Ultraviolette vrooms into Europe with electric bikes

Time of India

10 hours ago

New Delhi:
Less than three years after launching its electric motorcycle in India,
Ultraviolette Automotive
has now made its foray into the European market, beginning with Germany and France. The company has commenced shipments of its F77 MACH 2 and F77 SuperStreet models, with an initial batch of around 100 units headed to these two countries.
Founded in 2016, the EV maker spent nearly six years developing its flagship high-performance electric motorcycle, the F77, which officially launched in the Indian market in November 2022. Over time,
Ultraviolette
has vertically integrated all core subsystems, including the in-house development of battery packs and battery management systems. Its bikes are manufactured at a facility in the Jigani Industrial Area, Bengaluru.
'From the beginning, we have always envisioned our products for the global market as well. Our international journey really took shape when we began participating in the Milan Motorcycle Show (EICMA) in 2023. That's where we started attracting serious interest from international distributors,'
Niraj Rajmohan
, CTO and Co-founder of Ultraviolette Automotive, told ETAuto.
In 2023, Ultraviolette also applied for European certification for its electric motorcycles and secured approvals in September 2024. The certifications include UN 38.3 for lithium-ion battery safety, UNECE L3e-A1 homologation for two-wheelers, and ISO 9001:2015 for quality management and manufacturing processes, thereby meeting some of the most stringent regulatory standards required to sell and operate vehicles in the European market.
From a three to five-year perspective, the Bengaluru-based EV maker expects India to remain its largest revenue contributor, accounting for 50 per cent or more. 'While international volumes may be smaller initially, we anticipate that higher price points in overseas markets could drive 30–40 per cent of our overall business during the same period,'
Rajmohan
said.
The company is retailing completely built units (CBUs) in Europe through three primary distribution partners--Dream Center in Germany, Pink Mobility in France, and Moto Mondo, which manages operations in both the UK and the Netherlands. Ultraviolette will also supply spare parts and offer ongoing support to its partners' technical teams, who visited Bengaluru in March for comprehensive service training.
'Each distributor works with several dealer partners in their respective markets. The European market typically follows a two-tiered structure, where country-level distributors handle core functions such as marketing, training, and technical support, while local dealers, often multi-brand outlets, manage regional sales and customer service,' Rajmohan said.
These distributors will serve as Ultraviolette's official representatives in each country, receiving vehicles directly from the company and overseeing imports, logistics, and coordination with local dealers. The dealers, typically smaller, multi-brand outlets, handle regional sales and customer engagement, while relying on the distributors for advanced technical support and spare parts management when needed.
'Motorcycling in Northern Europe is largely seasonal, concentrated in the summer months, while in Southern Europe, it continues year-round. The margins in these markets are also comparatively higher,' he added.
Plan ahead
By next month, Ultraviolette aims to export 500 units to key European markets, including Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, France, and Germany. Following this initial phase, it plans to expand its footprint into additional countries such as Portugal, Belgium, and other parts of Europe. The company will compete with global benchmarks like BMW and KTM.
'One of the key reasons we've been able to enter global markets is our focus on getting four fundamentals right– pricing, performance, design, and technology. You simply can't compromise on any of them,' Rajmohan said.
When asked about the possibility of joint ventures or establishing local manufacturing units overseas, Ultraviolette confirmed that it has already engaged in early-stage discussions on the matter. 'We're open to a wide range of partnerships, whether it's expanding our distribution and dealer network or collaborating on charging infrastructure.'
In the long term, the nine-year old company anticipates establishing global hubs for 'assembly or even manufacturing, depending on region-specific factors like import duties, government incentives, and local market dynamics.'
Ultraviolette's electric motorcycles support two types of charging interfaces. The first is a Type 6 connector, integrated into the vehicle and compliant with both the European EN 62196 standard and the Indian IS 17017. Additionally, the company offers equipment that enables charging via the widely used Type 2 car charging infrastructure. Both formats are based on European standards, ensuring broad compatibility and flexibility across markets.
India strategy
Ultraviolette has sold nearly 2,000 units in India so far. While operations were limited to Bengaluru last year, it has since expanded to 15 cities nationwide as part of its domestic growth strategy.
Since inception, Ultraviolette has raised approximately $70 million from key investors, including TVS Motor Company, Zoho Corporation, Qualcomm Ventures, Speciale Invest, and Lingotto, which is a subsidiary of EXOR NV, known for its majority stakes in several iconic global brands.
While 2025 will serve as Ultraviolette's pilot year for international markets, the company is simultaneously ramping up manufacturing and scale in India. To support this growth, it is aiming to raise approximately $100 million by the next quarter, with plans afoot for an IPO by 2027.
In March, Ultraviolette also launched the Shockwave electric bike along with its first-ever electric scooter, the Tesseract.
Its current manufacturing facility has an annual capacity of up to 30,000 units. 'On the domestic front, our goal is to be present in 100 cities across India by the end of this year,' Rajmohan said.