Royal Enfield electric motorcycles will likely arrive in the coming years and a dedicated EV platform could be utilised
The transition towards electric mobility is well and truly on but the time it will take for everyone to accept the new age of transportation depends on various factors. In recent years, several start-ups have stepped in to grab the attention of the general public wanting to shift to less expensive pastures due to the ever-rising fuel costs in the country.
More action can be clearly seen in the two-wheeler place than in the passenger car sector arguably. It is no secret that the mainstream two-wheeler makers will also hop on the bandwagon and some have already done so – Bajaj Auto with Chetak, TVS with iQube for example – while Suzuki has been testing the Burgman based electric scooter and Yamaha has an EV under development as well.
Recently, new investments dedicated to eco-friendly mobility were announced by TVS and Bajaj is planning a new vertical for electric and hybrid vehicles. And, Ola Electric has promised some big things with its upcoming e-scooter while Honda, BMW and Hero will join the party in the near future. The retro motorcycle maker, Royal Enfield, won’t be left out of the equation either.
The Chennai-based brand appears to be planning a range of premium electric motorcycles and services for the global markets, taking advantage of the company’s international prominence in recent years courtesy of the 650 Twins, Himalayan and Meteor 350. The electrification strategy will be at the core part of the brand’s future plans for the betterment of the future.
A few months ago, Vinod Dasari, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Enfield told that electric bike prototypes were prepared and the brand’s UK research and development centre is working on them. The forthcoming range of zero-emission REs will likely sit on a dedicated electric architecture and the first conceptual model could hit the EICMA show in Milan later this year.
While the launch timeframe is not known yet, we can expect the electrified RE motorcycles to arrive in the coming years. The debut of the new generation Classic 350 will likely happen in the coming weeks and it could be followed by the Hunter 350 and a cruiser based on the 650 cc platform.