KTM has confirmed an electric dirt bike (off-road) called the KTM E-Mini, for 2020. It is expected to go into production by 2019 and most likely to get on sale sometime in the following year. The announcement of the new product came after the launch of next-gen electric off-road motorcycle, the KTM E-XC.
The KTM 50SX is the current outgoing off-road option for young riders. However, it is powered by an internal combustion engine, which will be replaced by the upcoming electric motocross bike, the KTM E-Mini.
According to the product manager of the company, the Austrian bike manufacturer is at a very advanced stage of product-testing and expected to soon be finalising the production. KTM had started the development work for the upcoming electric motocross bike since 2015 and has been working rigorously for the last two years on the project.
The electric off-road bikes of KTM are developed under the company’s Freeride E range, including the all-electric model like E-XC, E-SX and the street variant E-SM, which are available in the European market only.
Similar to any other standard minibike, the upcoming off-road electric bike will feature a small body in proportion to the wheels to make it attractive and accessible for young riders. It is expected to be a better product from the company’s previous electric models, as the company is expected to learn from previous experiences and improve the technology in the new model. It is most likely to get a better battery technology and expected to be faster by two seconds than the outgoing KTM 50SX. However, no official details are available on the type of battery pack or motor to be used for the model.
Bajaj Auto is one of the largest manufacturers of two-wheelers in India and owns 48 percent of KTM shares. However, none of these electric motocross off-road as well as higher displacement KTM bikes is available for sale in India.