Royal Enfield teases electric bike

Still very much in the concept stage, the Electrik01 features distinctive elements like a girder fork for the front suspension.

By Zaran Mody, Autocar India calendar 23 Nov 2022 Views icon12794 Views Share - Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to LinkedIn Share to Whatsapp
Royal Enfield teases electric bike

Royal Enfield has made no bones about the fact that it is working on electric two-wheelers, and we've managed to get our hands on a picture of its very first electric motorcycle concept. Internally christened the ‘Electrik01’, it features some rather distinctive design elements, the reasons for which are made clear in the product brief that we’ve also managed to take a look at.

Concept and design
Admittedly, this isn’t an extensive look at the entire motorcycle, but even this partial view reveals some rather interesting details. Like the front suspension, which takes the form of a rather unusual girder fork. Seeing as to how the product brief is full of terms like ‘non-conformist’, ‘game changer’ and ‘lone wolf’, it's possible that the production version of this motorcycle will stick with the girder fork set-up.

Other areas of focus include “high quality tactile finishes and touch points”, and “neo vintage/classic” styling, which also explains a lot. After all, the girder fork was most widely used in the first half of the previous century, so there’s a lot of retro appeal there. This is also seen in the classical round headlight, and a hint of tradition is also evident in the fact that the Electrik01 features a conventional ‘fuel tank’. Of course, this is only representative.

The chassis is quite interesting too, with two frame tubes emerging from either side of the headstock – one running along the top edge of the fuel tank, and the other running downward and seemingly cradling the battery pack. More conventional aspects include the presence of alloy wheels which seem to be wrapped in Avon Roadrider tyres.

Launch and other details
So, what can we draw from all this? The first is the fact that a road-going Royal Enfield electric motorcycle is likely still some time away. The bike you see here is still very much in the early phases of its development, with RE internally calling it a QFD (Quality Function Development) concept. QFD is a model for product development that aims to translate customer needs and expectations into end results by listening to the voice of the customers.

Even with recent petrol-powered models, RE has spent a great deal of time road-testing before putting products on the market. And with this being the implementation of a new propulsion technology that RE has never employed before, you can expect even longer development timelines than usual.

What’s clear, though, is that the very first RE electric motorcycle will still be very much a Royal Enfield. The brief says that the product must ‘be its own’ and follow its own ethos and DNA, rather than that of the segment. The Enfield character is also evident in the fact that the bike will feature neo-retro styling cues.

What the Electrik01 concept will evolve into is anybody’s guess, but what’s without question is that this is going to be an interesting journey.

RELATED ARTICLES
Govt to Release PM E-Drive Subsidy Guidelines for Electric Ambulances by Year-End

auther Kiran Murali calendar11 Jul 2025

Electric ambulances have been included for demand incentives under the PM E-Drive scheme. Only one electric model made b...

Mercedes-Benz India Sees Flat-to-Single-Digit Growth in 2025: MD Iyer

auther Ketan Thakkar calendar11 Jul 2025

Managing Director Santosh Iyer expects a high base, price hikes, and geopolitical uncertainty to weigh on the second hal...

Mercedes-Benz India Begins FY26 with Highest-Ever Q1 Sales

auther Darshan Nakhwa calendar11 Jul 2025

The launch of the GLS AMG Line adds to Mercedes-Benz’s SUV offerings and aligns with its broader strategy to strengthen ...