As the world is moving toward the future of electric mobility at a rampant pace, a ton of automotive manufacturers are expediting the development and launches of their very own EV products. One of the most recent names in this long list of manufacturers is of the world’s longest-running motorcycle brand in continuous production – Royal Enfield. The Chennai-based bikemaker recently revealed that it is now accelerating the development of its first all-electric motorbike, which it admitted to being in the works for quite some time.
Recently Royal Enfield CEO B Govindarajan during a media interaction stated, “Over the past 6-8 months, we have made investments in EV space in terms of creating physical infrastructure for testing of vehicles and associated preparedness,” He further added, “We have also been hiring good talent for our technology centers in India and UK. Overall, we have been intensely focusing on the EV space.”
Additionally, the CEO also stated “Being a pioneer in motorcycle manufacturing, it is easy for us to take the aggregates, assemble the same and launch it in the market in order to be ahead of others. But we would like to understand the buyer requirements in this segment completely before rolling out new products. Because, Royal Enfield is known for offering motorcycling experience, not just products alone. Our objective is to come out with differentiated product offerings in the EV space.”
According to recent media reports, under the government of India’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, Royal Enfield aims to invest 2,000 Crore (about $250M USD) in its new EV sector over the course of the next five years. The Indian company had initially intended to withhold the brand’s first electric product’s release to the market until 2026 but has since become one of the more outspoken advocates for electric mobility. And with the increasing growth of the electric automotive sector, the brand has brought forward its deadline to 2025.
In other electric motorcycle news, Ultraviolette Automotive, an electric vehicle start-up funded by TVS Motors, recently announced new details concerning the F77 electric sportbike, which will be the company’s debut product for India and the rest of the globe. With an IDC-approved range of 307 kilometers per charge, the Ultraviolette F77 electric sportbike will have the greatest range of any electric two-wheeler in India. On “National Battery Day,” the sportbike’s frame and battery information were made public.
Pre-orders for the electric motorbike will begin on October 23 and close on November 24 of 2022, with a Rs. 10,000 deposit required. The Ultraviolette F77 will first be sold online, but the manufacturer of electric vehicles aims to ultimately build up experience zones where prospective purchasers will be able to test-ride the F77 and get a closer look at the electric sportbike. Only 10,000 electric motorcycles will be produced by Ultraviolette Automotive in the first year; however, by the second year, the EV manufacturer hopes to have installed capacity of 150,000 two-wheelers annually.