Ultraviolette to launch F77 electric motorcycle with 300km riding range on single charge

In-house research and better cooling technologies have enabled enhanced performance capabilities of the battery pack.

By Amit Mohile

19 Oct 2022

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Ultraviolette claims an industry-leading IDC range of 300km on a single charge on the top-end variant of the F77.

Using larger, integrated battery architecture and switching from an 18,650 to a 21,700 format resulted in significantly higher volume optimisation and range, says Ultraviolette.

Ultraviolette says the F77’s battery has also been put through accelerated ageing and thermal stress testing to ensure the most reliable and robust power delivery mechanism.

In-house research and better cooling technologies have enabled enhanced performance capabilities of the battery pack.

In early October, over 100 suppliers to the F77 got a close look at the production-ready EV as well as the assembly process.

Following commencement of start of production trials at its Bengaluru plant on October 4, Ultraviolette has announced a launch date of November 24, 2022 for the F77.

The EV start-up, in which TVS Motor Co has an equity stake, recently held a ‘test pilot programme’ where 30 riders got a chance to put the F77 through its paces on a test track.

Ultraviolette to launch F77 electric motorcycle with 300km riding range on single charge

TVS-backed and Bengaluru-based Ultraviolette, an electric two-wheeler maker, hosted its first Battery Day event, where it announced an industry-leading IDC range of 300km on a single charge battery pack for its top-end variant of the F77 motorcycle.

The range achievement of the new battery pack is the result of extensive R&D and innovations in thermal management and battery architecture, says the company. Narayan Subramaniam, co-founder and CEO, Ultraviolette said, “When we set out to build India's first high performance electric motorcycle, we knew right from the beginning that battery tech and design would be critical aspects in making the F77 one of the most anticipated and desirable electric vehicles in the country. We are immensely proud of what we have achieved over the past five years. We have been able to bring in the best from aerospace, aviation and consumer electronics to create the most advanced electric motorcycle in India, by every standard. We have always believed that we can create world-leading technology and design here in India.”

The integrated battery architecture switches from an 18,650 to a 21,700 format, which results in significantly higher volume optimisation. As a result, the F77 will now be offered with a 2.5-times higher battery capacity than existing EV 2Ws in India. In fact, Ultraviolette claims it has the highest battery capacity of any EV two-wheeler in the country.

Bookings for the F77 begins on October 23, 2022. Till date, the F77 has received over 70,000 pre-launch booking interests from 190 countries, according to the maker. The official launch of the F77 is slated for November 24, 2022. The firm plans to initially start its retail sales from Bengaluru then expand the retail footprint to other cities as well. The F77 will be offered in three variants namely Airstrike, Shadow and Laser.

In terms of capex, the company plans to raise Rs 100 crore by the end of FY2024. The bike maker plans to sell 15,000 units in the first year of operations to max out its 1,20,000 unit installed capacity by mid-2024, says Subramaniam. Besides domestic markets, export possibilities will also be explored in markets like Europe and North America.

In the interim period, the bike maker which had earlier committed to investing Rs 500 crore over the next five years recently got funds from Ferrari-backed Exor Capital as a lead investor.

The other companies with a pie in their growth story include Zoho Corporation, GoFrugal Technologies, and Speciale Invest, which have also invested in the sports bike start-up. Pre-production trials of the F77 are going on full swing.