Barrel Motors is the newest electric player in town and the Bengaluru-based start-up is all set to capture a new niche with its upcoming offering. carandbike can exclusively tell you that the company is working on a dual-sport high-performance electric motorcycle, the first of its kind to be developed in India. The upcoming offering will be called the Veloc-e, inspired by the predator, and the bike will enter production in 2024. The Barrel Motors Veloc-e has set its sights on petrol-powered motorcycles like the Hero XPulse and the KTM 390 Adventure in the segment.
The Veloc-e electric motorcycle is currently in the prototype stage with the production version sometime away
The Veloc-e dual-sport performance electric motorcycle's development is at a nascent stage. A functional prototype is ready and while it looks ready to take on dirt, sand, slush and snow, the company will continue development and testing over the next year and a half.
"What we are building is a dual-sport electric motorcycle which is one of the first in India," Giridhar Soundararajan, Managing Director and CEO, Barrel Motors, told carandbike. "We want to place it [Veloc-e] between the XPulse and the KTM 390 ADV. Want it to be better than the 200 cc offering but with KTM's torque curve."
Barrel Motors plans to pitch the Veloc-e dual-sport electric motorcycle to the military for border patrolling
The start-up is working on a platform that will cater to different segments including dual-sport, racing as well as a premium commuter offering. Giridhar explained that the platform and software can be adapted for different user needs and also cater to multiple market requirements. The company also plans to pitch Veloc-e to the defence for multiple applications including border patrol.
The Barrel Motors Veloc-e will arrive in two variants - a street-friendly version with the option to switch to a high-performance variant. The company plans to enter the adventure touring and long-distance touring space eventually. The firm is tight-lipped on performance numbers and even the range but Giridhar did suggest the bike will do about 150 km on a single charge.
Barrel Motors, Managing Director and CEO, Giridhar Soundararajan with the Veloc-e prototype
He also promises state-of-the-art components on the performance electric motorcycle with over 90 per cent of the parts to be locally sourced including the battery packs and BMS controllers. The battery cells are being imported by the company.
Barrel Motors' team comprises engineers from Ather Energy, along with talent from Mahindra and prominent electric players from other parts of the world. The company has identified a new niche in the electric motorcycle space and while it does not have a direct rival in India yet, the Veloc-e could just turn out to be our answer to the Zero FXE sold in the West.
