At KTM we have ambition and to succeed, you have to be in tune with the times and its demands. A challenge because our era wants to impose a new mobility which would be driven by the electricity fairy. A revolution for an industry whose combustion engine is the lungs. But to have control over your time, you have to stay connected and at KTM, the current is flowing on the subject. The proof with this ambitious plan for high-end electric motorcycles.
At KTM, electricity, we know a little. We indeed have in its range the interesting Freeride E-XC. But the model remains confidential. Here, we are on a more consistent development of a real range equipped with batteries to move forward. A step that the Austrians will not take alone. Thus, after a decade of financial partnership, limited to the construction of engines, KTM et Bajaj Auto will strengthen each other by combining their capabilities to develop a range of high-end electric motorcycles.
Bajaj, which holds 48% of the capital of KTM, has already started developing electric scooters for sale in India. According to the Indian financial site Moneycontrol, this project is different, more ambitious, since Bajaj will collaborate directly to create electric powertrains that can be used across the range KTM.
The approach includes the Swedish sister brand Husqvarna. The machines would be manufactured at the factory Bajaj car in Pune, India. Although little known in Western markets, Bajaj is a major player in its home country India and was in partnership with Kawasaki until 2017 as well.
These comments appear to constitute a potential roadmap for the electric future of KTM. An increasing focus on electric motorcycles poses a risk for any traditional manufacturer, as it risks alienating its existing customer base without ensuring new buyers are attracted to an emissions-free range.
