A large battery pack with 200 to 300 km of range is likely from electric Himalayan by Royal Enfield owing to its ADV nature
Royal Enfield has stood true to its ‘four motorcycles a year’ strategy. We got Scram 411, a new Classic 350, new Hunter 350 and recently unveiled Super Meteor 650. Royal Enfield’s quota for new launches in 2022 seems to have come to an end.
That said, tomorrow never sleeps and with a future of EVs gaining traction, mainstream 2W manufacturers can’t afford to miss the EV train. Certainly not Royal Enfield, as it seems to have a monopoly on classic and retro motorcycles at least in India. RE has a ton of overseas fanbase to please as well.
To continue being at the top of their game, Royal Enfield has planned multiple launches over the next few years. One of them is an electric Himalayan. You heard that right. An electric ADV from a mainstream motorcycle manufacturer. Let’s take a look.
Electric Himalayan By Royal Enfield
It was at Hunter 350 launch that Eicher Motors CEO Siddhartha Lal gave subtle hints as to what kind of EVs may come out of Royal Enfield stables in the coming years. He mentioned that the very first Royal Enfield electric vehicle will be revealed in a three to four years timeline. Even though it meant waiting, RE confirmed that it had its foot on the ground.
Recently we saw Electrik01 concept in a leaked picture which looked extremely radical. Something no one had seen in a century. It had a futuristic vibe and stood by its retro charms along the way. Royal Enfield Electric Himalayan radiates the same vibes. In this sense, it is still neo-retro in its appeal, but gets a futuristic design language.
Gone is its beak and in its place is a bikini fairing that holds its round headlights. A tall visor adorns its front fascia and gives it an ADV feel. It is evident that Royal Enfield is cleverly incorporating its frame as its body panels, exposed for display. At the back, we can see a sharp subframe and a clean profile.
Wire spoke rims are retained and are likely to be 21” at front and 17” or 18” at the rear. Royal Enfield Himalayan Electric gets a mid-mounted motor sending power to rear wheels via chain drive. Mono-shock rear suspension and stylish aluminium swingarm are part of its package as well.
Launch Timeline
Unlike Electrik01 which is a prototype, Royal Enfield Himalayan Electric is still in concept design phase. It is possible that when the new breed of electric 2W from Royal Enfield sees the light of day, electric Himalayan could be the flagship. We say this because owing to its nature, an ADV should have a long range.
Long range means a larger battery and that in turn means higher pricing. Also, with a decent off-road kit or touring kit, it is not a stretch to say that Royal Enfield will price it at a premium. With a top-down approach, we can expect that electric powertrains will trickle down on lower-end products as well. A launch timeline is not revealed by the company. Going by Sidhartha Lal’s hints, we can expect eclectic Royal Enfields to hit Indian roads in 2026 or beyond.
Source
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
