Q: How is the EV industry progressing in India especially in the 2-wheeler segment?

Munjal: People look at the EV industry as one large platform; that’s not really the case. We have to divide it up and look at 2-wheelers as a separate industry having its own requirements. Three and four-wheelers are different from commercial or public transport vehicles. All have dissimilar needs and will work at different levels; they will not progress together.

In India, 76 percent of vehicles on the road are 2-wheelers that consume 60 percent of fuel with 30 percent of the pollution. We believe that in India 2-wheelers would be the first to convert for the simple reason that it is a price market. The price points for 2-wheelers are much more lucrative and closer than they are for 4-wheelers.

Also, we don’t require the level of infrastructure for charging as needed for 4-wheelers. Our batteries are portable and we can provide vehicles in the 60-120 km range depending on customer needs. We need only to have basic charging points across the city as for mobile phones; we don’t need anything more special for 2-wheelers. The 3-wheelers are a different market where possibly swapping of infrastructure would work. Cars would be still more different because they require high-speed charging infrastructure. People require vehicles with very long range, in which case the price goes up and affordability becomes an issue. In India the majority of the market is sub-seven lakh rupees, the price point where cars work. To deliver an EV at this price with the required range is going to be very difficult; it won’t happen soon.

The 2-wheeler industry has both B2C and B2B. We find that there are regulatory challenges now. The policy is a bit of a problem right now as it supports high-end rather than mass vehicles. We are targeting the mass consumer. Unless we convert them we don’t think there is any point in having a niche market; in India we have to go mass.

Q: What kind of policy do you expect? Do you want a separate one for 2-wheelers?

Munjal: Yes, because 2-wheelers are the easiest and fastest to convert; it is also the biggest market for the industry. We can’t have one policy across the platform; it’s not possible. The policy is very different for 2-wheelers versus public transport. So there are issues but the government is trying hard. The intent is there, where they want to convert an equal performance IC engine to electric but it doesn’t always work that way because the moment we look at equal performance, electric would be twice the cost. A price increase of just 5 percent will have huge impact on sales. Also, there is minimal financing right now. In IC it is 65-70 percent financing while here it is 2-3 percent. That has got to change.

Q: Is the issue with the financiers or is it elsewhere? 

Munjal: It’s a chicken and egg situation in the sense that the financiers want a larger market in order to justify the efforts they have to put in, but larger markets are not going to be there without financing. Secondly, they compare it to an IC engine where the procedures are smooth while this is new machinery for which they have to start. Thirdly, there is no real diktat from the government on the financing part. If the public sector banks start it aggressively it would happen; special rates could always be considered.

In India there is a policy in place but it is targeted at the higher range of vehicles. FAME-1 was supporting e-mobility irrespective of the technology. Subsidies were given for both high and low speed. Post that, it got converted to only advanced batteries; In FAME-2 the thought process is very different; 10K per kWh but with a cap of 20 percent on the ex-dealer price. There should be certain speed (40kmph) and range (80km) and 50 percent localisation compared to last year; the figure should increase. With such restrictions customers do not buy. It’s not attractive at all and the market has gone down. Vehicles outside FAME are working better. The government has to relook and make corrections where required.

Q: What has been the USP of established players like Hero Electric and what will it be?

Munjal: We continue on the path we had set ourselves a couple of years ago. We watch the market very closely to see how it’s going to change on the basis of the price points and performance. Many people prefer lower cost to performance. Larger players do not change anything for us. We believe the market is going to expand faster; the projections made earlier may accelerate. Our market share might decline but volumes would grow substantially.

Q: How will the future be? Would new technologies, beyond Lithium, come through?

Munjal: We don’t work on the base technology. That is best left to the experts to handle because we have no expertise in things like figuring out the chemistry of the battery, the solid state, etc. Technology is going to change for sure. I’m already seeing technologies like sodium where there is no lithium content at all. It does not have the rare materials that a Li-ion battery has. Take for example, solid state batteries, which have a different chemistry altogether. Japan is already following hydrogen fuel cells, so is Norway.What is eventually going to work? Nobody knows at this point. But one thing is clear - any new technology will not happen overnight.

Q: In that case what could be the technological change that Hero Electric would introduce?

Munjal: One thing is clear that we are going to stick to zero machine vehicles. We are not going to get into any emission vehicles at all. For the past 3-4 years the battery chemistry for us has changed and is changing; it’s a constant process. Tomorrow if the hydrogen fuel cell is commercially viable for a 2-wheeler we will switch to that or to any other technology that is better.

Q: Has any new technology been tried in 2-wheelers?

Munjal: Not that I am aware of. Any new technology will take 8-12 years before it gets commercialised and even then there could be a stopover. This is not going to fade away completely. We may have switched to lithium but a large part of the market is still working on lead-acid.

Q: What will be the key driver for you to introduce new vehicle models without any technological change?

Munjal: We do a lot of work because we are the ones who are testing the vehicles on the road. Just as in lab testing, many issues do come out during road tests. We ourselves are making the chemistry change, asking suppliers to change their chemistry. We may not be doing the chemical analysis of the batteries here but we do adapt them to Indian conditions.There are many factors unique to India, that’s why the chemistries have to be very different.

Q: When you say power, the issue is on a couple of things like frequency and harmonics, the electrical pollution etc.; all these could affect EVs also. What are your initiatives?

Munjal: We do many things. First is the charger where we have to control the power that comes in. Second is that we never allow the customer to use the battery to 100 percent because then heating would become a problem. Thirdly, we educate both the dealers and the customers on how to use the battery, the correct way of charging batteries and other important points like pollution effects, load factor, etc. If 100 percent of the 2-wheelers in India are converted to electric, the additional load on the grid would be just 6 percent. As we go more solar we will have to take steps to store excess energy; of course that’s a separate issue. EVs help balance out the grid rather than cause a strain on it. So in an urban environment it makes absolute sense to go EV.

Q: What about recycling of batteries?

Munjal: Our volume of batteries on the road compared to IC engines is negligible. Traceability is available on all our batteries; anything given to the replacement market comes back and we replace with the dealers. The lead-acid ones go to the recyclers. Li-ion batteries have still not started coming back for recycling; a new one lasts for 6-7 years. The Li-ion batteries that come back will not get recycled immediately. They will get fine-tuned and go for stationary applications. For recycling, the batteries would not be coming out for at least 15-20 years.

Q: What have been the major milestones in your journey?

Munjal: It’s been an interesting journey; it’s 12 years since we’ve been doing electric; we introduced electric bicycles in 2000; but it was too early. There have been a lot of challenges but it’s been a very fulfilling journey.

Our Punjab plant has the capacity for 75,000 units and is capable of further expansion. Our dealers have stuck on with us and suppliers have been there for many years though volumes did take a huge hit some time ago. They all believe in the same goal we have, which is that electric will happen. We have made many changes. For example, when we switched from lead to lithium completely, it was done in 4 days.

Q: That means you had a compatible battery management system?

Munjal: We already had lithium but the transformation we were able to do very quickly. Now there is a diktat also so we can move in that direction.

Q: An electric vehicle has four modules: motor, battery, BMS and the cabling part. You are outsourcing all. Do you see opportunity to get into any of these?

Munjal: I don’t think so. At the moment a lot of collaborative modelling is happening whereby one does not have to be a manufacturer of everything oneself. That was the older thought process that one has to control the entire supply chain, but now it would be cheaper and more efficient for somebody else to make.

Q: Do you import all the four modules?

Munjal: No, we are also buying locally harness and some components. Motors are coming from outside right now. We are developing the motors here but we don’t have a reliable, strong source as of now. It will happen but it’s still a few months away. Batteries are both imported and locally made.

Q: In this journey have you noticed pain points that are still to be addressed?

Munjal: There is so much of technology we can put in the vehicle but then we have to stop somewhere. No point in going for the ‘overkill.’ It won’t make sense to the customer who will not buy. Technology changes very rapidly; at the end of 2 years it no longer remains a cutting-edge knowhow. Technology, price and performance are very critical to the benefit the customer sees in our product. The market is expanding and we are fighting to keep the prices low. The Indian customer is value conscious; he wants a balance between utility and price for a quality product.

Q: How do the customers of IC engine 2-wheelers embrace EVs?

Munjal: There are several ways. Why are people switching to this? One is ease of use with electric as compared to IC. The mobile service station will come to the customers; they can also charge the vehicle from home. Of course these vehicles are not meant for everybody, as is the case with IC also. There are segmentations in IC engines like 125cc or 350, 500, 700 and 1200cc. EVs are meant for certain segments of people.

Second is the cost of usage. Cost of operation is lower than an IC engine. In an IC if you are going 50km per day, it would take 1 litre of fuel at a cost of Rs 70. In electric for the same distance you would use 1-1.5 units of power which would come to Rs 10-12 but you have to sacrifice speed. The third is that this (at least the low speed EVs) targets the younger generation who are currently using cycles or some other means of transport. So in any way cost, ease of use or environment make it sensible to go for electric.

Q: When you plan to release a new model, what sort of benchmarking do you do?

Munjal: The benchmark is decidedly not about speed. Speed with performance makes the vehicle more expensive to operate than an IC engine. So it’s the overall efficiency we look at. A large number of our customers are scooter buyers, moped and motorcycle buyers. It’s difficult to say how many of them would convert to electric. It may not be 100 percent even in the next couple of years but a large part of them decidedly do not want an IC engine performance. They realise there is tremendous saving with electric every day - no theft of fuel, service cost is much lower and the job is done very well. They are converting.

Q: What is the price range of your vehicles?

Munjal: We are below one lakh rupees.

Q: There are some reports of poor sales of BS-VI 2-wheelers. Do you see that as a driver for people to come into electric?

Munjal: Yes, because IC will become more expensive with BS-VI while EV prices will come down. Lot of infrastructural changes have to be done at the dealership level, service level, etc. that would make it more expensive to run.

Q: 10 years from now, how do you see the company growing?

Munjal: Forget 10 years; we are going to be a very different company 3 years from now. We have various plans in place in terms of numbers. We have a realistic plan we are working on, an optimistic plan and a plan for ‘if nothing works, then what happens.’ In the next 10 years does it make sense if there is 30-35 percent conversion (forget 100 percent)? Can that happen in 10 years for 2-wheelers? That is the baseline plan. We have to convert; we have to change from oil dependency. There are several factors why we have to switch. The market of 30 percent in 10 years with the growth we have would be about 12-15 million units. That is almost what the IC engine is now. This is the baseline scenario which makes absolute sense for us. If we achieve more than that we will have to build up and expand.

Q: How are you gearing up?

Munjal: We initially set up one factory; now we have two of those sheds there in the same complex. We are also looking at a third one, at the same place or elsewhere, taking into account ‘Mitigation of risk.’ We are building up new facilities; have already moved here from Okhla and expanded in terms of manpower. Our B2B team is looking only at B2B and not focusing on the consumer segment at all. Technology wise we are improving substantially. I think the inflexion point has already begun. In the next 2-3 years the disruption that is going to happen will be faster than what we have ever seen. From ‘every which way’ I am extremely excited to be here right now. (MT)

 

Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker Ultraviolette Automotive has introduced the X47 Venom, a substantially upgraded successor to the X47 launched a year ago. Featuring a new 100V electrical architecture, improved performance, greater range, faster charging and enhanced safety, the motorcycle also marks the first production application of a technology platform intended to support the company’s expanding product portfolio.

Introduced on 22 October 2026, the X47 Venom delivers a claimed IDC range of 343 km, peak power of 30 kW (40 hp), wheel torque of 550 Nm and a top speed of 155 kmph. It accelerates from zero to 100 kmph in 5.9 seconds and weighs 180 kg, up to 20 kg less than its predecessor. The motorcycle supports 12 kW DC fast charging, which the company describes as a first for an electric two-wheeler in India.

Priced at an introductory INR 265,000 for the first 5,000 customers, deliveries are scheduled to begin in November 2026. A European launch is planned for 3 November at EICMA in Milan.

For the EV maker, the Venom represents more than a model upgrade. It introduces the VX-100, a 100V architecture designed to underpin its next generation of electric two-wheelers.

“The X47 Venom reflects our approach to engineering the entire motorcycle as one integrated system,” says Niraj Rajmohan, CTO and Co-Founder, Ultraviolette Automotive.

“Each subsystem has been developed in conjunction with the others to improve power density, optimise packaging and reduce weight. With 12 kW DC fast charging and multi-tiered electro-mechanical protection, including a pyro-fuse, we have advanced performance, convenience and safety together,” he said,

VX-100 to drive product expansion

Ultraviolette Automotive intends to deploy the VX-100 architecture across its upcoming portfolio, allowing technology developed for one vehicle to be adapted for others rather than requiring a separate electrical platform for every model.

“Over the next one year, you’ll see four new products coming with the same VX-100,” says Rajmohan.

The Tesseract electric scooter and Shockwave motorcycle are among the products identified for the next phase. The company is also working on the F77, although no timeline for an updated version has been disclosed.

The X47 was selected as the first application partly because it accounts for around 90 percent of Ultraviolette Automotive’s volumes, according to Rajmohan. Its crossover positioning also allows it to target riders across sports, adventure and street-motorcycle segments.

The common architecture is designed to accommodate different battery capacities, vehicle configurations and power levels. This modularity could help spread engineering costs across a wider portfolio and accelerate product development.

Till date, Ultraviolette Automotive has invested more than INR 5 billion in research and development, Rajmohan says. Its development process involves validating individual subsystems before integrating them into a complete vehicle.

“Just because a subsystem is ready doesn’t mean it is good enough to put on a vehicle, because it’s a safety-critical system,” he says.

The company’s test programme involves around 20 riders covering approximately 150–200 km a day, with motorcycles fast-charged between rides. The aim is to assess components under demanding conditions and validate the complete vehicle, including interactions between systems.

Powertrain and safety upgrades

The VX-100 combines a new battery system, a lighter motor and a redesigned motor control unit to improve performance, efficiency and packaging.

The SRB-11 battery is designed to deliver up to 20 percent higher energy density and twice the cooling performance. An optimised thermal path is intended to dissipate heat up to 50 percent faster, while a cast-aluminium enclosure provides structural protection.

Safety provisions include a battery management system monitoring cell voltage, temperature and current, alongside cell-level fuses. A pyro-fuse is designed to isolate the circuit within microseconds when a critical fault is detected. The battery pack carries an IP67 rating for protection against dust and water immersion.

The UV LIGHTFURY motor delivers 30 kW and uses soft magnetic composites to reduce mass and energy losses. Meanwhile, the new motor control unit is, according to the company, twice as compact as its predecessor and offers three times the power density.

The 12 kW DC fast-charging system incorporates safeguards against overcurrent, overvoltage, undervoltage, excessive temperature and short circuits.

Charging access remains critical to longer-distance electric motorcycle use. Ultraviolette Automotive has developed its Supernova DC charging network to address gaps at selected highway locations, while working with external providers, including Bolt.Earth.

Rajmohan says the company combines targeted infrastructure investment with access to third-party networks, rather than relying exclusively on proprietary chargers.

Extending rider assistance technology

The X47 Venom features Ultraviolette Automotive’s UV Hypersense radar system, which uses a 77 GHz rear radar with a claimed range of up to 200 metres. Designed to operate at lean angles of up to 20 degrees, it supports blind-spot monitoring, lane-change assistance, overtake alerts and rear-collision warnings.

Other features include a 7-inch TFT touchscreen, integrated front and rear dashcams, Mappls navigation, cruise control and park assist with a rear-camera feed. Connected functions under the VIOLETTE AI package include movement, fall and towing alerts, remote lockdown and crash alerts.

The company has also introduced B-MAX, a reusable rider-safety vest designed to protect the collar, back, chest, sides and hips. Ultraviolette Automotive claims 86 percent force attenuation and says the vest exceeds CE safety standards, with reuse possible up to five times, subject to its condition and intended use.

Beyond two-wheelers, the company has received enquiries from other industries interested in its technology, including motor controllers for drones. However, its immediate focus remains on electric motorcycles and scooters.

“We’re not thinking about any other companies for the purposes of commercialising the technology right now,” says Rajmohan, adding that complementary applications could be explored when the company has the capacity to support them.

Manufacturing for anticipated demand

Ultraviolette Automotive is expanding production capacity alongside its product pipeline. At its existing facility, it has added another vehicle assembly line and scaled up battery production. Rajmohan estimates the plant’s maximum annual capacity at approximately 50,000–60,000 units.

A new facility in Hosur is planned with the potential to scale to around 500,000 units annually, with the first phase expected to provide capacity for 250,000 units. Both plants will remain operational, offering flexibility to manufacture different vehicle types and battery packs.

The expansion reflects the company’s intention to prepare for future demand rather than wait until existing capacity becomes a constraint.

Rajmohan said monthly volumes had been approaching 1,000 units at the time of the interaction. Ultraviolette Automotive claims it has witnessed tens of thousands of bookings for the Shockwave and nearly 80,000 for the Tesseract. These are company-reported bookings, not delivered volumes and conversion into sales will be important to capacity utilisation.

The executive believes electric motorcycles could follow a growth trajectory similar to electric scooters, whose market penetration has increased as consumer acceptance and product availability have improved. He sees the next 36 months as potentially significant for electric motorcycles, although adoption will depend on affordability, infrastructure and consumer confidence.

Expanding the retail and service network

Ultraviolette Automotive had around 55 active locations and was targeting approximately 100 showrooms by the end of 2026 or during the first quarter of 2027. Rajmohan says the company has received more than 2,000 dealership applications but is screening prospective partners for automotive experience and service capability.

The strategy is to establish aftersales support before expanding sales in new markets. Rajmohan cites a partner in Whitefield, Bengaluru, which he says services around 3,000 vehicles a month and has experience as a Royal Enfield service partner.

Around 90 percent of Ultraviolette Automotive’s volumes come from India, with the remainder from international markets, according to Rajmohan. As the company expands geographically, service quality and repair capability will be important for vehicles combining batteries, electronics, radar and connected systems.

The company also plans to support existing products as it introduces the VX-100. Rajmohan says support for both the existing architecture and the new platform, including in Europe, is planned for more than 10 years.

Turning engineering into sustainable growth

Ultraviolette Automotive’s next phase will depend on converting its technology investments into customer acceptance, reliable deliveries and sustainable volumes. Rajmohan believes electric motorcycles can offer competitive ownership economics against internal-combustion alternatives, but identifies brand trust, longevity and resale value as continuing consumer concerns. The company points to battery warranty coverage of up to eight years as one way to address these issues.

Supply-chain costs present another challenge. Rajmohan acknowledges that increases in semiconductor and memory prices cannot simply be passed on to customers. Ultraviolette Automotive is working with suppliers and partners, including Qualcomm and TDK, while exploring alternative components and sourcing options.

The X47 Venom brings together the company’s priorities: improved performance, faster charging and additional safety technology, supported by an architecture intended to serve future products. Execution will be as important as engineering, particularly as manufacturing capacity and the retail network expand.

As CEO and Co-Founder Narayan Subramaniam said in the launch announcement, the VX-100 is intended to establish “a technology foundation for a new generation of products across segments and markets”.

The platform’s success will ultimately depend on how effectively Ultraviolette Automotive translates that foundation into competitive products, customer confidence and sustained growth.

Piaggio Vehicles-owned motorcycle brand Aprilia has introduced the RS 660 Phillip Island Tribute, a limited-edition motorcycle produced to mark its victory record at the Australian circuit.

The vehicle will be on display at the EICMA exhibition in Milan from 5 to 8 November. The special edition commemorates Aprilia's 10 Grand Prix victories at Phillip Island, including the 2025 MotoGP win by Raúl Fernández on the RS-GP, which marked the manufacturer's 300th World Championship victory. The release coincides with the circuit's departure from the MotoGP calendar after 2027.

The motorcycle features a white, green and red livery incorporating the Phillip Island Circuit logo, track layout and chequered flag graphics on the side panels. The fuel tank displays a badge detailing Aprilia's victory count at the track, while the individual serial number is engraved on the steering head plate. The pillion seat cover is included as standard equipment.

Technically based on the standard RS 660, the motorcycle is powered by a front-mounted 660 cc parallel-twin engine delivering 105 horsepower at 10,400 rpm and 70 Nm of torque at 8,400 rpm, with a 35 kW restricted variant also available.

The engine acts as a load-bearing element within an aluminium frame. Electronics include a six-axis inertial platform managing traction control, wheelie control, engine brake control, cornering ABS, launch control, cruise control, adjustable engine mapping and a bidirectional quickshifter.

Italian superbike maker Ducati has introduced the Formula 73 in India, a limited-series motorcycle restricted to 873 numbered units globally at INR 2 million (ex-showroom).

Interestingly, the entire allocation reserved for the Indian market has sold out.

The Formula 73 pays tribute to the 1973 750 Super Sport Desmo, incorporating a silver and aqua green livery, a vertical gold stripe on the fuel tank, clip-on handlebars with bar-end mirrors, a tapered tail, and billet aluminium components.

It is powered by an air-cooled 803 cc Desmodue L-twin engine with desmodromic distribution, the vehicle delivers 73 horsepower at 8,250 rpm and 65.2 Nm of torque at 7,000 rpm. The powertrain is paired with a Termignoni silencer and a Ride-by-Wire throttle system. The chassis utilises a steel trellis frame finished in aqua green, 17-inch spoked wheels fitted with Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres and an electronic package featuring cornering braking systems, traction control, directional quick-shifting and dual riding modes.

Bipul Chandra, MD, Ducati India, said, "The Formula 73 is a rolling masterpiece that pays homage to one of the most significant motorcycles in our history, the 1973 750 Super Sport Desmo. We are incredibly proud to secure a highly exclusive allocation of these limited-edition motorcycles for our passionate Ducatisti in India. With only 873 units produced globally, the arrival of the Formula 73 offers a rare opportunity for Indian collectors to own a piece of timeless Italian heritage seamlessly blended with modern Ducati performance."

Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, has signed a strategic partnership with ERMAR Sociedad Anónima, operating as Distrito Moto, to manage its sales and service network across Guatemala.

The partnership links Hero MotoCorp's vehicle manufacturing with ERMAR's retail operations in Central America. The network spans over 220 distribution points, incorporating more than 60 Distrito Moto sales locations and over 140 Tecno Fácil outlets across the country.

The operations provide vehicle distribution, replacement parts, service support and customer financing through Solvensa. Hero MotoCorp will provide a five-year or 60,000-kilometre warranty across its product line, which includes plans to introduce models such as the Hunk 250R, Xpulse 210, Hunk 150 Xtec ABS and Xoom 125.

Sanjay Bhan, Executive Vice-President of Global Business, Global Product Planning and Global Market Insights, Hero MotoCorp, said, "Guatemala is a strategic market where over 100,000 customers have placed their trust in Hero. Our partnership with Distrito Moto, backed by the strength of ILP Group and Distelsa, reinforces our long-term commitment to these riders and our growth ambitions in Latin America. With a global legacy of engineering excellence, world-class products and a proven track record of delivering quality, reliability and customer-centric experiences, Hero is well positioned to create greater value for riders in Guatemala. With the planned introduction of the Hunk 250R, Xpulse 210, Hunk 150 Xtec ABS and Xoom 125, we look forward to meeting the evolving aspirations of Guatemalan customers."

Javier Lainez, Commercial Head, Distrito Moto, said, "Our ambition is to make Hero ownership accessible and rewarding for more Guatemalans. Through competitive pricing, financing options from Solvensa and dedicated customer support, we want riders to feel confident at every step - from choosing their motorcycle to keeping it running reliably."