Royal Enfield Set To Join Electric Bandwagon

In today’s coverage of “wait, what?” news, it is been reported that Royal Enfield, a company known for their "thumping" cruisers, will soon be developing an electric motorcycle. Yes, you read that right! According to reports, the Chennai-based manufacturer is currently developing an electric motorcycle platform at its technology centre in the UK.

The news comes directly from president Rudratej Singh who confirmed that the company will soon be moving towards electrification. He was quoted saying, “We are working on an electrical platform to advance the idea of pure motorcycling. How our platforms need to be re-engineered for the future is to be seen and we are working on it. It would help if the company can do with its current platforms, but new platforms will be built if required.”

But before that can happen, Royal Enfield has the mammoth task of overhauling its current lineup to meet the impending BSVI emission norms. So, don't expect to see an electric prototype before 2020.

However, Royal Enfield isn't the only company who will be joining the electric circuit. Prominent bike manufacturers such as Yamaha, Ducati and Harley-Davidson have amped up the development process of their electric platforms. The Milwaukee-based company has already announced that it’ll be launching a production-spec electric motorcycle by 2020.

While this is a step in the right direction, it'll be interesting to see how a company that has always been associated with retro-styled motorcycles and old-school brand of motorcycling tackles the world of electric motorcycles. It'll be even more interesting to see how its fan base would react to a Royal Enfield motorcycle that produces the whirring sound of an electric motor instead of the good-old thump.