Ultraviolette Launches Limited Space Edition Of F77 Ebike As A Tribute To Chandrayaan-3

After creating a niche in the Indian electric motorcycle market with its sports bike,  Bengaluru-based electric motorcycle manufacturer Ultraviolette Automotive has launched a special ‘Space Edition’ of its flagship F77 to commemorate Chandrayaan-3 mission and the overall progress in the country’s aviation and spacetech ecosystem.

The launch will see a special lineup of only 10 vehicles, which offer a lot more in terms of materials used and capabilities than Ultraviolette’s standard F77 models. 

For instance, the aluminium used in these vehicles is of a specific aerospace grade, which is used in fighter jets. The paints used in the Space Edition F77 are also of aerospace grade with similar temperature resistance, durability, and several other capabilities.

The special edition bikes come with a 307 km range.

Besides, the Ultraviolette F77 Space Edition also comes with multiple fail-proof systems for the battery, and just like in an aircraft, the system can measure roll, pitch and yaw through a 9-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU).

Riders can also get a radar view of the display and real-time updates pertaining to the inclination of the bike and others, similar to a pilot’s display in an aircraft, Narayan Subramaniam, cofounder and CEO of Ultraviolette Automotive, told Inc42.

“You get all of that from an electronics, mechanics, and design perspective; these three angles come together to celebrate our approach towards aviation and aerospace,” Subramaniam said.

The F77 Space Edition is priced at INR 5.6 Lakh, ex-showroom, as against Ultraviolette’s F77 motorcycle’s standard price range, which starts at INR 3.8 Lakh, ex-showroom. The limited edition comes with Ultraviolette’s boost charger and not its standard charger.

Ultraviolette will open the bookings for the F77 Space Edition on Tuesday (August 22).

Chandrayaan-3, a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), took off on July 14. The spacecraft is expected to soft-land on the lunar surface on Wednesday (August 23) at around 06:04 PM. 

Founded in 2016 by Subramaniam and Niraj Rajmohan, Ultraviolette launched its flagship F77 motorcycle in November last year after several delays in its initial timeline, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

In November last year, Ultraviolette raised an undisclosed amount of investment in its Series D funding. Prior to that, in August last year, Inc42 exclusively reported about Ultraviolette raising about $10 Mn (INR 79 Cr) from Amsterdam-based Exor. 

The startup has raised around $60 Mn in total funding so far and is also backed by the likes of TVS Motor Company, Qualcomm Ventures, Lingotto, and Zoho Corporation. 

With the market for electric motorcycles still very nascent, Ultraviolette’s ebikes have seen around 192 vehicle registrations so far in 2023, as per Vahan data.

On the other hand, Revolt’s total vehicle registrations stand at over 3,500 so far this year. Revolt is one of the biggest players in the Indian electric motorcycle market. However, the company manufactures bikes for the commuter segment, with a price range much lower than that of Ultraviolette’s.

Despite the slow growth, the electric motorcycle market is slowly picking up in the country. Recently, Ola Electric also announced the launch of four bikes – Cruiser, Roadster, Adventure, and DiamondHead – that are expected to hit the market by the end of 2024.