A few days ago, Royal Enfield launched its new electric vehicle brand, Flying Flea, with plans to launch two motorcycles by early 2026. Siddhartha Lal, the managing director of Eicher Motors, said that Flying Flea is the next big chapter in Royal Enfield’s journey.
- C6 will be the first e-bike from Flying Flea
- Launch is expected in spring 2026
- Flying Flea models will be launched first in international markets
Royal Enfield’s plans for Flying Flea and its future
“This is the next chapter in the history of Royal Enfield. While the first chapter of petrol bikes will continue to grow, with a lot more plans in our petrol journey, today we have the bandwidth and the capability to do an electric vehicle," Lal told reporters while launching the Flying Flea brand at the Milan Motorcycle Show.
"For us, this is not just another launch; It's really monumental in the way we look at Royal Enfield…The scale of how we are looking at this is – the beginning of the next 25 years starts today.”
The new brand draws its name from the original Flying Flea, which was launched in the 1940s as a small, lightweight, purpose-built motorcycle designed for military use during World War II.
Flying Flea's first two motorcycles – the classically styled C6 and the S6 scrambler – will be in the markets by early 2026. The C6 is the first model, and is expected by ‘spring 2026’.
Also See: Royal Enfield sets up Flying Flea brand for EVs
“Some smaller utility scooters are selling but the big ones are not. On a motorcycle, you want a long-range. With the current technology, it is not possible. If the battery is going to be too big, too heavy, then you get range anxiety, charging issues,” Lal said while talking about the current electric two-wheelers in the market.
“What is really missing is something that is lightweight, absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, fun, premium, and exciting that can cater to city plus range requirements.”
Royal Enfield boasts of a flowing forged aluminium frame for the C6, which provides a lightweight yet strong structure with a “timeless” silhouette and a magnesium battery case that uses organic design language for optimal weight saving and cooling.
The company has committed over Rs 1,500 crore for its electric vehicle business, and it has already brought on board key top management executives for Flying Flea. They have been investing deeply in research and development for electric vehicles over the past few years, and have set up a dedicated team of over 200 engineers in India and the UK.
While Royal Enfield has already acquired new land for the electric vehicle facility in Cheyyar, the first set of electric vehicles, however, will be coming out of its Orgadam facility – from a separate manufacturing line. The new electric vehicle facility will have a capacity to produce 1.5 lakh units per annum.
Eicher Motors has also acquired around 10 percent stake in Spanish high-performance electric motorcycle maker Stark Future, with plans to co-develop electric motorcycles.
Meanwhile, the automaker’s first Flying Flea model will be launched in international markets, with plans to launch it in India subsequently. "There are other markets around the world where there is traction for electric vehicles, such as Europe, the US, and Latin America. We will bring the model to India eventually…It is, by definition, part of the plan, but may be later,” he said.
Also See: Royal Enfield Classic 650 Twin review: All-Time Classic?
With inputs from KIRAN MURALI
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