Electric Vehicles is the word we keep on hearing from almost every manufacturer in the world. Reason for the newfound popularity of electric motorcycles is the consumer preference for non-polluting vehicles. Royal Enfield is a cult name in the world of automobiles with Bullet production since 1948 generating sales volume year after year. To the surprise of many, Royal Enfield added a new electric bike named Photon to its stable of classic motorcycles but there is a catch. Royal Enfield Photon model wasn’t made by the Indian manufacturer rather an English based firm Electric Classic Cars.
The British company Electric Classic Cars (ECC) is known for converting vintage rides into EVs and was commissioned by the Chennai based automaker to do the same. ECC removed the internal combustion engine of the motorcycle and brought it back in an electric avatar. The 10 KWH (four 2.5 kWh battery pack) LG battery generates 15 bhp of maximum power output and has a range of 128 kms on a single charge. The motorcycle can clock a top speed of 112 kmph and takes 90 minutes for a full charge.
Apart from the powertrain change, Photon is similar to the regular Bullet retaining its weight, frame and suspension. If we talk about the brake system, there is a 280 mm disc brake up front while the rear offers a 240 mm disc. There are subtle changes in the Photon like bar-end mirrors, LED headlight, dual-tone paint, gold pinstriping. The instrumentation panel remains the same as the classic bullet with the addition of a battery level indicator. Wondering what the price of this electric motorcycle is? The Royal Enfield Photon is priced at an eye-catching $24,749 or Rs 94,79,676 as it is said to compete against the likes of Zero’s SR/F and SR/S in the British market.