2015 KTM Freeride E
The electric off-roader has been officially launched in Austria, and will be going on sale in Europe within weeks. Australia? We still don’t know…KTM's Freeride E has finally made the transition from prototype to production machine – the original idea for the bike was formed in 2007 -- and will go on sale in Europe within weeks.
At the electric off-roader's official launch in Austria last week, two versions of the Freeride E were unveiled – the SX and road-legal XC. The SX is for more hardcore riders and pitched towards closed-circuit riding, while the SX is “aimed at a vast array of riders” including urban dwellers and learners.
The Freeride E project has included a dedicated team of 20 at KTM's R&D base in Mattighofen and, while the company doesn't believe that electrically powered motorcycles will replace conventional combustion engines in the near future, it has a clear vision in the creation of a segment in its own right.
“We're really excited to finally see this ultra-innovative bike head into the market. The feedback from our E parks, situated around Europe, has been really positive and this is a quality product, which we hope to see on many tracks and trails in the near future,” said Thomas Kuttruf, KTM's .PR Manager.
“KTM is completely committed to this project, and while the Freeride E is already a very established bike, this is really just the beginning of our involvement in E-mobility.”
The Freeride E is powered by a permanent magnet synchronous liquid-cooled motor, producing 22hp at 4500rpm and 42Nm of torque from the get-go. The battery is a 2.6kWh lithium-ion design, which takes 80 minutes for a full charge and 50 minutes for an 80 per cent charging level.
The frame is a perimeter steel-aluminium composite structure, with a high-strength polyamide and plastic subframe, rolling with 43mm WP upside-down forks and a WP PDS rear shock damper. The Freeride E weighs 106kg,
According to Greg Chambers, KTM Australia’s marketing and communications manager, KTM will use Europe to test and evaluate the E project in terms of getting the infrastructure right to service an E bike customer.
Once rolled out KTM will look to enter more markets. No news at this point as to when it will hit Australia.
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