Electric Classic Cars, an UK based company has taken a Royal Enfield Classic 350 and given it an electric heart. And as it turns out, it’s not so bad after all. It however costs Rs 19 lakhs and that is without Indian customs and duties.
The electric revolution has already taken over the world and a lot of two-wheeler manufacturers have caught up with the trend. However, an electric Royal Enfield still does not sound so favorable. Well, the same was thought about Harley Davidson even a couple of years ago until they came out the Livewire. As a matter of fact, Royal Enfield has shown some interest in the electric space but this article is not about that. This electric Royal Enfield – or Photon as its called – is an after market effort that ditches its gasoline origins for electricity.
The Photon is based on a Classic 350 and it has been built by Electric Classic Cars (ECC) from UK who are known to re-build old school cars as electric vehicles. In fact, this is the first time these guys have worked on a motorcycle. This motorcycle is a fairly standard Classic 350, apart from the most obvious change where the engine has been swapped for a huge battery pack and electronic circuits.
This electric Royal Enfield Classic 350 is powered by a large hub motor that is water-cooled and produces a steady output of 10kW, with peak output rated ta 12kW. In horsepower terms, that roughly translates to about 16bhp which is actually lower than what the BS6 Classic 350 produces. But with EVs, its not so much about the power as much as it is with the torque.
Although, we do not have the exact 0-100kph figures of the Photon, we can tell you it will be pretty fast on grounds of just being an EV. It is claimed that this motorcycle can do tje 50-80 kph sprint in just 6 seconds. The standard Classic 350 does the 50-80kph sprint in about 7.5 seconds. It definitely faster than the standard Classic 350 atleast. The top-speed of the motorcycle is capped at 112kph.
Let’s talk about range – this being an EV – and turns out it does not offer that much as its large battery pack would suggest you. The Photon has a range of only 130km on a single charge which is quite unflattering considering in these modern times. It has as many as four battery packs that have a combined charge capacity of 10kWh. As for charging, it takes 90 minutes to completely top up the battery using a Type 1 fast charger. Regular charging times haven’t been shared but expect it to be considerably higher.
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As pointed out earlier, the Photon is pretty much a standard Classic 350 other than the change of heart. The chassis, ergonomics, suspension setup and also the wheel sub-systems have all been carried forward unchanged from the stock motorcycle. ECC actually wants to offer you the same old vintage motoring experience despite the vehicle being powered by batteries and an electric motor.
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How much for this swanky ride you ask? Well, its a hefty amount at Rs 19 lakh and that is before Indian customs and duties. What’s even more interesting is that Royal Enfield has shown some keen interest on this project and if customers are really interested in these electric Classics, the company will even provide the rolling chassis to ECC for the Photon to be built. Well, that’s surely something to start with for Royal Enfield in the electric space.
