Royal Enfield forays into electric bike segment; unveils first model under Flying Flea brand

PTI, Nov 5, 2024, 8:11 AM IST

Milan (Italy): Royal Enfield on Monday forayed into electric bike space as it unveiled its first model which is likely to hit roads in 2026.

The company unveiled the classic-styled Flying Flea C6 and scrambler-styled Flying Flea S6 bikes under a completely new electric vehicle brand, Flying Flea.

Speaking at the unveiling here, Eicher Motors MD Siddhartha Lal said the company will introduce a number of products under the brand over the next few years. “The way we look at it (EV) we are going for disruption not throwing the dice and hoping for the best. We believe in this as a starting point of a family, that is going to grow.”

He further said: “We are going to keep at it as we go doggedly, keep evolving, keep changing but with this concept and idea in mind.” The company is going to source battery cells from outside and produce other components like battery packs and motors in house, Lal said.

Royal Enfield is a part of Eicher Motors.

“We’ve been deeply investing in R&D and infrastructure for EV over the last many years, and have built a world-class team including 200 plus engineers in India and the UK,” Royal Enfield CEO B Govindarajan said.

The company has initiated the development of an EV manufacturing plant in Chennai, he added.

Royal Enfield has invested in Barcelona-based Stark Future known for its advanced off-road electric motorcycles, he said.

“All aspects of our connected electric motorcycles, including product strategy and development, technical components like motor, battery, BMS, custom software, and our retail and market strategy have been developed in-house by our dedicated technical and commercial teams,” Govindarajan said.

Royal Enfield currently leads the middle weight bike segment globally.

The Chennai-headquartered firm showcased its first-ever electric vehicle design concept at the EICMA Motor Show last year.

Royal Enfield sells models like Meteor 350 cruiser, Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 twins, the all-new Himalayan adventure tourer and the Bullet 350 and Classic 350 singles.

The company operates through more than 2,000 stores across all major cities and towns in India and through nearly 850 stores in more than 60 countries around the globe.

Royal Enfield reported a 31 per cent year on year rise in total sales at 1,10,574 units in October. International business sales were at 8,688 units last month against 3,477 units in October last year.