Austrian brand Pierer Mobility, the parent brand of KTM and Husqvarna, has announced that it is working on an electric bike. The electric Duke is expected to look similar to the sports bike Duke 125 that we’re used to seeing on the Indian roads.
According to the reports, the bike will unsurprisingly be called E-Duke and will be powered by a combo of a 10kW motor and a 5.5kWH battery. This motor is more powerful than the 9kW motor that powers the Tork Kratos R sports e-bike which was recently launched in India.
When compared to the smallest ICE powered KTM Duke, the performance is expected to remain similar and could be considered as an entry-level electric sports bike.
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Husqvarna, which is KTMs sister concern, has also announced the plans of introducing a battery-operated E-Pilen and it is needless to say that Duke will share its technology with E-Pilen.
Since Husqvarna has claimed that the E-Pilen would offer a range of 100 km in a single charge, we can expect the same from E-Duke as well as the bike will be based on its Swedish counterpart.
Apart from being a green sports bike, the choice of a small to mid-sized motor means that the company will be able to keep the price in check. Competitive pricing would be critically important for a new bike as it will offer a similar look and feel, power and yet could target a broader market.
Will the Electric KTM Duke launch in India?
Apart from the two bikes mentioned above, Pierer Mobility is making a couple of other electric bikes - a KTM E10 youth dirt bike and a new Freeride E LV.
As of now, there is no official confirmation if any of these four bikes will make their way to India. However, if that happens then the p[the possibility of this bike being made in India cannot be ruled out as well.
Indian automaker Bajaj and KTM are already developing an electric platform for two-wheelers. Though this is primarily aimed at battery-powered scooters, extending its scope to make bikes is also a possibility. And if the companies agree on this, then the electric KTM Duke could be made at the Pune facility of Bajaj.
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