IIM-incubated Matter to launch its first bike in January 2023 at Delhi AutoExpo

IIM Ahmedabad-incubated start-up Matter has unveiled the country's first geared electric motorcycle code named Matter 07 which aims to create a premium motorcycle alternative in the country’s nascent zero emission space. 

Matter has committed an investment of Rs 1,500 crore to the Government of Gujarat over the next five years. It has already spent close to Rs 100 crore on the product portfolio which will span multiple price points.

Founder and Group CEO, Mohal Lalbhai, told Autocar Professional that the Group plans to come out with a range of electric motorcycles ranging from entry-level bikes to high-end performance bikes in the coming three to five years.  Matter will compete against Torq KratosR & Oben Rorr at the entry-level and Ultraviolette F77 in the high-performance range. 

“Our upcoming models will target the mid- and performance-premium electric motorcycle segment customer who wants the benefits of the EV, a performance greater than the ICE and also wants to showcase their care for the climate,” Lalbhai said.

The concept 07 is expected to be priced between 1.6 lakhs and two lakhs and has a driving range of 120-150 km on a full charge. It will undergo a formal name and price discovery in January 2023 at the Auto Expo in Delhi. 

Lalbhai said the company is in the advanced stages of development of the higher range and performance electric motorcycles as ‘they will gauge the customer excitement around the brand in the first phase of the launch.’

Arun Pratap Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Matter said the company will be using the omnichannel of taking direct bookings from January onwards and is in the process of inking dealership agreements with 15-20 dealers pan India in the first phase. At the unveiling the company had invited existing two-wheeler and passenger car dealers across India to offer them the retail franchisee.

Matter 07 features and production
The Matter 07 produces 10.5kw of power from a 5kw battery pack and generates a whopping 520 nm of torque with a driving range of 125 to 150 km. Its battery pack, which is larger than both the Tork Kratos R and the Oben Rorr, is half of what Ultraviolettes F77 has to offer in terms of range.

Bookings for Matter 07 will open in January 2023 and deliveries are expected to commence in the June to December period. After this the company plans to ramp up its dealership network to add 200 dealers to its network portfolio.

The EV maker has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Pune for collaborating in the areas of Functional Safety, Electronics Reliability, and Cyber Security for next-generation Mobility solutions.

A senior company official speaking to Autocar Professional on the side-lines of the unveiling confirmed that Matter 07 will be the country's first electric two-wheeler to introduce ADAS features like blind spot detection and accident notification alert currently only in high-end performance bikes like BMW, Ducati or KTM bikes.

The company is in talks with Tier One suppliers like Bosch, Continental and some other domestic and Indian start-ups working in the field of ADAS-related software as part of their product development.

“The Matter EV will have an alert feature for riders. From a safety standpoint, in the event of a collision, the battery will get separated from the vehicle. It has been fitted with special fuses and sensors that can detect collision and shut down the battery and the electric motor,” the company official added.

A new study directed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that over 8,000 two-wheeler crashes could be prevented annually by equipping passenger vehicles with front crash prevention. These systems find that two-wheelers can avoid crashes by alerting the driver or intervening if a possible collision is detected.

The Matter EV will have four-foot gears, a first in EVs. These will be mated to three drive modes — eco, city and power modes offering a unique synchronised ratio of gears and driving modes.

The brand has secured patents for its liquid-cooled motor and dual-motor converter technologies. It has developed its battery pack, battery management system, drivetrain unit, power conversion modules and other protection systems in-house.

The two-wheeler has an onboard charger in its five-litre glovebox. Plus, its Internet of Things features offer the user access to a whole host of information such as theft detection, charging percentage and ride stats. As is commonplace with EVs, the Matter Energy electric bike will have park assist (reverse functionality).