A year and a half after introducing the F77 electric bike, Ultraviolette Automotive aims to expand its operations to the Middle-East, Brazil, and parts of Europe. The company is anticipating strong demand of close to 1 lakh bookings for the F77 Mach 2, said senior company officials at the launch event held in Bengaluru. Last month, the company marked its Europe entry by establishing operations in Turkey.
Niraj Rajmohan, co-founder and CTO, Ultraviolette, told our sister publication Autocar Professional, that 2024 will be its "year of entry into the global markets, and consolidating its India presence at the same time."
- Company planning expansion across India too this year
- TVS, Dulquer Salmaan are investors in the startup
- F77 Mach 2 available in two variants – standard, Recon
Ultraviolette Indian, global network expansion plans
Narayan Subramaniam, CEO and co-founder of Ultraviolette told Autocar Professional the company plans to expand its India-based network to close to 20 locations from its first company-owned store in Bengaluru, even as Ultraviolette's initial numbers in FY24 have been low. "We will be focusing on expanding our manufacturing as well ensuring a smooth customer experience," he added.
Ultraviolette Automotive has implemented extended battery warranties, with an (optional) 8 lakh km global warranty that covers the F77 Mach 2’s battery and drivetrain components. "India-made bikes have made a firm footprint on global design and technology, by accelerating innovation for the world," Rajmohan said.
Ultraviolette is backed by TVS Motor Company, Zoho Corporation, and Malayalam film star Dulquer Salmaan, and has also added certain segment-first features to its offerings including dynamic stability control (DSC), ten levels of regenerative braking and traction control, and an updated range of 323km on a full charge, up from 307km in the F77's initial avatar.
The electric motorcycle market in India is still in its infancy, with combined sales of less than 10,000 units by all players. While Ola Electric and Ather Energy have expressed interest in introducing electric motorcycles, the space is buzzing with upcoming launches from Orxa Mantis and Chennai-based Raptee, all looking to carve out a niche in the comparable 250-300cc ICE motorcycle space, which sells close to a million units per year.
Other players looking to consolidate their footing in this space include Ahmedabad-based Matter, Jaipur-based Hop Electric, and Bengaluru-based Oben Orr, which aim to serve both, the entry-level, and premium end of the electric motorcycle market.
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