Royal Enfield’s have never been synonymous with electric motorcycles but times are changing and a few years down the line we could see an electric-powered Royal Enfield traversing our streets. Royal Enfield’s Top Boss in an interview revealed that the brand is indeed looking to foray into the electric vehicle segment.
Eicher’s Managing Director, the company which own Royal Enfield revealed that a dedicated team is working to explore the possibilities and the brand is not in a rush to do so. The electric vehicle is still a few years away from the market, and the brand plans to understand the technology first before rushing in. The electric vehicle market is still a delicate balance and the brand wants to do it right with its debut model.
The head honcho also revealed that the dedicated team for the electric-powered Royal Enfield is currently studying the EV market, riding electric motorcycles and even developing their own test mules. Royal Enfield’s own electric prototypes are being tested as well. Furthermore, Royal Enfield is also looking forward to developing their electric motorcycle concept but the production model is almost three years away. Also, the brand is rushing towards the development of the electric-powered Royal Enfield but it is not rushing towards entering the EV market with a ‘silly’ job’.
It is speculated that the Royal Enfield electric motorcycle is likely to draw inspiration from its own modern-classic range. The electric motorcycle could feature a mix of advanced technologies while keeping to its heritage styling. The battery pack could be integrated into the engine bay area covered with a box for weather protection and it could come with a hub-driven motor.
In the recent past, multiple test mules of the electric-powered Royal Enfield were spotted testing on the road but the development phase could have been temporarily derailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, the question is not ‘if’, but ‘when’ Royal Enfield adds the electric motorcycle to its internal combustion engine dominated portfolio.
In other news, Mahindra-backed ‘BSA’ could start producing motorcycles soon. The brand is likely to restart production with ICE-powered motorcycle in mid-2021 followed by an electric motorcycle by the end of 2021. Mahindra is likely to bring the BSA brand to the Indian market through its Classic Legends vertical.