TVS Automobile-backed Ultraviolette Automotive, an electric motorcycle manufacturing start-up, has announced that it is setting up its first manufacturing and assembly facility near Electronic City in Bangalore.

• 15,000 units to be built in the first year

• Pre-orders expected to begin this year

• Launch scheduled for March 2022

Production of its electric motorcycle – the F77 – is said to begin in 2022 and the first batch of motorcycles are scheduled to enter the market in March, 2022. It may be recollected that the company had first showcased the pre-production version of the F77 in November 2019.

Ultraviolette says its manufacturing facility spread over 70,000 square feet will manufacture 15,000 electric motorcycles in the first year, and then rapidly scale up to an annual capacity of 1,20,000 units. This will generate employment for over 500 employees, who will be trained on electric vehicle manufacturing and assembly over the next five years.

Narayan Subramaniam, founder and CEO, Ultraviolette, said, “This is an important milestone for us in our journey towards building a superior EV experience for India and international markets. We chose this location given its strategic proximity to our R&D facility in Bangalore as well as a strong supply-chain ecosystem in and around the region.”

He further adds, “We have received an overwhelming response for the F77 and this facility will help us cater to that demand over the next few years. Most importantly, the F77 has been designed and built indigenously and over 90 percent of the vehicle including the battery packs, will be manufactured using locally-sourced components.”

Niraj Rajmohan, founder and CTO, Ultraviolette Automotive said, “Our new production unit is a state-of-the-art facility that will be equipped with smart technologies and industry 4.0 solutions. All processes within the unit will be driven by data in order to ensure seamless integration across the entire manufacturing lifecycle, thereby increasing efficiencies and production output. Additionally, we will deploy sustainable manufacturing practices such as using renewable sources of energy, recycling e-waste and ensuring zero affluents that will help in significantly reducing the impact on the environment.”

The company claims that it will begin pre-orders for the electric motorcycle later this year.