At a time when electric vehicles with their improved range and insane pickup are driving youth's imagination, an electric two-wheeler start-up in India has decided to give something to the more traditional gearheads of the country.
Yes, an Ahmedabad-based start-up, Matter Energy has made an exciting revelation in terms of a bike launch. It not only introduced an electric bike, it has also fitted it with gears.
Ask any petrolhead here in the country, they will say, e-bikes aren't real bikes, because real bikes have gears. The thrill that chills the spine while revving the throttle after dropping a gear can't match the 'great' pickup of the e-bikes which are eerily silent.
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Matter has put an end to that debate with the Matter Drive 1.0 system on its e-bike. The IP65-rated 10.5kW, liquid-cooled, mid-mounted motor features a four-speed manual gearbox complete with a clutch! Thanks to this, you get variable torque and throttle response.
The EV has developed an engine cladding, like on some premium race bikes where you can physically see a dry clutch. The Matter e-bike features a transparent cover on the motor showcasing the gearbox in motion.
In an interaction with PTI, Matter Group Founder and CEO Mohal Lalbhai said the company plans to fill a vacant space with other players primarily focussing on producing electric scooters.
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The e-bike which comes with a range of 125 to 150 kms, can be charged by a simple 5-ampere plug, depending upon the variant chosen. The e-bike will support both standard and fast-charging via a common connector and is equipped with a standard on-board 1kW charger. Using the on-board charger the bike can be charged in less than five hours.
It has set up a manufacturing facility at Ahmedabad with an installed production capacity of 60,000 units which can be brought up to 1.5 - 1.7 lakh units per annum, a company statement revealed.