Electric Royal Enfield Himalayan ADV Spotted Testing In Ladakh

India's first ever fully electric ADV may not be far away from an actual launch. The photos that you see in this story are of the test mule of the electric Himalayan, spotted in Ladakh. And if we were to just go by the photos, then the motorcycle seems quite close to being production ready. The first electric concept of the Himalayan was showcased at EICMA 2023, called the Him-E and since then, the journey from being a concept to testing was done rather quickly .
The Royal Enfield Himalayan Electric stays true to the core of being an ADV and has few design similarities compared to the current Himalayan 450. Details like the tall vertical windscreen, round LED headlight, tank guards on either side and off-road biased Bridgestone Battlax tyres complete the ADV look. The gold-coloured bits such as the USD fork up front, SM Pro Platinum rims and the Ohlins monoshock at the rear. Yes, the test mule gets an Ohlins monoshock, which seems to be fully adjustable. Rounding up the off-road look is the single-piece seat which extends to where the fuel tank usually sits. The part that has us excited is the liberal use of premium components. One can also spot single petal discs on either end.
The battery pack is where the engine is supposed to be and together with the motor, it seems to be a stressed member on the Aluminium frame. The battery case seems to be made of Aluminium as well. The dashboard uses an Ecumaster unit, but that is most likely only for testing purposes. The final product may have a different instrument console. We expect the motorcycle to get a decent range of electronics like ABS, traction control and various riding modes.
Now, there are no details on the battery and motor capacity, range, charging times and other specifications but those will be revealed in due time. Also, the premium components seen here may not make it to the final production model either. But the fact that RE plans to launch the electric Himalayan in the next couple of years, right after the Flying Flea C6 and S6, seems quite exciting.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Fashion Value Chain

15 hours ago

• Fashion Value Chain

RE&UP Accelerates Circular Textiles at Global Industry Events

In a defining week for sustainable fashion, RE&UP, a trailblazer in recycled polycotton solutions, took center stage at two premier international forums: the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen and the Textiles Recycling Expo in Brussels. Uniting innovation with impact, the company brought forward critical insights on next-gen materials, textile recycling, and the infrastructure required to scale circularity. At the Global Fashion Summit, Andreas Dorner, General Manager at RE&UP, contributed to the Fibre Futures panel on the Ignite Stage, sharing deep insights into polycotton innovation. 'When it comes to polycotton, RE&UP is the go-to solution provider,' Dorner stated, reinforcing the company's expertise in tackling one of the industry's most complex blended fabrics. Meanwhile, Ebru Özküçük Guler, Chief Sustainability Officer, moderated a high-impact session titled What is Next-Gen?, featuring speakers from the European Environment Agency and Fashion for Good. 'The shift to next-gen materials isn't just about innovation,' she emphasized, 'it's about building the systems to scale them responsibly.' In Brussels, at the Textiles Recycling Expo, RE&UP's Marco Lucietti, Head of Global Marketing and Communications, joined a panel discussion on Scaling Recycled Content: Turning Ambition into Industry Reality. His insights tackled the need for robust infrastructure, policy alignment, and investment to turn promises into performance. 'The energy was high and the message was clear: it's time to turn circularity from a commitment into a capability,' Lucietti shared. Across both events, RE&UP's message resonated strongly: innovation without scalability and accountability is not enough. From pioneering recycled polycotton applications to shaping circular infrastructure, RE&UP continues to turn bold ideas into transformative action. As textile sustainability accelerates into a new era, RE&UP remains committed to pushing boundaries, sparking dialogue, and delivering solutions that turn theory into impact.

Time of India

16 hours ago

• Time of India

Europe's lithium quest hampered by China and lack of cash

Europe's ambition to be a world player in decarbonised transportation arguably depends on sourcing lithium abroad, especially in South America. Even the bloc's broader energy security and climate goals could depend on securing a steady supply of the key mineral, used in batteries and other clean energy supply chains. But Europe has run into a trio of obstacles: lack of money, double-edged regulations and competition from China, analysts told AFP. China has a major head start. It currently produces more than three-quarters of batteries sold worldwide, refines 70 percent of raw lithium and is the world's third-largest extractor behind Australia and Chile, according to 2024 data from the United States Geological Survey. To gain a foothold, Europe has developed a regulatory framework that emphasises environmental preservation, quality job creation and cooperation with local communities. It has also signed bilateral agreements with about 15 countries, including Chile and Argentina, the world's fifth-largest lithium producer. But too often it fails to deliver when it comes to investment, say experts. "I see a lot of memoranda of understanding, but there is a lack of action," Julia Poliscanova, director of electric vehicles at the Transport and Environment (T&E) think tank, told AFP. "More than once, on the day that we signed another MoU, the Chinese were buying an entire mine in the same country." The investment gap is huge: China spent $6 billion on lithium projects abroad from 2020 to 2023, while Europe barely coughed up a billion dollars over the same period, according to data compiled by T&E. Lagging investment At the same time, the bottleneck in supply has tightened: last year saw a 30 percent increase in global demand for lithium, according to a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). "To secure the supply of raw materials, China is actively investing in mines abroad through state-owned companies with political support from the government," the IEA noted. China's Belt and Road Initiative funnelled $21.4 billion into mining beyond its shores in 2024, according to the report. Europe, meanwhile, is "lagging behind in investment levels in these areas", said Sebastian Galarza, founder of the Centre for Sustainable Mobility in Santiago, Chile. "The lack of a clear path for developing Europe's battery and mining industries means that gap will be filled by other actors." In Africa, for example, Chinese demand has propelled Zimbabwe to become the fourth-largest lithium producer in the world. "The Chinese let their money do the talking," said Theo Acheampong, an analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations. By 2035, all new cars and vans sold in the European Union must produce zero carbon emissions, and EU leaders and industry would like as much as possible of that market share to be sourced locally. Last year, just over 20 percent of new vehicles sold in the bloc were electric. "Currently, only four percent of Chile's lithium goes to Europe," noted Stefan Debruyne, director of external affairs at Chilean private mining company SQM. "The EU has every opportunity to increase its share of the battery industry." Shifting supply chains But Europe's plans to build dozens of battery factories have been hampered by fluctuating consumer demand and competition from Japan (Panasonic), South Korea (LG Energy Solution, Samsung) and, above all, China (CATL, BYD). The key to locking down long-term lithium supply is closer ties in the so-called "lithium triangle" formed by Chile, Argentina and Bolivia, which account for nearly half of the world's reserves, analysts say. To encourage cooperation with these countries, European actors have proposed development pathways that would help establish electric battery production in Latin America. Draft EU regulations would allow Latin America to "reconcile local development with the export of these raw materials, and not fall into a purely extractive cycle", said Juan Vazquez, deputy head for Latin America and the Caribbean at the OECD Development Centre. But it is still unclear whether helping exporting countries develop complete supply chains makes economic sense, or will ultimately tilt in Europe's favour. "What interest do you have as a company in setting up in Chile to produce cathodes, batteries or more sophisticated materials if you don't have a local or regional market to supply?" said Galarza. "Why not just take the lithium, refine it and do everything in China and send the battery back to us?" Pointing to the automotive tradition in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, Galarza suggested an answer. "We must push quickly towards the electrification of transport in the region so we can share in the benefits of the energy transition," he argued. But the road ahead looks long. Electric vehicles were only two percent of new car sales in Mexico and Chile last year, six percent in Brazil and seven percent in Colombia, according to the IEA. The small nation of Costa Rica stood out as the only nation in the region where EVs hit double digits, at 15 percent of new car sales.

Economic Times

19 hours ago

• Economic Times

Europe's lithium quest hampered by China and lack of cash

ET Online The key to locking down long-term lithium supply is closer ties in the so-called "lithium triangle" formed by Chile, Argentina and Bolivia, which account for nearly half of the world's reserves. Europe's ambition to be a world player in decarbonised transportation arguably depends on sourcing lithium abroad, especially in South the bloc's broader energy security and climate goals could depend on securing a steady supply of the key mineral, used in batteries and other clean energy supply Europe has run into a trio of obstacles: lack of money, double-edged regulations and competition from China, analysts told has a major head currently produces more than three-quarters of batteries sold worldwide, refines 70 percent of raw lithium and is the world's third-largest extractor behind Australia and Chile, according to 2024 data from the United States Geological Survey. To gain a foothold, Europe has developed a regulatory framework that emphasises environmental preservation, quality job creation and cooperation with local has also signed bilateral agreements with about 15 countries, including Chile and Argentina, the world's fifth-largest lithium too often it fails to deliver when it comes to investment, say experts."I see a lot of memoranda of understanding, but there is a lack of action," Julia Poliscanova, director of electric vehicles at the Transport and Environment (T&E) think tank, told AFP."More than once, on the day that we signed another MoU, the Chinese were buying an entire mine in the same country."The investment gap is huge: China spent $6 billion on lithium projects abroad from 2020 to 2023, while Europe barely coughed up a billion dollars over the same period, according to data compiled by T&E. Lagging investment At the same time, the bottleneck in supply has tightened: last year saw a 30 percent increase in global demand for lithium, according to a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA)."To secure the supply of raw materials, China is actively investing in mines abroad through state-owned companies with political support from the government," the IEA Belt and Road Initiative funnelled $21.4 billion into mining beyond its shores in 2024, according to the meanwhile, is "lagging behind in investment levels in these areas", said Sebastian Galarza, founder of the Centre for Sustainable Mobility in Santiago, Chile."The lack of a clear path for developing Europe's battery and mining industries means that gap will be filled by other actors."In Africa, for example, Chinese demand has propelled Zimbabwe to become the fourth-largest lithium producer in the world."The Chinese let their money do the talking," said Theo Acheampong, an analyst at the European Council on Foreign 2035, all new cars and vans sold in the European Union must produce zero carbon emissions, and EU leaders and industry would like as much as possible of that market share to be sourced year, just over 20 percent of new vehicles sold in the bloc were electric."Currently, only four percent of Chile's lithium goes to Europe," noted Stefan Debruyne, director of external affairs at Chilean private mining company SQM."The EU has every opportunity to increase its share of the battery industry." Shifting supply chains But Europe's plans to build dozens of battery factories have been hampered by fluctuating consumer demand and competition from Japan (Panasonic), South Korea (LG Energy Solution, Samsung) and, above all, China (CATL, BYD).The key to locking down long-term lithium supply is closer ties in the so-called "lithium triangle" formed by Chile, Argentina and Bolivia, which account for nearly half of the world's reserves, analysts encourage cooperation with these countries, European actors have proposed development pathways that would help establish electric battery production in Latin EU regulations would allow Latin America to "reconcile local development with the export of these raw materials, and not fall into a purely extractive cycle", said Juan Vazquez, deputy head for Latin America and the Caribbean at the OECD Development it is still unclear whether helping exporting countries develop complete supply chains makes economic sense, or will ultimately tilt in Europe's favour."What interest do you have as a company in setting up in Chile to produce cathodes, batteries or more sophisticated materials if you don't have a local or regional market to supply?" said Galarza."Why not just take the lithium, refine it and do everything in China and send the battery back to us?"Pointing to the automotive tradition in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, Galarza suggested an answer."We must push quickly towards the electrification of transport in the region so we can share in the benefits of the energy transition," he the road ahead looks vehicles were only two percent of new car sales in Mexico and Chile last year, six percent in Brazil and seven percent in Colombia, according to the small nation of Costa Rica stood out as the only nation in the region where EVs hit double digits, at 15 percent of new car sales.