Orxa Mantis is claimed to have a top speed of 135 kph, range of 200 km and a 0 to 100 kph sprint in under 10 seconds. Impressive!
Orxa Energies’ pair of flagship electric motorcycle – Mantis – has successfully covered 7000 km in 28 days as part of their ‘Electric BharatMala’ initiative. This is just half the distance of their world-record attempt to cover 14,000+ km where seven start-ups have come together in order to “build an Electric Vehicle (EV) ecosystem to address the roadblocks in India’s journey towards improving electric mobility”.
Bengaluru based Orxa Energies say that they are a high-performance electric vehicle and energy systems startup which aim to rapidly electrify all transportation options. The startup is founded by Dr. Prajwal Sabnis and Ranjita Ravi in 2015 who are working on their mission to change the perception of EVs, with a future target of 500km and 1000km range electric motorcycles.
The Electric BharatMala Initiative
Orxa Energies explain that there is a three-fold impact linked to their Electric Bharatmala initiative –
- To address and remove EV anxiety.
- Promote road safety by recycling plastic waste to fix potholes
- Encourage students in over 20 colleges to shift from being Job Seekers to Job Creators.
The Electric BharatMala run started on the 4th of February 2022 from Bengaluru and has covered key checkpoints such as Mangalore, Kochi, Kanyakumari, Chennai, Vizag, Guwahati, Dimapur, Kohima, and Imphal and other cities enroute.
As of now, the riders, including an Orxa team member, have arrived at Gorakhpur on their pair of electric motorcycles and, after a rest day, they will begin their journey towards Dehradun, and then North, towards Jammu.
Also read: Greta Launches ‘Glide’ Electric Scooter at ₹80,000
Orxa Energies’ flagship electric motorcycle – Mantis
The company describes their flagship all-electric performance motorcycle ‘Mantis’ to be “Built by bikers, for bikers”.
They claim that the electric motorcycle has been designed to achieve a top speed of 135 kmph and it can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in less than 10 seconds. The battery capacity is a segment-beating 9 kWh, which allows the Mantis with a real world range of 200 km per charge in the city and about 150 km on a single charge at highway speeds.
They further explain that over the last 7000 km, the two Mantises have been tested through 40+ degree celsius weather, steep hill inclines, highway speeds, off-road, rain and other conditions.
Also read: Smartron Launch ebike OneX at ₹38,000; Range of 100 Km
The Seven startup collaboration – ‘StartupnREV’
The collaboration, called ‘StartupnREV’ was conceptualized by John Kuruvilla and Gautam Khot, Mentors at Brigade REAP.
The ride is being done on a pair of Mantis motorcycles built by Orxa Energies, in collaboration with SpareIT for EV-ready spares and service, BOLT and Charzer for EV charging, and Pothole Raja (a civic startup with a target to fix over 1000 potholes) on this Bharatmala ride.
The collaboration is also supported by Highway Delite, that coordinates the charging installations at hotels & CEAT shoppes before the riders reach their destination each day. As part of its agenda, the riders are visiting about 20 colleges to present the stories of these #MadeInIndia startups that are making this ride possible.
Commenting on the collaboration, Dr. Prajwal Sabnis (Co-Founder of Orxa Energies) said –
‘’We are excited to be a part of a group of ‘Made in India’ startups and collaborators to answer the many questions surrounding the EV ecosystem in the country. We are happy to be able to address range, performance, servicing, and charging anxieties for electric vehicles across different terrains, using the Mantis on this long journey.”
He further added –
“Having been part of the riding team, our expedition so far has proven the bike’s capability on a variety of road conditions. The forthcoming high-altitude regions, coupled with the sub-zero temperatures, will test the reliability of our electric motorcycles and the endurance of their riders alike.”
The last leg of the ride will cover several long stretches along the Thar Desert to the city of Goa. Multiple 400+ km/day stretches will be completed during this run. From Goa, the team will then set off on their journey back to Bangalore crossing the Western Ghats by 29th March.
