Emflux Motors caught everyone’s attention at the 2018 Auto Expo. The EV start-up based out Bangalore made a big announcement that they were making India’s first electric superbike and it will be in the market in 2019. The Emflux One, the concept showcased, promised a lot in terms of design as well as specs. After all, 200kmph, 200km range and 0-100kmph in 3s were specs unheard of in the Indian EV space. Not only this, the 71hp/84Nm from a liquid-cooled induction motor along with a 169kg kerb weight was enough to get all of us salivating. The price tag though stayed a bit steep and at Rs 6 lakh for an EV in 2018, well…you know what I mean. Fast forward to the present and we got in touch with Emflux Motors to see what has changed and if the new EV favourable rules will work for them or not.
First things first. The most important question is when is the Emflux One going to be launched. The company says that they are progressing well in terms of all the technologies developed in-house, unfortunately, lack of investment is making things a bit slow for us. The launch of the motorcycle should be by the end of 2020 and will be in phases, however the Emflux One will be available for limited numbers to create a brand image in the market. There is another mid-performance motorcycle, the Emflux Model Two, that is being designed for higher volume manufacturing and sales. The latter may take a bit longer and can be expected by 2021.
We know that its been almost more than a year since the concept was showcased. During this time, there could be some changes to the product as a whole. Emflux Motors says that they have optimised Emflux One for better performance. The aesthetic design has been improved in terms of surface flow and maturity. The bike is now claimed to be more ergonomic and easy to handle. The electronics circuit performance is being tested rigorously. Also, Emflux have got their in-house developed Dynamometer, Motor Testing Rig, Battery Cell & Pack Testing Setups, Automated Spot Welder, etc. Constructive feedback for the testing & manufacturing setups from other automotive companies in the electric vehicle field who purchased them from Emflux have been received. Speaking of which, Emflux has started selling their in-house developed products to small time EV makers. The brand aims to approach the biggies once their set-up is complete.
Things which stay in place for the motorcycle from the concept stage include the 9.7kWh battery pack as well as the fast charger capacity to charge the bike to 80 per cent of its potential in 36 minutes. With the standard 16amp home charger, it takes three hours and 30 minutes. Emflux claims to believe in originality and purity, which reflects in their products. The jet engine-like sound of Emflux One motor and transmission is already appreciated by people who took test rides of the vehicle. So there will be no artificial exhaust note modes like the Revolt RV400. Sound engineering by adding a speaker is easy, says Emflux. Their main focus is on improving the jet engine-like sound produced from the engine by changing the switching parameters of the motor controller/inverter. Emflux is also working towards the technologies which will be far better than the current IC engines in the industry. This in turn will enhance the user experience.
You’ve seen the motorcycle in the flesh at the Expo. It looks smashing. Emflux says that the design inspiration was to make the bike feel pure and dynamic at the same time. It also had to look aggressive on the road. There are capsule shapes on the motorcycle which, the company says, has become a brand identity.
In the same vein that the design was done in-house, majority of the components too were developed. The charger, motor, motor controller, BMS, EVSE, master controller, battery pack and some of the minor circuits which also goes inside the bike were made at the Bangalore facility. Other components for the Emflux One which includes Brembo brakes, Ohlins suspension, and Pirelli tyres and some small accessories were procured from outside. A small workspace in Koramangala is where all the development work takes place while the parts are made by vendors according to Emflux specifications. This process, Emflux says, eliminates the requirement of investment in huge production plants at an early stage of the company. The upcoming manufacturing facility too will be set up in Bangalore and work is already underway for the same.
Speaking of investment, the company has so far raised 4.65 crore with different entrepreneurs and angel investors. These include Samar Singla, Meher Roy and Nicky Sujan.
Emflux is happy with the positive response for EVs in the Union Budget. It will help them price their motorcycles more competitively thereby widening the acceptance range from the society. It is likely that the Rs 6 lakh price may go down owing to the concessions received. Moreover, there is going to be a different marketing strategy when it comes to the sale of the motorcycles. Test rides will be offered to prospective customers from the start of 2020. The marketing strategy will be revealed closer to the launch date of the vehicle.
