Ultraviolette challenges Bajaj Auto to a ‘machine vs machine’ fight
With the electric two-wheeler market on the rise, all the major automakers are jumping on the bandwagon to grab a slice of the electric pie in the country. While dedicated EV makers like Ultraviolet have been pushing the boundaries when it comes to the technological and engineering front representing India on a global stage, other large-scale two-wheeler companies like TVS and Bajaj Cars have been boosting the sales charts by benefiting from the growing demand for electric vehicles, especially in the scooter market.
Bajaj Auto investigates ultraviolet:
“There is nothing ultra about Ultraviolette sales,” Rajiv Bajaj wittily said while taking aim at India’s homegrown electric vehicle maker, suggesting that the popularity of e-bikes will remain on the lower side compared to battery-powered scooters thanks to the practical approach and demand from the Indian perspective.
However, the Bajaj boss’s comments have not gone down well with Ultraviolette as Narayan Subramaniam, CEO and co-founder of the high-performance electric vehicle brand, spoke to a leading media outlet and came out to attack the Pune-based two-wheeler giant. Subramaniam said, “I also want to give credit to Mr Bajaj for the genesis of the Pulsar brand in India and what it stood for in terms of high-performance motorcycling in India. But where is that spirit now?”
He added, “We will be there, in Bajaj Auto’s backyards, in a race-format event in about 90 days at Aamby Valley. We will bring the best of what we have and we invite Bajaj Auto to bring the best of what it has. And a simple race format should probably provide the answers.”
Bajaj vs Ultraviolette: numbers
Last year, UV unveiled its F99 concept in Milan, which is quite simply the fastest Indian two-wheeler ever launched. With a claimed 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 3 seconds, which clearly belongs in the realm of superbikes, there is no other Indian carmaker that has come close to it yet.
Bajaj Auto does not have any battery-powered motorcycles in its arsenal, but it does sell the Chetak, sales of which have been crossing 16,000 units per month.
While it is clear that the Chetak might not be the right choice for the Valley Run (if Bajaj were to take the challenge seriously), the next best option would be the Pulsar NS400z. However, you can’t compare products from different segments all together, but if they were assembled on a single slab, it would be like pitting a Katana against a kitchen knife. With the F99’s 121 bhp against almost 1/3rd of the Pulsar NS 400Z’s 40 bhp, there is no way of guessing who will take the trophy in terms of performance. However, if sales figures are to be cited, it is the Pulsar that takes the crown.
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