The electric two-wheeler segment has evolved multiple folds in the last few years and now, there are more electric motorcycles to choose from. Be it for commutes or performance, there is an electric motorcycle to choose from.
The Mantis from Orxa Energies is one such motorcycle that will be opened for bookings this year. The company has moved into a larger production facility to be ready when it’s time to launch the electric motorcycle. For those unfamiliar with the Mantis, the entry-level performance electric motorcycle has already set a record for going around India, a 13,500-kilometre trip, from the plains to the mountains.
Set up in a 2000 square feet office in Bengaluru, Ranjita Ravi and Prajwal Sabnis, the Founders of Orxa Energies, began tinkering away to build an electric vehicle. Using the know-how from working in the aerospace field, the company built a trike with a unique front end that allows the rider to lean into corners.
Soon, the trike design was scrapped for a traditional motorcycle and in 2017, the company came up with its first electric motorcycle. However, it was not ready for the market and development continued. In 2019, the Mantis was further developed and made its India Bike Week (IBW) debut. Things were on track until disaster struck the globe in the form of the Pandemic.
The year was quiet, however as soon as the pandemic ended, locusts arrived in swarms, killing crops. That’s when Orxa was asked to help develop battery packs for drones to tackle the infestation, and the company had to sideline the motorcycle development briefly.
Soon, Orxa was back at it, this time eyeing a record. Orxa, on the latest version of the Mantis, set about travelling across India, a 14,000km road trip to test its product. It was a success and the team was able to gather enough data to further fine-tune the Mantis and in 2023, the company has set its eyes to open bookings.
Now, based in a much larger facility that spans 1 acre, the company has a dedicated test track and gearing up for a series of events ahead of the launch. Orxa Energies, instead of opening bookings directly, wants customers to attend one of their track days first, only post which a customer can book a Mantis. A unique way.
The close-to-ready product has undergone numerous changes to cut down on weight and the company claims that the Mantis now weighs under 180kgs, on par with ICE motorcycles in the segment. Deliveries are to begin soon after and the company is also targeting international markets with the Mantis as the electric motorcycle slots perfectly in the A2 category. However, the company wants to have its production capacity in place before it goes global.
The current facility can manufacture 20,000 units a year and Orxa will soon move to a larger facility to house the production of the Mantis, while the current facility will still serve as its R&D centre and for its aerospace projects. The company has other products in its pipeline as well, which will be announced soon.
