric motorcycle, one of the most premium ones made and sold in the country.
“Our entry point into the market will be somewhat like Tesla’s entry into the market with Model S and not the Tesla Roadster. The latter was a high-budget, limited numbers niche offering from Tesla,” said Subramaniam.
Ultraviolette F77 claims to have been tested in all kinds of terrain, including asphalt, mud, and rocky roads. The OEM's decision to give this electric motorcycle a mixed stance between a fully-faired sports motorcycle and a streetfighter aims to have been done to attract both weekends as well as daily commuters.
The start-up has plans to develop and launch more electric two-wheelers based on the same platform F77 is made on. “Our first offering is an intentional crossover between a sports motorcycle and a streetfighter,” Subramaniam said.
Ultraviolette F77 electric motorcycle’s production-ready version was unveiled at the recent test rides the start-up organised for India’s aviation community in Bengaluru. Instead of battery packs made using18650 standard cells, the electric motorcycle now uses 2170 standard cells. This transition has helped increase the range of the F77 pointed out by Subramaniam.
“We have tested the F77, and it has returned a range of over 200 Km with the new battery cells. We will put a final figure about the range as and when we start delivering the F77 motorcycle in a few weeks from now,' he explained.
Focus On Technology
Barring semiconductors and battery cells, Ultraviolette F77 features everything either designed by the start-up or sourced from India. The start-up's Bill of Materials (BoM) includes 95% indigenous components, whether software or hardware.
“Our focus is on the technology aspect of the electric two-wheelers in India. We want to embed the highest standards of technology for ensuring the safety of the rider and the bike,” Subramaniam pointed out.
As a result, the start-up has embedded five layers of safety in the Ultraviolette F77, which include battery safety, hardware safety, and software safety. In addition, digital twins, prototyping, and simulation are some technologies the start-up has deployed to ensure that the product delivered to the end-consumer is of the highest standards.
“We have used a lot of technology, as they do in the aviation vertical, to ensure an excellent electric motorcycle. Using simulation and analysis has helped us in building F77 from the concept stage itself,” said Subramaniam.
TVS, Ultraviolette Collaboration
Ultraviolette, till now, has raised $25 million in funding. TVS Motor, in 2017, had acquired a 14.78% stake, and according to a stock exchange filing, the investment made at that time was around $700K (INR5 crore). Subramaniam said that the collaboration between them and TVS Motor is more on the strategic side.
“Our association with TVS goes back five years. They have been supporting us all this while, and it is exciting to see TVS building a road map to launch products on the global level,' highlighted Subramaniam.
TVS Motor had also led the Series C funding round of Ultraviolette in 2021. The company was joined by Zoho Corporation as well. However, TVS Motor and Ultraviolette have not so far collaborated on developing any two-wheeler together.
When probed about whether Ultraviolette will position its two-wheelers in India using the TVS Motors' existing dealership channel, he replied, “The control of showing an Ultraviolette F77 to an end consumer will remain with us.” However, he did not answer whether the start-up will leverage TVS Motors' existing dealership or not.
Next Steps For Ultraviolette
Ultraviolettes' next step is calculating the start-up foray into North America and Europe, as the second majority of the pre-orders for the F77 were received from these regions. The company has the capability to manufacture over 100,000 electric two-wheelers per annum. The company wants to explore innovation on the manufacturing side and hence will only start manufacturing over 12,000 electric two-wheelers next year onwards.
The start-up is also looking to open a few experience centres in the country to help end-consumers touch and feel the Ultraviolette. Subramaniam concluded that there are no plans for the start-up to enter the electric car market, and it will remain focused on the electric two-wheelers.