BREAKING: Matter Aera 5000+ Electric Bike Launched in Pune

Quick Highlights

• The electric bike is priced close to Rs 2 lakh in Pune

• Gets a 4-speed manual gearbox

• Has quite a low claimed running cost

The Matter Aera 5000+ electric bike has been launched in Pune at Rs 1,93,826 (ex-showroom). The bike has a claimed “Real” range of 125km, and a top-speed of 105km. Matter claims the bike has a running cost Rs 0.25 per km. Matter aims at offering performance equivalent to a 150-180cc petrol-powered motorcycle with the Aera.

It’s India’s first geared electric bike, that too with a 4-speed manual gearbox. And no, it’s not a gimmicky one – it has a clutch lever as well as a slipper clutch, and that should make the Matter Aera more engaging to ride. That said, it has a 11.5kW liquid-cooled motor. It’s powered by a 5kWh battery that can be fully charged in 6 hours using the 1kW on-board charger. This comes down to 2 hours using a 3kW fast charger. 

The bike has a dual-cradle frame with a conventional telescopic fork and 5-step preload-adjustable dual shocks. It has disc brakes on both ends, and the 17-inch alloy wheels have tubeless tyres. The bike has a healthy 183mm ground clearance, an accessible 790mm seat height, and it weighs 168kg kerb, which is relatively light. 

The feature set of the bike includes a 7-inch touchscreen console with smartphone connectivity and navigation, park assist, OTA (Over The Air) updates for the console, ride data indicators, and more. Matter offers a 3-year/45,000km bike and battery warranty, a 3-year roadside assistance programme (RSA), and a 3-year annual maintenance contract, as standard. Owners can opt for additional 2 years worth of RSA and battery warranty for an extra cost. 

The Matter Aera should be a good choice for those looking for a premium electric commuter bike with decent performance. That said, it’s a lot more expensive than a 150-180cc petrol-powered bike. Considering the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V – one of the most popular 160cc bikes – it returned an average tested mileage of 48.7kmpl. With that, you would require about Rs 2,100 to ride 1,000km. Whereas, with the Aera’s claimed running cost, it would take just Rs 250 to go 1,000km. That means a saving of about Rs 1,850 per 1000km with the Aera. 

However, you would be spending about Rs 53,000 extra to buy the Aera. At the aforementioned rate of savings, it would take you more than 28,000km to offset the extra money that you’d be spending on the Aera. For perspective, with a monthly running of 1,000km, it would take 2 and a half years to ride 28,000km. Mind you, that’s the distance you’ll have to cover just to break even. If you’re looking to actually save more money, you’ll have to ride even further than that. This shouldn’t be all that challenging for an average commuter, considering folks usually keep their bike for at least about 5 years.