Royal Enfield is set to reveal its first-ever range of electric motorcycles on November 4 at the EICMA exhibition in Italy this week.
Royal Enfield’s website says this new category of electric two-wheelers from Royal Enfield answers the call for “urban mobility offering a sophisticated, nimble and connected experience.” The RE also assured its customers that even with technological advances, the brand’s “commitment to purity remains”.
A teaser on Royal Enfield’s website features a bike being airlifted by a parachute, set for a drop, with the launch date of November 4, 2024, prominently displayed. This visual nod to paradropping motorcycles harks back to World War II, when Allied forces used parachute-deployed bikes for rapid, mobile transportation upon landing. Royal Enfield’s own lightweight motorcycle from that era, known as the “Flying Flea,” was developed specifically for such missions and later made available to civilians. Whether Royal Enfield will revive this iconic name with its new launch remains to be seen.
In FY24, Royal Enfield advanced its electric vehicle (EV) journey by developing a product plan and roadmap, along with outlining strategies for branding and distribution in the electric motorcycle space. Last year’s EICMA Motor Show featured the Electric Himalayan Testbed as a design concept, offering a glimpse into what Royal Enfield’s future electric models might look like.
“Electric Himalayan Test Bed has opened up completely new possibilities and capabilities,” Royal Enfield has said, adding that it the concept “shall continue to live a hard life, not going into production”. It is not clear if the implies further testing to lay the foundation for its new range of electric two-wheelers. The Electric Himalayan Testbed is the Royal Enfield’s sustainable vision for the future, and marks a first such e-2W from the stable in its 123 years of history.
The company is betting on a future that will see both ICE and electric vehicles co-exist, Eicher Motors CMD Siddarth Lal had said in July. “Electric vehicles, alternative fuels, and internal combustion engines will need to coexist over the coming years. Our success will depend on strategically balancing our portfolio to serve existing markets while remaining agile to adapt to change. Both Royal Enfield and VECV are well-positioned to navigate this transition.”
Lal had said in the past that RE’s and said the company is aiming for a 2025 launch. “It’s not about putting something in (and) hoping to take some other competition head on or improving on them. It’s a totally different paradigm that we’re working towards in terms of EVs. It takes time to put together something really fantastic,” Lal said.