A leaked internal document has thrown light on short term plans of KTM and its sister brand Husqvarna. The latter is clearly gearing up to establish a strong presence in the affordable electric two wheeler segment. Husqvarna is planning two EVs in the next two years and both of them will have strong Indian connection.
According to the leaked document, a Husqvarna branded electric scooter named E-01 and a motorcycled called E-Pilen are currently under development. The 4 kW electric urban runabout will be launched in 2021. While there are no further details about the Husqvarna E-01, we think it will be based on the Bajaj Chetak electric scooter’s platform. For the uninitiated, Bajaj Auto holds 48% stake in KTM which in turn owns Husqvarna.
The Indian e-scooter also employs a 4 kW motor making it a viable platform for the Husqvarna scooter to adopt. It also comes with modern connectivity features that a premium offering like E-01 is expected to incorporate.
Bajaj Auto’s Chakan production facility has already established itself as a global production base for sub-500 cc KTM and Husqvarna road-bikes. Taking advantage of the Chetak’s Indian vendor base and Bajaj’s cost-effective production operations is a no-brainer for Husqvarna.
If the thumbnail image of the Husqvarna Electric scooter shown on the leaked image is to be taken as a reference, the premium urban electric scooter will have an edgy concept-like styling. The image does not detail the suspension system of the scooter but we expect the production version to employ telescopic front forks and single-sided rear shock absorber.
The wheels are also expected to be conventional alloy units with front and rear disc brakes. Being a premium product primarily targeted at Europe, the Husqvarna E-01 will be packed with features such as dual-channel ABS, a color instrument console (probably even a touchscreen), smartphone connectivity and so on.
As we said before, the Husqvarna E-01 is most likely to borrow the Bajaj Chetak’s 4 kW / 16 Nm electric motor and 4.08 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Husqvarna may opt to offer a higher capacity battery pack for an increased range. The Chetak has a claimed range of 95 kms. Top speed is a little over 60 kmph.
Being made in India does not automatically guarantee that that the Husqvarna E-01 will be sold in domestic market. However, the future of premium electric scooter segment in India appears promising and Husqvarna would do well to be one of the early entrants.