It is an open secret that Royal Enfield is working hard on an electric motorcycle, but according to the latest rumors it will take a little longer before the first electric model will actually be put on the market.
Since the Indian manufacturer announced that it would be putting green motorcycles on the market (and we are not referring to the color), there have been rumors about when that will actually happen. For a long time, 2024 was mentioned as the year, which was based on the fact that in India there will be a ban on motorcycles with small engine capacity up to 150cc in 2025.
However, last year it became apparent that 2024 would not be achieved. Enfield general manager Siddhartha Lal told the media that it would take at least one to two years before the first EV motors could actually be put on the market.
“Unless something changes drastically, EV will remain within Royal Enfield’s range. We are working super hard on it. We are riding our prototypes; we still have time,” Lal said. “We don’t want to bring half-baked things to the market. It’s not about taking on the competition head-on; we’re working on a completely different paradigm in EVs. It takes time to develop something great.”
While an electric neo-retro model was initially considered, fueled by the first detailed image of the electric01, last year, to everyone’s surprise, an electric prototype of the Himalayan, the HIM-E, was presented at the EICMA in Milan. Unmistakably the lines of the Adventure bike that Enfield has certainly done well, but with EV drive.
The HIM-E prototype was apparently ready for production, seemingly confirming a 2025 launch, but the latest rumors tell us that Royal Enfield won’t venture into the electric market until it has developed all the technologies needed to to offer a product that meets customer expectations. There is now talk of 2027 as the launch of the EV platform.
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.