Orxa Mantis Launched, Gets Second Highest Range In India

Orxa Energies has launched the Mantis with a price tag of Rs 3,60,000 (ex-showroom Bengaluru and inclusive of the standard 1.3kW charger). Bookings are open currently and the booking amount for the first 1,000 customers is Rs 10,000 while for the other customers, it will be Rs 25,000. The first batch of deliveries will start in Bengaluru in April 2024 with the next batches starting in July and October 2024. The warranty for the vehicle, battery and motor is 3 years or 30,000km. The electric bike is not eligible for FAME 2 subsidy, just like the Ultraviolette F77. 

The Orxa Mantis is powered by a liquid-cooled motor that produces a peak power output of 20.5kW and 93Nm of maximum torque. It gets a claimed top speed of 135kmph and a 0-100kmph acceleration time of 8.9 seconds. It comes equipped with a non-removable IP67-rated 8.9kWh battery and an estimated IDC (Indian Driving Conditions) claimed range of 221km. Charging the battery from 0-80% with the standard 1.3kW charger takes 5 hours and with the ‘Blitz’ 3.3kW charger, it takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. Both chargers will need a 15A socket. 

The electric motorcycle gets an all-aluminium aerospace-grade alloy frame and subframe (segment-first) with a suspension setup of a 41mm telescopic fork and a monoshock with preload adjustability. At this price point, Orxa should’ve given an inverted fork. Stopping the electric bike is a 320mm front disc with four-piston radial caliper and a 230mm rear disc with single-piston floating caliper with only a single-channel ABS as standard. Again, dual-channel ABS should’ve been offered here. The tyre setup consists of 110/70-R17  front and 130/70-R17 rear Ceat Zoom radial tyres. It gets a wheelbase of 1,450mm, somewhat tall seat height of 815mm, reasonably light kerb weight of 182kg and a healthy ground clearance of 180mm. 

Features-wise, the Orxa Mantis gets a 5-inch TFT instrument console with Bluetooth connectivity and navigation through an app along with features such as phone notifications, ride analytics in the console, all-LED lighting with twin projector LED headlights, regenerative braking, side stand sensor, and ride-by-wire technology developed inhouse. Orxa says the e-bike uses a Linux-based Orxa operating system. The Mantis comes with two colour options: Urban Black and Jungle Grey.

The Bengaluru-based EV maker unveiled the Mantis back in  2019 at IBW (India Bike Week), then used the pandemic period to go back to the drawing board and focus on fine-tuning the e-bike and also making it lighter. In the process, the company claims it managed to shave off over 25kg. 

More importantly, Orxa seems to have made a well-thought out plan for long term ownership as the company has partnered with Nunam, a Bengaluru-based startup for end-of-life battery buyback services. With this, the company promises a “40 percent cost advantage”. Co-founder Prajwal Sabnis mentioned at the launch event that ”...at the end of life, the carbon footprint of the Mantis is reduced by 40 percent.”

Orxa has also tied up with Spare It, another Bengaluru-based startup for servicing the electric bike. As for the charging infrastructure, Orxa has teamed up with Bolt for fast charging solutions, and the company claims that with partnerships, it will have over 100 charging points coming up along the highways in the near future to facilitate long distance riding.

Rivalling the Orxa Mantis will be the Ultraviolette F77. It also serves as a middle ground between the much more affordable Tork Kratos R and the F77.