Tau Lotus Motors India Pvt Ltd will introduce a "Alternative Energy Vehicle" (AEV) motorcycle in India next week under the brand name Wolfhouse Motors. The California, USA-based company plans to construct a production plant in Karnataka for its products as part of its "Make in India" programme.

Tau Lotus would invest Rs 160 crore ($18 million) in the factory's construction and equipment procurement during the first phase of development. The vehicle-manufacturing company plans to hire 300 young ITI diploma holders from Karnataka to work at the facility this year, with the goal of increasing that number to 600 within the next three years.

The 20-acre land for the plant will be secured in the next two months between the cities of Bengaluru and Mysuru, and manufacturing will begin in the following 6-8 months, according to creator and CEO Vasu Ram Ayithi.

"We anticipate that the manufacturing unit will be completed in six months," he stated.

The company's initial offering, an AEV "retrosport" motorbike called E18R, will be launched in Bengaluru next week, following which the bike will be available for pre-order online, with deliveries beginning in the first quarter of 2024.

If you go at 60 km/h, the battery on the 150cc electric motorcycle will last 200 km. To allow a battery swapping ecosystem, the company intends to create a subscription model for its batteries, which have an expected life of 5-6 years.

Later, sport and vintage models of the bike will be released. In the coming decade, Tau Lotus wants to venture into manufacturing scooters, 3-wheelers, tractors, all-terrain vehicles and 4-wheelers as well. After establishing itself in the Indian market, the company hopes to become a major player in the South Asian area, eventually expanding its product portfolio globally.