India has set some of the most aggressive two-wheeled electric vehicle adoption legislation in the world. Combined with the country’s high rate of two-wheel vehicle use, it is quickly becoming a leader in light electric motorcycle and scooter development. That was underscored today with Revolt’s latest unveiling for an affordable 150cc class electric motorcycle.

Revolt Motors RV400 electric motorcycle

Revolt Motors is India’s latest electric motorcycle startup.

They’ve been hyping their artificial intelligence-infused electric motorcycle for months, and today we finally got the first look at the bike.

The new electric motorcycle has been dubbed the RV400, and fits into the 150cc class of motorbikes.

It features a top speed of 85 km/h (53 mph). That makes it largely an urban electric motorcycle, albeit a fairly fast one for city use. Smaller highways might actually be an option.

The Revolt RV400 is rated for 156 km (97 mi) of range, though the company hasn’t revealed the battery specs yet. That’s likely an urban range as well, meaning the bike would be traveling at somewhat slower speeds.

The bike is expected to offer a number of connected features, including keyless startup, GPS tracking and geofencing, digital storage for registration and other necessary documents, and telemetry for remotely monitoring the Revolt RV400’s vitals, among other features.

It will also offer 4 different pre-programmed, synthesized engine sounds that users can choose to engage, with previews of the sounds on Revolt’s website. While much of the electric motorcycle community may deride such fake engine noises, some countries are beginning to require them as a way to alert pedestrians to an electric vehicle’s presence.

The bike is powered by a mid-mounted motor with a belt drive system. The exact motor power hasn’t been unveiled yet, though it is likely to fall in the 6-10 kW range.

The exact price is also still a mystery, at least for now. But analysts have expected the final price to land in the US $1,300 to $1,800 range. That would make it cost competitive with Ather’s line of high tech electric scooters that offer similar performance. Ather’s scooters will likely prove to be stiff competition for the Revolt RV400 electric motorcycle.

In the meantime, Revolt will be producing the RV400 at their Haryana factory, which has an annual capacity of 120,000 units.

Battery swapping for increased range

While already boasting a fairly impressive range for an urban electric motorcycle, Revolt has further plans to increase the effective range. The company is working on setting up a battery swapping network that would allow Revolt RV400 riders to roll up and swap a nearly depleted battery for a freshly charged pack.

Revolt will also offer home delivery of freshly charged batteries, likely at a higher cost.

Battery swapping networks are becoming increasingly popular with electric two-wheelers. Such a network has been used to great effect by Gogoro in Taiwan, where over 1,000 battery swap stations dot the country.

Gogoro scooter riders use a subscription service to enable battery swaps. The system has proven to be so popular that industry heavyweights including Yamaha have partnered with Gogoro to build their own battery-swapping electric scooters.

Revolt is developing a battery swap network, while Gogoro’s is already in action

Electrek’s Take

I love it, I love it, I love it.

This is exactly what we need – more light electric motorcycles for urban applications.

I’ve been riding a $2,500 CSC City Slicker electric motorcycle for nearly 6 months now. At 72 km/h (45 mph) and with a range of around 50 km (30 mi), it has been great for the city. It’s not quite 150cc class though, and I often see potential riders longing for an electric motorcycle that can go just a bit faster and farther. The Revolt RV400 seems to fit that bill nicely.

There aren’t yet many electric motorcycles in this lightweight category. One of the few options now is the Super SOCO TC Max, which features a top speed of around 100 km/h (60 mph).

For now, the RV400 will only be available in India of course, but I’m excited to see the development of these electric motorcycles anywhere. India will serve as a great testing ground. And once they prove themselves, the bikes will likely see a more international audience. They’ll also pressure other automakers to produce similar light electric motorcycles.

Harley-Davidson is already on the way with a number of lightweight two-wheel EVs planned for the next 3 years. And seeing vehicles like the RV400 getting set to hit the road will hopefully light a fire under the rear wheel of other manufacturers and get them rolling in the right direction.

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