We haven't seen much when it comes to electric motorcycle concepts from European manufacturers in a while, but now Husqvarna has given us our first look at what a road-going electric Husqvarna motorcycle could look like.
Dubbed the E-Pilen, the stylish concept takes styling cues from Husqvarna’s Vitpilen and Svartpilen range but adds an electric twist in the powerplant department.
The Pierer Mobility group, which owns KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas along with suspension manufacturer WP Suspension, already is a leader in the world of electric dirt bikes with the KTM SXE-5 and Husqvarna EE-5 kids dirt bikes now available the world over, but this is the first look at what we could expect to see in the coming years from the road going side of the business.
However, if you were hoping for Husqvarna to come out of the gate with a high performer you may be disappointed with the direction of the E-Pilen Concept, which focuses more on style and mobility than performance.
With a power output of just 8 kW and a range of 100km, the E-Pilen Concept has clearly been developed with the urban commuter and leisure rider in mind rather than the weekend warrior. While it sounds like a rather small range, Husqvarna is part of the new cartel of manufacturers working on standardised swappable battery technology, so the maximum range is probably not something the company is too fussy about at this early stage of development.
With that in mind, Husqvarna states that the E-Pilen Concept features a modular and swappable battery system allowing the power pack to be exchanged, extending the appeal and utility of electric motorcycles to those considering the switch.
While it is still very early days, the E-Pilen Concept shows that even Europe’s best are looking to an electric future some ways down the line.