#thenewrace: Communication and transportation have evolved stylishly. While some businesses cling to traditional vision lines, others opt for trendy hashtags, which I find attractive. There is even a lot more to find adorable about the company - be it its past, its foundation journey, its racing background and most importantly, its zeal to go far. I was in college when I first heard their name, courtesy of their concept 'T6X.' Fast forward to 2023, I am witnessing their small factory on the outskirts of Pune in the Chakan Industrial Area. The company has achieved substantial advancements in developing and scaling the production of its e-bike, Kratos R. What's their current status of production, their future plans, and a lot more? Here's everything you need to know.
Tork Motors has established its manufacturing unit at the Bharat Forge facility, which is also a major investor and stakeholder in the startup. Earlier in March this year, the establishment started with a production capacity of 60,000 units per year, which can be further expandable to 100,000 units per year. However, currently, Tork Motors manufactures an average of 30 bikes per day, which can be further increased according to demand. The process of assembling the vehicle, the battery and the motor all take place within the same facility. Around 94 per cent of the product is built in India, and what's sourced from overseas are cells for batteries, magnets for motors and chargers.
Before we got into battery and motor assembly, we saw how the vehicle gets assembled. The bike frame enters the assembly line, and essential components are fitted subsequently. The first major component and one of the heaviest in the bike- the battery gets bolted up, and then the motors and other components like tyres and brakes come into place afterwards. Once it is all done, the body panels get fitted up. Before it goes to the Dyno test, wherein the performance output, throttle calibration and other basic things are rechecked, the software updation and checking are undertaken. Once the Dyno test is done, the tester tests the e-bike for a few kilometres inside the backyards of the factory premise. Once everything works as intended, it is then ready to be shipped to the dealer for sale.
The first thing that gets done in the battery assembly line is sorting the cells for batteries. It is separated via grades, and then the stacked cells pack into modules before they go into laser welding. Once that is all done, the BMS and module pack are then enclosed into an aluminium high-pressure die-cast box. It is then sealed carefully so no dust or water gets inside the pack. It takes around and upwards of 48-50 hours to open and repair any malfunction in the battery box. It is important to note that thorough testing of cells and batteries is conducted prior to packaging.
Note - the brief information on the motor assembly line will follow soon.
Tork Motors demonstrated its ability to build the Kratos R e-motorcycle in-house, showcasing its strengths. The startup is also working on a more efficiency-focused variant of Kratos, which is expected to be launched soon. Despite the product, the brand is also enhancing its own software with the collected data that would help to add value to the ownership of the e-bike. A comprehensive road test of Kratos R is scheduled for the last week of September. Stay tuned to the TG website for updates.
