UM Intends To Launch Electric Cruiser With High Localisation

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With increased production, UM sets its eyes on reaching 15,000 unit sales in the current fiscal – up by over 5,000 in FY18

UM Motorcycles is having ambitious plans for the Indian market and it includes a slew of new launches as well as expanding its footprint. The company formed under the partnership between UM International and Lohia Auto has endured appreciable success against the big guns and is leveraging its popularity to expand into more cities.

Hot on the heels of making a strong statement, UM is also planning towards ramping up its production capacity to meet the increasing demands of the competitive domestic market. It will be setting up a new manufacturing base in Hyderabad and will serve the purpose of supplying vehicles mainly to the southern and western provinces of the country.

Also Read: UM Duty 230 (RE Classic 350 Rival) India Launch This September

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It will be operational from February 2019 onwards and have installed capacity of 50,000 units per annum. Another Rs. 50 crore is spent initially to tackle logistic hurdles in the Hyderabad plant. With increased production, UM sets its eyes on reaching 15,000 unit sales in the current fiscal – up by over 5,000 in FY18.

Having made debut at the 2018 Auto Expo in February, the UM Duty 230 is a direct rival to the highly popular Royal Enfield Classic 350 and will be positioned as the entry-level fleet with affordable pricing.

Also Read: Ducati And Triumph To Enter Used Bike Business Along With Harley

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The Duty S will be the base variant with a price of around Rs. 1.10 lakh and the top-spec Duty Ace will be Rs. 20,000 dearer (both prices, ex-showroom). Ahead of the Duty 230’s official launch in September, UM will be rolling out two more models into the Renegade range with 279 cc fuel-injected liquid-cooled engine.

The UM Duty 230 will use a 230 cc air-cooled engine with 18 bhp peak power. UM is also mulling over launching electric motorcycles and over the next couple of years, a 450 cc and 650 cc bikes will be introduced as part of expanding its portfolio to rival premium manufacturers like Harley Davidson.

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The current range has four products: Renegade Commando Classic, Renegade Commando Mojave, Renegade Commando and Renegade Sports S in the country and they cost from around Rs 1.60 lakh and Rs 1.95 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom).

Mishra said that in order to cater to enhanced demand and to take care of logistics issue, the company is investing around Rs 50 crore in the initial stage to come up with a new manufacturing plant in Hyderabad. The expansion into tier 1 and tier 2 cities meant UM will establish 22 more outlets to reach a total of 100.

Last but not the least, regarding the electric bike, UM focusses on localising the Renegade Thor cruiser to make it a serious contender over the course of next 12 months and if that bears fruit, more products can be expected down the line.