TVS Motor Company invests Rs 30 crore in Ultraviolette Automotive
India’s first performance-oriented electric motorcycle brand, Ultraviolette Automotive announced today that it has received a second round of funding of Rs 30 crore from TVS Motor Company, that now holds a 29.4 per cent stake in the former. The company’s first product, the F77 pushes the boundaries of electric bikes in India to deliver performance that is on par with 300-400cc motorcycles such as the BMW G 310 R. Ultraviolette plans to begin deliveries in the coming year, beginning in Bangalore and expanding across the country in a phased manner.
The Ultraviolette F77 is equipped with a 25kW electric motor which derives power from three 1.5kWh battery modules. It puts out 33bhp and a monstrous 450Nm at the rear wheel. This propels the bike to 60kmph in 2.9 seconds and 100kmph in 7.5 seconds, all the way to its 147kmph top speed. Ultraviolette is claiming a range of 130-150km on a single charge.
As for design, the F77 employs aerospace-inspired design language, along with top-of-the-line Metzeler Sportec M7 RRs to shod the wheels.
When we tested the pre-production variant of this motorcycle in Chennai last year, we were surprised at its capabilities, compared to the slow and city-oriented electric scooters that are currently on sale today.
Commenting on the additional investment, Manu Saxena, Vice President (Future Mobility & Dealer Transformation), TVS Motor Company said, “Ultraviolette Automotive continues to demonstrate excellent engineering and technological capabilities and innovativeness in developing high-performance electric motorcycles. TVS Motor is excited to see the progress and developments made by the UV team and we are confident that these actions will go a long way towards establishing a greener future for India.”
Niraj Rajmohan, Founder and CTO, Ultraviolette Automotive Pvt. Ltd., stated, “The F77 was conceived with a single-minded purpose of creating an identity for electric mobility in India, and TVS Motor Company has been a strategic partner in this journey. Since the unveiling, we have received an overwhelming response from the market for the F77, and we have spent the last few months making critical enhancements both on the design and technology side to make the F77 more efficient, responsive and powerful.The F77 is high-end technology, and a high performance-oriented motorcycle built with principles used in the aviation industry - right from the advanced engineering simulations, multi-level safety systems to the design identity of the motorcycle. The F77 is a smart and connected electric motorcycle that comes with remote diagnostics over-the-air (OTA) upgrades, regenerative braking, multiple ride modes, bike tracking, ride diagnostics and a whole lot of other features.”
TVS Motor Company showing confidence in Ultraviolette is a good sign for the company and the EV space in India. Much like Hero MotoCorp’s investment in Ather Energy, this funding could speed up the process of bringing Ultraviolette’s products to our roads.
