Pune: The Ahmedabad-based electric mobility and battery technology firm Matter says that it is preparing to open its new research and development facility in Pune’s Hinjawadi, with a focus on design and software capabilities, as it prepares to roll out its first product in the electric vehicle space in November.

Saran Babu, co-founder and chief design officer at Matter, said in an interaction with TOI that the Pune facility, with an initial headcount of 100, will handle the development of Matter’s future EV products.

“We are currently completing the fit-outs at the facility, and it should be ready over the next few weeks. The Pune facility is geared towards our EV business and R&D in it, including for our future line of products. This includes conceptualising and prototyping, and the rest of the development process. While the talent at the Pune facility will be primarily designers, such as industrial designers, it would also include software engineers,” Saran said.

Matter, which is investing around Rs 1500 crores in its EV and battery businesses in Gujarat for both manufacturing and R&D in Gujarat, has recently closed a funding round of around $10 million, some of which is being invested in the new Pune facility.

He also added that the firm’s first EV product- an electric motorcycle- is currently undergoing homologation and testing, and will be ready for an initial rollout in November, with sales starting in early-2023.

“We are getting ready to roll out our electric motorcycle in November, with deliveries starting early next year. Most of the homologation is complete, and we have been working with the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) for the same, and we have also started testing the motorcycle,” Saran remarked.