India Bike Week 2019 : Orxa Mantis electric bike unveiled

Bengaluru-based start-up Orxa Energies has revealed its Mantis e-bike at the sixth edition of India Bike Week in Goa.

Founded by Ranjita Ravi, Prajwal Sabnis and Amrudesh Santhanam in 2015 with an aim to build an electric sport bike, the start-up is a part of the Airbus BizLab acceleration program for entrepreneurs. The founders are confident about their first electric-motorcycle offering – christened ‘Mantis’ – that features battery-swapping technology.

The company claims that the e-motorcycle has a top speed of 140kph and a range of 200km per charge. It comprises six swappable batteries, with a complete charge achieved in 4hr or less.

This electric street bike is equipped with a “fully digital, sophisticated dashboard and an app for ride analytics, diagnostics and preventive maintenance.” Orxa Energies says that it may also launch an electric reverse-trike called ‘Mantis Trike’ and plans to set up its own set of battery-swapping stations in the future to address charging issues and range anxiety.

Speaking to our sister publication, Autocar Professional, Ranjita says, “Just like its namesake, the Mantis is a stealthy, ambush predator. Designed as an early performance and naked-sport motorcycle, it has a top speed of over 140kph and a range of around 200km per charge. The USP of the Mantis is that it is a ‘no-compromise’ bike and offers a seamless shift from ICEs to EVs. The rider does not have to worry about performance or charge.”

The company says it has developed a lithium-ion battery pack in-house, which it is supplying to a few companies across the country. Orxa Energies’ products are already being used in the aerospace, automotive and other industries. The battery packs are ‘off the shelf’ units that are swap-ready and modular.