The motorcycling world is going electric whether you like it or not and the latest manufacturer to jump on the bandwagon is Swedish brand Husqvarna, now part of the KTM group. In effect, the E-Pilen is a Svartpilen with an electric motor in place of the petrol engine. Swappable battery technology is no surprise, given KTM's partnership with Piaggio, Honda and Yamaha in developing such tech. You can't buy it yet, but it won't be long!

It's The Swartpilen/Witpilen With An Electric Motor

We shouldn’t be surprised any more at increasing numbers of manufacturers jumping on the electric bike bandwagon. After all, despite well-founded arguments against the use of electricity as a motive power, it seems that it is inevitable that we will all be riding them in the decades to come.

The latest manufacturer to pin its colours to the mast is Husqvarna. Despite the manufacturer now being a part of the KTM empire, it does seem to still be ploughing its own furrow in terms of new models, even if they rely heavily on KTM underpinnings.

If anything, Husqvarna has already distanced itself from other manufacturers with the startlingly modern Svartpilen and Witpilen models, which the company identifies as ‘progressive, smart, dynamic and purely design oriented.’ As far as I can decipher, this means that style is as important as ability, although both models possess plenty of that latter quality.

Now, Husqvarna has announced the E-Pilen Concept, which the company promises will build on the same principles as the Svart- and Witpilen range. With a focus on commuter and leisure riding, the new model features a 10.7bhp motor with a range of 100km.

One clever feature is that the E-Pilen will give both fixed and swappable battery technology. This is hardly surprising given KTM’s commitment to developing the swappable-battery technology in line with Piaggio, Honda and Yamaha, but it does mean that the life of the bike will be extended as swappable battery technology comes online.

One factor that manufacturers are identifying is that introducing electric motorcycles to their ranges is that they are hoping to entice a whole new audience to motorcycling as opposed to merely convincing the already converted.

With the E-PIlen Concept, Husqvarna is developing new products that will be ‘accessible to the broadest possible spectrum of riders.’ To further this, Husqvarna will ‘strategically expand its dealer presence in urban and metropolitan areas.’

So, when will we see this new bike? Well, the company says that development of the E-mobility range is well advanced and promises that further information will be released in the near future.

It’s all very well the manufacturers making big noises about the adoption of electric technology but what do you think? Will you rush to adopt it or will you hang on to your ICE-powered motorcycles until the very last minute? My feeling is that we’ll all resist until we have no choice to comply.