The automotive mobility space is currently heading towards electrification. Sooner or later, it seems all the vehicles on the road will either be alternative fuel or full-electric vehicles. Royal Enfield too is working on an all-electric project which should have the prototype ready by another year.
Royal Enfield is a British brand owned by Eicher Motors. The brand plans to have its electric offering in the market within the next 18-24 months.
Recently, Umesh Krishnappa joined the ranks at Royal Enfield. Krishnappa was the former CTO at Ola Electric. The bike maker is also setting up a dedicated electric vehicle business team, not just in India, but also in the UK. Both teams will develop a plant to gets products for the zero emission mobility.
Apart from the new staff and dedicated EV teams, Royal Enfield is planning to invest around US$ 100-150 million in its electrification path. At present, scant details are available on this project, but a dedicated platform, codenamed as ‘L’, is already under works. This will spawn a host of electric vehicles that will cater to the needs of different segments across the globe.
According to a media report, Royal Enfield plans to manufacture 1.2-1.8 lakh electric vehicles every year. The prototype is hence planning to be ready by end of 2023 so that a market launch around 2024 can be achieved.
The Himalayan platform could be ideal for the first electric bike. It is an adventure bike, which means that people will use it for touring. Hence it will come with a large battery pack. In an EV, the battery size is proportional to the cost of the vehicle. In fact, batteries alone could cost a significant cost of the product. Hence the Himalayan EV could be positioned as a premium offering.
Also Read – Royal Enfield partners with electric motorcycle manufacturer Stark Future.