One look at the electric Kridn (pronounced Kree-Done, which in Sanskrit means ‘to play’) motorcycle and except for a box-like enclosure below the tank, there’s hardly anything unusual or exciting about it, in comparison to a conventional machine. The news of its export therefore does not click at once. Not, because it comes from a company that does not have a long legacy of automobile manufacture to boast of. A search about the company on the internet draws media reports, but the company website does not speak much about itself. It seems to speak more about the product rather than the company or its manufacturing infrastructure. A search concerning the company’s CEO, Gaurav Uppal, throws a Linkedin link. His previous ventures mark him as the co-founder of ‘Lets Score Soccer Stats’ app and then as the CEO of MapMyMeet iOS and Android App. This looks and sounds quite unlike how one would read the profile of Pawan Munjal, Managing Director, Hero MotoCorp, or that of Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto. Perhaps that is where the magic of automotive electrification comes into play. There is no need for a manufacturing legacy of two-wheelers or a position of fame in the two-wheeler industry to be producing an electric two-wheeler. 

Coming under the spotlight sometime last year, Noida-based One Electric, it does not take long to figure out, is a start-up. Like Ola or a Zomato, it is sans any baggage that a legacy manufacturer would carry. Add to this equation the announcement to invade the African market and things start to settle down. As of now, One Electric has started exporting its Kridn electric motorcycle to Kenya. Against a backdrop where an estimated three million electric vehicles were sold the world over in comparison to an estimated 17,000 EVs sold in 2010, the ambition of One Electric to invade four other African markets begins to make sense. Priced at INR 1.25 lakh approximately, the Kridn is touted as the fastest electric motorcycle in India. It is claimed to be capable of a top speed of 95 kmph. Exported to Africa with an eye on the bike-taxi segment there (it is called as ‘Bodaboda’), the Kridn is promising a big change. Stacked against the Chinese, it is, according to Gaurav Uppal, offering the African bike-taxi buyers a sustainable, profitable and eco-friendly alternative to what they are currently using. 

The ‘African’ proposal

Stating that the Kridn is designed for tough road conditions, heavy loading and high temperatures, Uppal averred that it is capable of fitting into the African transport system, which is motorcycle intensive. Of the opinion that the Kridn is capable of answering the needs of African, Indian and South American users, he informed that the robust build of the Kridn is complemented by its comfortable seats, metal body and high power-speed capability. Emphasising that this is conducive enough to replace the stock petrol motorcycles Africans are using, Uppal explained that the Kridn can swap batteries, offer superior power and speed qualities, and can withstand heavy loading despite the rough road conditions that prevail in Africa. Claiming to be the first electric two-wheeler company to invade the African market, One Electric is working towards becoming a serious player in the African markets. It is keen to leverage the Kridn’s battery swapping technology to ensure that the bike-taxi operators are able to honour their timelines. Bike-taxi services are highly time sensitive. The option of battery swapping provides a convenient alternative to operate an internal combustion engine powered bike. 

Drawing attention to the electric motorcycle’s design and manufacturing process, Uppal said, “We have a complete in-house design, prototyping, development and production setup.” “We make our moulds and dies,” he added. The manufacturing process of One Electric is such that once a design is finalised, a 3D print-out is taken to check the fitment and alterations. Two or three iterations are a part. A pattern is made thereafter and plastic moulds are embarked upon. It is similar for metal parts manufacture, except there is no 3D printing resorted to. There are other technologies that One Electric employs. Agile enough to adapt and improvise a motorcycle design, according to Uppal, the company boasts of over 80 percent localisation. It uses high quality components to produce the Kridn and is working to achieve 100 percent localisation. Known to use a Honda frame for reference to built its own, One Electric is confident of achieving the goal.

About Kridn

To ensure a robust build, the chassis of the Kridn is said to be two-to-three kg heavier than those of similar motorcycles. It is built in-house along with parts like the battery, tank and speedometer. With stress on utility rather than a funky look, the Kridn employs seat, suspension, throttle and switches, lights and tyres that are sourced from leading suppliers in India. The seat, for example, is sourced from Meenakshi Polymers, the same company that supplies to Hero MotoCorp. The lights are said to be supplied by Fiem Industries, which also is a supplier to Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield. The suspension is claimed to be sourced from Munjal Showa, which enjoys a supplier status with Hero MotoCorp as well. The quantity of supply by Munjal Showa to Hero MotoCorp per month is said to be no less than half a million bike-pieces per month! The tyres are sourced from Ceat. 

With One Electric known to own an IP right for the design, fuel tank and battery box cover of the Kridn,  the cells of the battery pack for the electric motorcycle are claimed to be imported as of now. The motor controller and the single brake component are also said to be currently imported. The Noida plant of One Electric has the capacity to produce 1,000 units per month. A bigger plant at Pune and Delhi-NCR will soon elevate the count to 10,000 units a month, quipped Uppal. “Expect that to happen in the next three-to-four months,” he added. Aggressively pursuing localisation, One Electric is claimed to have two provisional patents for a new type of motor which is being developed locally. The company is said to hold six-to-seven IPs. Focusing on B2B segment in India, the company, completing multiple last-mile delivery trials, has started receiving LOI's for a pan-India rollout. Insisting on a limited presence in the B2C segment, it is aiming at a first-year deployment of close to 10,000 units.

The road ahead

Stating that the company did not avail of government subsidies due to the lack of suitable drivetrains in India, Uppal mentioned, “The invitation from states for setting up a manufacturing unit has boosted our morale.With the petrol prices rising, electric vehicles have an opportunity to draw people to them. On charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, Uppal averred that the lack of space to comfortably park the vehicle and charge is proving to be a limitation. “This is giving rise to technologies like battery swapping,” he stated. Expecting battery swapping and charging stations to come up, the way ahead, according to Uppal, will be ‘fast charging’ battery swapping stations. Several startups are focusing on that too, he informed. Of the opinion that one battery pack in a vehicle should have enough capacity to last at least two days, Uppal averred that his company is working on a battery tech that could help achieve this goal. It is doing so for its B2C consumers. For the B2B consumers, it is developing a separate infrastructure all together, consisting of ready charging at certain points in the city.

Facing a disruption due to Covid-19 in the form of factory shutdown and supply chain issues, One Electric is working to invade the European and South American markets by 2022. “The South American market,” said Uppal, “is similar to the Indian and African market.” “The European market at the other end is about high cost and quality components, about performance and more,” he added. To focus on the brand of lithium cells for its European strategy, the company, in India, is currently pushing the Kridn through 25 dealerships across six states. (MT)

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Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker Ultraviolette Automotive has accelerated its nationwide presence by opening six Experience Centres across Mumbai and Pune within 48 hours. The locations include Andheri, Vashi and Thane in Mumbai, and Shivajinagar, Baner and Kharadi in Pune. This expansion strengthens the brand's foothold across 30 cities nationally.

The new UV Space Stations, in partnership with Hallmark Mobility (Mumbai) and KHV Mobility (Pune), offer customers the opportunity to explore Ultraviolette's motorcycles: the X-47 Crossover, F77 SuperStreet and F77 MACH 2. The centres provide test rides, sales, service, spares and a range of motorcycle accessories, catering to the end-to-end customer lifecycle.

Narayan Subramaniam, CEO and Co-founder, Ultraviolette Automotive, said, “At Ultraviolette, our mission has always been to engineer products that push boundaries of performance and technology while delivering an after-sales and ownership experience built on trust and dependability. With our expanding network of retail and service hubs across Maharashtra and other key markets, we are unifying sales and service to offer riders a seamless journey from the first moment they walk into a reliable after-sales experience. As we continue to grow, we are also building a connected ecosystem that brings technology, sustainability, and convenience together. Every Ultraviolette Space Station is designed to represent the future of mobility, where innovation becomes accessible, and every rider resonates with the future driven ethos of Ultraviolette.”

Kaushik Kothari, Partner at KHV Mobility, said, “In line with our vision of driving growth through strategic opportunities, we are proud to be associated with Ultraviolette. We firmly believe that EVs represent the future of two-wheeler mobility, and Ultraviolette’s sharp focus on engineering, design, and customer-centricity resonates deeply with our values. Together, we are confident of contributing to a shared journey of innovation and mutual success.”

Earlier this year, the company launched two other offerings: the Tesseract electric scooter, featuring an integrated radar and dashcam and the Shockwave electric motorcycle.

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TVS Motor Company (TVSM) and BMW Motorrad have announced the production of 200,000 units under their partnership. This milestone highlights the success of the collaboration, which began in 2013 and focuses on the sub-500cc two-wheeler segment.

The partners also announced the start of manufacturing for the new BMW F 450 GS, which was recently showcased at EICMA 2025 from the Hosur plant.

KN Radhakrishnan, Director and CEO, TVS Motor Company, said, “In our over a decade-long partnership with BMW Motorrad, our engineering synergy and shared values of innovation and quality have formed the foundation of every achievement. Together, we have designed and brought several path-breaking products that resonate with customers across leading markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. This collaboration’s engineering prowess has set new benchmarks, and our co-developed products are now embraced by riders in over 100 markets globally. Today, as we celebrate the 200,000 unit milestone, we also mark the dawn of a new era with the roll out of BMW F 450 GS that was recently showcased at EICMA 2025. The newly introduced BMW F 450 GS, highlights TVS Motor’s state-of-the-art manufacturing excellence in producing high-end motorcycles.”

Markus Flasch, CEO, BMW Motorrad, said, "This 200,000 unit milestone is a demonstration of the success and strength of our collaboration with TVS Motor Company. What began just over a decade ago as a bold alliance has flourished into an extraordinary success story, with our sub-500cc models setting new standards and delighting riders across the globe. The BMW G 310 R, G 310 GS and G 310 RR enjoy unrivalled popularity worldwide and have become a key pillar of BMW Motorrad’s global growth. The rollout of the new BMW F 450 GS marks the next exciting chapter in our journey together. We look forward to building on this strong foundation to deliver even more innovative, accessible, and truly world-class motorcycles for riders everywhere.”

TVS Motor Company and BMW Motorrad are driving forward investments in new platforms and future-ready technologies. The collaborative R&D efforts are aimed at meeting evolving customer needs across urban and premium mobility.

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Royal Enfield has announced the launch of the Himalayan Mana Black Edition in India at Motoverse 2025. This follows its global unveiling at EICMA 2025. The new version, priced at INR 337,000 (ex-showroom) is inspired by the Mana Pass, a high-altitude route located at 18,478 feet (5,632 meters) above sea level.

The design and ergonomics of the Mana Black Edition are created to maximise off-road riding. The edition features matte details and a Stealth Black finish, suggesting purpose and adventure. It is intended for riders who view every route as a calling.

The Mana Black edition is intended for the spirited rider prepared for adventure and comes with factory-fitted equipment. The machine embodies Royal Enfield's Philosophy, enabling those who aspire to travel farther and conquer.

A distinguishing feature of the Mana Black Edition is its factory-accessorised setup, complete with curated adventure equipment. Components include – black rally hand guards, black rally seat for grip and long-distance comfort, rally mudguard for rough routes and tubeless spoked wheels for durability.

The motorcycle is powered by the Sherpa 450 engine, maintaining the performance and agility of the new Himalayan platform.

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Bengaluru-based electric vehicle and technology company Ultraviolette Automotive has officially launched its F77 Mach 2 Recon and F77 SuperStreet Recon electric performance motorcycles in the United Kingdom. The expansion is in partnership with MotoMondo, the company's exclusive distribution partner in the region.

The launch was announced at the Motorcycle Live Show in London. Ultraviolette showcased its full product portfolio, including the F77s, F77 SuperStreet, X-47, Tesseract, Shockwave and the F99.

Narayan Subramaniam, CEO & Co-founder of Ultraviolette, said, “Earlier this year, we achieved a key milestone with the launch of the F77s across Europe, followed by the showcase of our future product lineup at EICMA. Today, I am pleased to announce that the F77 is officially launched in the United Kingdom, a nation renowned for its deep motorcycling heritage. It is a proud moment for us as we bring advanced performance and innovation to riders across the UK. With progression on the UK-India Free Trade Agreement, we believe it will further enhance the ease of bringing advanced mobility technology to the region and strengthen cross-border collaboration. We have unveiled our future product line-up: the world’s first motorcycle with radar as standard- the X-47 Crossover, along with our scooter platform-the Tesseract, and our light motorcycle platform- the Shockwave. Our product portfolio offers a clear glimpse into the future of mobility, where intelligence, purposeful design, and instinctive safety come together. With the support of our strategic partner MotoMondo, Ultraviolette is committed to setting new benchmarks across the United Kingdom and beyond.”

The F77 series draws inspiration from aeronautics. The motorcycles deliver 30 kW of peak power and 100 Nm of torque, resulting in a top speed of 155 kph. The bike is powered by a 10.3 kWh battery pack, offering a range of up to 323 kms (IDC).

It features the company’s proprietary artificial intelligence system, Violette A.I., switchable Dual-Channel ABS (developed by Bosch), 10 levels of Regenerative Braking, 4 levels of Traction Control and Dynamic Stability Control.

At the show, Ultraviolette unveiled the X-47 Crossover, a motorcycle that blends two segments and is engineered for versatility across terrains. The X-47 is the first in its class to feature integrated radar technology as standard across all variants, which adapts to lean angles up to 20 degrees. This system, powered by UV HyperSense, introduces the Advanced Rider Assistance System (ARAS) to the segment.

Jan Ykema, Managing Director of MotoMondo, commented “We are proud to bring Ultraviolette to the UK, marking a historic first step in bringing their revolutionary electric motorcycles to riders across the United Kingdom. The F77 series embodies cutting-edge technology, aerodynamic precision and performance-driven engineering, perfectly aligning with the dynamic motorcycling culture in the UK. It is a genuine and affordable mobility solution in a world where there will be more and more restrictions for ICE vehicles of which the cost of ownership will continue to rise. We are excited to partner with Ultraviolette and look forward to seeing the enthusiasm of riders as they experience the future of motorcycling first-hand.”

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