Mankame EP-1 Electric Superbike Promises 500 km Range

A Bengaluru-based tech start-up called Mankame Automotive has started a crowdfunding program to build the Mankame EP-1, an electric sportbike which is claimed to eventually have a range of over 500 km on a single charge. The EP-1 will use a high density battery pack and compatible motor-controller combination giving it a total range of 480 km on a full charge, at speeds of 70 kmph on the highway, and a range of 500-550 km in the city, with active regenerative braking.

The Mankame EP-1 will have three riding modes with a maximum speed of 251 kmph

The liquid-cooled 18.4 kWh battery pack uses a combination of high-density Samsung cells that make up the entire battery pack, with dedicated Matrix BMS system to monitor and control individual cells providing high levels of safety and efficiency, the company, headed by Swapnil Mankame, says.

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"Our vision is to build the most affordable and reliable electric superbike in the world that beats petrol-powered motorbikes in their own field," the company says. "We are a team of engineers, developing what will be India's first electric superbike named the EP-1. The electric superbike will be comparable to 600-650 cc motorbikes with internal combustion engines in terms of performance, with a top speed of 250 kmph."

The EP-1 will have a belt final drive connected to a 40 kW high performance motor

The rear wheel of the EP-1 is driven by an Aramid Kevlar reinforced belt drive system connected to a 40KW high performance PMSM motor with 180 Nm at the shaft and 432 Nm at the wheel, resulting in quiet operation and increased torque-jerk tolerance and eliminating any lubrication needs. The braking system consists of dual 320 mm front discs and a 240 mm rear disc with Brembo calipers, reinforced with dual-channel intelligent ABS and traction control with Machine Learning developed in-house.

So far, final production timelines have not been disclosed about the Mankame EP-1

The EP-1 will have a fully-adjustable Ohlins upside down fork with a stroke of 120 mm and an optional Ohlins TTX GP rear shock. The standard rear suspension will be a Showa pressurised shock with 30 mm stroke. The EP-1 will have a kerb weight of just 160 kg with a ground clearance of 190 mm. The EP-1 will be built in Dharwad, Karnataka and will have three different riding modes. In Economy mode, the bike can go up to a speed of 120 kmph, while in Sport mode, maximum speed will be restricted to 180 kmph. In Race mode, the EP-1 is expected to have speed limited to 251 kmph.