Upcoming TVS Apache Electric Bike To One-up The New Panigale V4?

Quick Highlights

• Patent drawings hint at a top-of-the-line, premium electric motorcycle

• Motor casing looks similar to the one on the TVS King electric rickshaw

• But, there’s also a single-sided swingarm

TVS Motor has patented an electric motorcycle platform that could spawn a road-legal sibling of the TVS Apache RTE electric racing bike. The patent images reveal a lot, including the fact that this will be a premium electric motorcycle – mostly likely TVS’ answer to the Flying Flea. 

But let’s look at this objectively. The road-going TVS bikes are developed while incorporating everything they’ve learned for their decades of racing. If the upcoming electric Apache is to be based on the same mantra, TVS can only take data from the Apache RTE race bike. 

The electric TVS Apache will have an air-cooled mid-mounted motor, which looks quite similar to what powers the brand’s electric rickshaw (that makes about 15PS & 40Nm). But that is where the similarities might just end. These are two entirely different applications, and giving the benefit of doubt to TVS, this could be a more powerful motor. It will transfer power via a belt drive. That said, the motor is connected to the front sprocket via multiplier gears – to increase the amount of torque that is sent to the rear wheel. It’s powered by two battery packs that are positioned on the sides of the central-spine frame. From the looks of it, they seem to be bolted on, and might not be swappable.

The platform has a single-sided swingarm, with a preload-adjustable offset monoshock – the biggest indicator that this will be a premium, sporty bike. Finally, the Apache owners can say their bike is better than the new Panigale V4, at least in the swingarm department. Since the sub-frame doesn’t have to accommodate an airbox and a 12V battery, the space should be utilised for other electricals and electronics of the bike. 

Considering how the batteries are positioned, there’s all likelihood of the bike being completely faired – just like the RTE. But of course, it would have a headlight, indicators, and other stuff for making it road legal. The chances of BMW Motorrad basing its electric motorcycle on this are the same as Norton Motorcycles making one. While that is anyone’s guess for now, we know for a fact that TVS is keen on making an electric motorcycle. Sudarshan Venu, MD, TVS Motor, has reportedly said earlier that the brand is working on an e-motorcycle. The patent design seems to be in line with the statement. However, it’s yet uncertain how far the bike is from its public debut. For all intents and purposes, it could still be at least a couple years away, considering the patent has just come out, and the TVS Apache RTE was unveiled about a year ago. TVS might just invest some more time and effort in gathering data from the RTE platform to fine tune its road-going avatar.