The company’s management stated that they had developed a comprehensive product plan and a future roadmap for electric vehicles, but they did not reveal the specific timeline for their debut.
Owned by Eicher Motors, Royal Enfield, a premium motorcycle manufacturer, is actively preparing for its entry into the electric vehicle (EV) market by establishing a specialized commercial team dedicated solely to its EV division. During a post-earnings call with journalists, Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director of Eicher Motors, emphasized the creation of this distinct vertical focused on electric vehicles.
Under the leadership of Umesh Krishnappa, formerly the CTO of Ola Electric, the company has assembled a robust team of engineers specifically for EV development. Additionally, Royal Enfield has brought on board Mario Alvisi, formerly associated with Ducati, to spearhead growth as the Chief Growth Officer of the electric vehicle segment.
In the previous year, Royal Enfield announced its plans to develop a range of electric vehicles, with the potential release of its first electric motorcycle targeted for 2025. However, when queried about more precise launch details, the management remained non-committal about an exact date, clarifying that it would not occur in the current fiscal year.
Lal highlighted the substantial advancements made in the electric vehicle domain, stating that last year, they made long strides in the EV journey. They have the full product plan and the future roadmap for the product. They are prototyping and testing EV, which is very much on their minds, and they have been making significant progress there.
Despite these developments, Lal expressed the belief that electric motorcycles might take longer to become mainstream compared to electric scooters, mainly due to the current lack of market traction for electric motorcycles. This trend is expected to continue until battery technology can be developed to be lighter, cheaper, and more compact.
Lal hinted at upcoming innovations that could potentially address some of these challenges. In a significant event last year, at the EICMA two-wheeler show in Italy, Royal Enfield showcased the Himalayan EV prototype. This prototype is intended to serve as a platform for experimenting with new electric powertrains and other components.
Previously, it was revealed that Royal Enfield has made notable progress on two specific projects—L1A and L1K. The L1A is expected to be one of the lightest vehicle architectures, inspired by the Flying Flea, a lightweight motorcycle historically used by the British Army during World War II.
In a strategic move, Eicher Motors has purchased approximately a 10 per cent stake in Stark Future, a Spanish company known for high-performance electric motorcycles, to collaborate on developing electric models. Initially, Royal Enfield plans to manufacture its electric vehicles at its existing facility, with prospects for expansion to a new factory in Cheyyar.
