Is This The Royal Enfield Continental eGT No One Saw Coming?

Electric mobility is gaining traction steadily in India thanks to policy revisions by the government and, indirectly, due to the surging fuel prices. While we await the first steps by two-wheeler giants towards electric motorcycles, UK-based Saietta Group has already showcased its take on the situation, asking a simple question: Rather than wait for an electric motorcycle, why not convert the existing petrol-guzzling machines to electric?

Sounds too good to be true, right?

One of the many models Saietta experimented with was the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650. The cafe racer’s 648cc parallel-twin engine has been swapped with Saietta's Axial Flux Technology (AFT) e-motor. Saietta has been conducting a number of tests to assess the feasibility and the overall performance of the bike.

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Saietta has developed AFT140 and AFT110. Though the group hasn’t specified the type of the motor, we believe it is the latter while the former is likely to be reserved for three-wheelers and four-wheelers. The group has worked extensively to keep the manufacturing costs in check. Among the many factors, Saietta has used automation to keep costs in check without compromising on quality. These motors use a simple water-cooling system that now only allows the system to perform optimally, but also increases its overall lifespan.

Another interesting bit is that the motors are compatible with a broad range of off-the-shelf controllers, which will allow manufacturers to use different controllers, while using the same system from Saietta. The brand also claims that the small motor is capable of delivering high torque and efficiency at low voltage, which in turn reduces the size of the battery.

If you think this is a far-fetched dream, you are in for a surprise. The Saietta Group has already inked a deal with Padmini VNA. Padmini is one of the leading OEM suppliers for brands like Royal Enfield, Hero MotoCorp, TVS Motor Company and Bajaj Auto. Saietta is eyeing the Asian market and this project could speed up the adoption of electric vehicles in the subcontinent.

Currently, Saietta hasn’t revealed any details on the performance or the availability of the kits. That said, it’ll still take about a year or so before we see Saietta’s tech make a splash in the market. While we still await electric Royal Enfield bikes, its rival, Classic Legends is silently working on something similar.