The short
- Ultraviolette, based in Bengaluru, has raised a fresh round of capital from Zoho and Italy-based Lingotto (linked to Ferrari’s owner Exor) to scale its electric motorcycles.
- The F77 and new X47 crossover live in superbike territory: high peak power, strong top speeds, substantial battery packs and serious torque.
- The pitch is emotional as much as green: track-inspired design, rider-assistance tech, dashcams, connected dashboards and Touring editions that look like weekend fantasy builds.
- For Bengaluru’s tech crowd, this isn’t just an EV — it’s a side-project with wheels: spec talk, mods, weekend rides, and Discord-level community energy.
- The open question: can India’s charging, roads and wallets support a premium, software-first motorcycle habit at scale?
What exactly did Ultraviolette build?
Start with the numbers. The F77 platform and the new X47 aim for what the company calls “electric performance motorcycles,” not commuter scooters:
- Peak power: in the region of a serious 300–400cc petrol bike.
- Top speed: positioned firmly in high double digits on the speedometer, depending on variant.
- Battery: a large pack by two-wheeler standards, with higher-spec variants crossing into double-digit kWh territory.
- Range: claimed to support both daily use and weekend rides on a single charge for many users, depending on mode and riding style.
- Torque: instant and plentiful, delivered from standstill without needing to hunt gears.
The X47 adds a more upright stance, extra suspension travel and rider aids — an EV crossover motorcycle that can play city bike on weekdays and “let’s go find bad roads” on weekends.
Put simply: this is the kind of spec sheet that used to live in gaming PCs, not bikes.
From garage project to Ferrari-adjacent money
The fresh funding round is emotionally important, not just financially:
- Zoho — a rare, profitable Indian SaaS company — is backing an Indian hardware bet.
- Lingotto is connected to a European investment house linked with Ferrari’s parent holding.
For riders, this doesn’t affect the traffic light. For the category, it’s a signal: performance EV bikes in India are no longer a side project — they’re part of a serious global capital stack.
The stated use of funds: scale F77 and X47 production, expand to new cities and markets, and keep pushing the software and electronics side of the platform.
A superbike that behaves like a gadget
Ultraviolette’s bikes borrow more from smartphones and race telemetry than from classic commuter bikes:
- Multiple ride modes with distinct power and regeneration settings rather than just Eco/Normal/Sport labels.
- Connected dash with on-board connectivity, ride analytics, alerts, over-the-air updates and remote diagnostics.
- Advanced rider aids on higher-end models: collision alerts, blind-spot warnings and lane awareness concepts.
- Dual dashcams on select variants — because if your ride isn’t recorded, did it even happen?
- Accessories as identity — touring kits, storage options, and styling add-ons; your bike is an avatar as much as a machine.
The overall vibe is clear: this is a machine for people who love to tweak settings, watch charts and talk in numbers — which happens to be a pretty good description of Bengaluru’s day job population.
Is this practical… or a very fast toy?
The honest answer is: both.
Where it makes surprising sense
- Daily commute: instant torque and strong regeneration make stop–go traffic less punishing.
- Running costs: electricity vs petrol, lower maintenance (no oil, fewer moving parts) — once you get past the sticker shock, per-km costs can look friendly.
- Range: a genuine mixed-use range that, for many owners, covers a week of commuting plus a weekend breakfast ride without anxiety.
Where reality bites
- Upfront price in the premium bracket makes this an emotional purchase, not a “family decision.”
- Charging convenience still depends heavily on home/office access — overnight charging in a shared parking lot is not yet a solved problem everywhere.
- High-speed infrastructure (roads, enforcement, rider training) hasn’t grown at the same pace as spec sheets.
For now, think of it as: a manageable superbike for people who don’t want an oil leak in their basement and do want torque on tap.
What this says about Indian EV culture
Scooters made EVs visible. Performance bikes make them aspirational.
- Cities like Bengaluru now have a credible EV subculture: group rides, charging etiquette, “range flexing” and nerdy arguments about test cycles vs real-world numbers.
- Local hardware starts to feel cool again — not just imported cars and phones, but Indian-built kit with global money and ambition behind it.
- Two-wheeler OEMs can no longer treat “electric” as a compliance corner; there is now a visible benchmark for performance and design.
It’s still niche. But it’s the kind of niche that tends to define what the mainstream will want five years from now.
Rule — for choosing your first performance EV bike
Spec sheet vs life sheet.
Before fixating on top speed, write down three numbers from your actual life:
- Your daily distance (home↔office↔errands) on a normal weekday.
- Your longest realistic weekend ride in kilometres, not fantasies.
- The farthest socket you can trust (home, office, friend’s place).
If the bike covers (1) for a week, (2) in one charge or one planned stop, and fits (3) without drama, you’re not buying a toy. You’re upgrading your life.
Disclaimer
This bataSutra article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, tax or purchase advice. Specifications, prices and features mentioned for Ultraviolette or any other brand may change over time; readers should verify details with official sources and conduct their own test rides and due diligence before making any purchase decisions.