Ahmedabad-based Matter Energy is all set to be the newest player in the electric two-wheeler segment with its mobility arm, Matter, and the energy solutions start-up is gearing up to introduce its first electric offering in September this year. In an interaction with carandbike, Mohal Lalbhai, CEO and Co-founder, of Matter Energy, confirmed the development, while also sharing more details on the production plans of its upcoming offering. Matter's first EV will be an electric motorcycle and will employ the company's recently revealed lithium-ion battery pack with liquid cooling.
Speaking to carandbike, Mohal Lalbhai said, "We are going to be launching the product out in September. The announcement will be in September." He further elaborated that the model will be completely localised with the product being made in India. "The manufacturing facility is being set up for 60,000 units a year in Ahmedabad. It's the first pilot we are setting up. That will house the battery as well," he added.
The Matter Energy 1.0 battery pack will be an industry-first offering with active liquid cooling for electric two-wheelers
Lalbhai says that the start-up only imports three things at the moment - cells, magnets and chips. Everything else is said to be locally sourced. The company has also devised its own thermal management system for the battery pack and the motor, both of which will be liquid-cooled.
"At Matter Energy, we are setting the story simple. The same core technology stack that we build for our batteries is being used for different applications," Lalbhai said.
Lalbhai remained tightlipped about what the upcoming electric motorcycle will have to offer. He did confirm that the launch will take place soon after the unveil in September with test rides to begin first. The model is expected to arrive in the last quarter of the calendar year. The company is looking to extensively localise its electric motorcycle, which Lalbhai says, has been completely developed in-house. This includes the design, engineering and production. The start-up began operations in January 2019 and has invested about $7 million so far.
Matter has already confirmed that the Matter Energy 1.0 battery pack will be a high power density unit. It will come with an in-house "Super Smart Battery Management System" for optimal efficiency and reliability. Lalbhai is confident that its BMS will be able to withstand the high ambient temperatures, while its high-quality standards will ensure more stable cells within the battery pack. While details about the upcoming Matter electric motorcycle are scarce, the liquid-cooled battery and motor do promise a performance-friendly offering.
Also Read: Matter Energy Introduces EV Battery Packs, Swap System At India Energy Storage Week
Lalbhai also spoke about the company's sales and distribution strategy. The company plans to establish a presence in select cities in the first phase of operations and will expand to new cities in a staggered manner depending on demand. At present, Okinawa, Revolt Motors, Hero Electric, and Ather Energy among other players have opted for a brick and mortar set-up with the exception of Ola Electric, which follows a direct B2C sales model. Matter very much believes that the showrooms are here to stay for a longer period.
Matter Energy imports the battery cells at the moment, while the battery pack will be built in-house at the company's Ahmedabad-based facility
Lalbhai said, "We strongly believe that touch and feel are still what the country needs and that it is going to be our method of going into the market. It works at different levels in terms of business-use cases to do that. People say EVs are there so service is very reduced. But is it? You still need to get your brake pads checked, you still need to do a tyre check. So is it really? How many times do you end up opening the ICE engine? Almost never, it's the end of life when you do that. Same thing here. Service has to be there. It's more of a comforting factor knowing that somebody will fix your product for you but there is also routine stuff which is required. Service is required, it has to be available, which is on the ground, locally available, near your place or at least accessible to you. That's how we are going to get into the distribution and sales side of it."
Matter Energy is primarily an energy storage solutions provider and the company is looking to dominate different verticals as it expands its offerings across different sectors. The company is not only providing fixed energy storage solutions to customers but will also enter the swappable segment in the future. It recently introduced its own battery swapping concept at India Energy Storage Week in Delhi.
