KTM & Bajaj working on a a high-end electric two-wheeler

Indian two-wheeler biggie Bajaj and Austria based KTM are reportedly working on new high-end electric motorcycles. The same was revealed by Bajaj’s executive director Rakesh Sharma during an interview with Moneycontrol. To let you know, Bajaj has a 48% stake in KTM and both the brands have been working together since quite some time now. The Pulsar RS and NS series were also a result of this collaboration. With the government now pushing for electric mobility, both the brands will want to have a bite in the electric two-wheeler market for sure.

While any major product or development details about this new electric two-wheeler were not revealed by Sharma during the interview, he did add that:

“At this stage I can say that we are entering two-wheelers. We are not ready to say whether it’s a scooter or a motorcycle but we are open to the full spectrum and we are working very closely with our strategic partner KTM to look at electric solution for high-end motorcycle also,”

However, this initiative is not to be confused with the electric scooter Bajaj is developing for some time. Deemed to be launched under the Urbanite brand, the electric scooter has already been spied testing a couple of times but we’ll discuss more on that later. As for KTM, the sporty, lightweight bike manufacturer already makes electric-powered two-wheelers that are available in the international market. The KTM E-Speed, for instance, is a lightweight electric scooter that is sold by KTM internationally.

A couple of months back, few reports surfaced that suggest that Bajaj and KTM are working on a common 48-volt electric two-wheeler platform. This platform was said to be used by both manufacturers and would underpin two-wheel with a power output in the range of 3 to 10 kW. This two-wheeler would be produced in India and would reportedly commence by 2022. The Indian government, on the other hand, had hinted towards the possibility of it banning the use of fossil fuel-powered bikes under 150 cc by 2025. While there is no confirmation about the same as of yet, all commuter segments scooters and bikes will have to be electric if the rule is followed.

Talking about the Bajaj Urbanite electric scooter, the spy shots reveal that the scooter will have twin tail lamps positioned at a slanting angle. It gets foldable rear footrests and will come with alloy wheels along with a single-side suspension in the rear. The design of the scooter is a bit retro themed with classic design lines similar to the Vespa range of scooter. The Urbanite also gets long oval-shaped indicators on the front cowl of the scooter. The instrument cluster of the upcoming scooters looks circular in shape and it may get an all LCD panel.