Little was known about the Bengaluru-based start-up, Ultraviolette, before it started to gain attention after receiving investment from TVS. The company is currently working on its first offering – an e-motorcycle to compete against petrol-powered counterparts in the 200-250cc segment, and it seems on track to get the bike ready for production by the end of the year. Earlier this month, we got an exclusive preview of the prototype and a few laps with it around a karting track. Click here to read our full review on the prototype. While Ultraviolette did not reveal all the details of the bike back then, it has now updated its website with a little more information.
The company is calling the motorcycle 'F77', but this is a temporary codename and the production bike will wear a different name. The F77 is being developed to rival performance motorcycles in the 200cc category – a segment currently dominated by the KTM 200 Duke. A video on the official website showcases aerial footage of a drag race between the F77 and the “fastest 250cc bike”. While the video does not reveal which bike it goes against, it is the F77 that is quicker off the line and achieved a 0-100kph time of 3.0sec – an impressive and believable number given the claimed 25kW and 450Nm (at the rear wheel) output figures.
Powering the F77 is an in-house-built battery pack that features some segment-leading cooling technology and fail-safe protocols. The company had also revealed to us that they are working on setting up a charging infrastructure in regions where the motorcycles will be sold. We now know that this will be called the Ultraviolette Energy Network.
The F77 will also feature a TFT dash with smartphone connectivity that will give you access to information like motorcycle status and previous ride data. The interactive dash will also allow you to toggle between three ride modes – Eco, Sport and Insane – and change levels of regenerative braking or turn it off completely. The Insane mode will allow increased levels of acceleration in short bursts.
Currently, Ultraviolette has plans to launch the production-ready bike by the end of the year. It will first launch the e-bike in Bengaluru, and then plans to expand to three other cities by the end of 2020. We estimate that the F77 will be priced around Rs 2-2.5 lakh on-road – a fair amount considering the performance it offers.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
