Royal Enfield has taken a significant step in its 123-year history by entering the electric vehicle market with the launch of its new electric brand, Flying Flea.
The first model under the Flying Flea banner, the Flying Flea-C6, is set to hit the roads in 2025. As part of its commitment to electric mobility, Royal Enfield will also establish a dedicated EV manufacturing space at its Vallam Vadagal facility.
The Flying Flea brand draws inspiration from the iconic Royal Enfield Flying Flea motorcycle of the 1940s—a groundbreaking design that was originally created for military use during WWII. These lightweight bikes were airdropped by parachute to provide soldiers with all-terrain mobility. After the war, the Flying Flea gained popularity among civilians for urban exploration. The modern Flying Flea is a fresh interpretation, blending classic design elements with cutting-edge technology and a distinct, sophisticated aesthetic.
Currently, major electric motorcycles in India include the Revolt RV 400, Matter Area 5000, Oven Rorr, Ola Roadster, Raptee T30, and Tork Kratos.
The lightness, agility, and adaptability that defined the original Flying Flea motorcycle return with the new Flying Flea brand and its upcoming range of electric vehicles. Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director of Eicher Motors Ltd, shared his thoughts on this milestone:
“Since 1901, Royal Enfield has been a companion to millions of riders, offering exploration and pure motorcycling experiences. Over the past 123 years, as we’ve navigated challenges and evolved into a global motorcycling brand, our core mission—pure motorcycling—has remained unchanged and continues to guide us,” Lal said.
“As we prepare to open a new chapter for Royal Enfield, this mission is the driving force behind the creation of Flying Flea, our new brand focused on delivering fun, stylish, and enjoyable urban-plus mobility. This marks a key step in our brand’s evolution, allowing us to blend the essence of Royal Enfield’s DNA with the benefits of electric vehicle technology. Our goal is to bring something unique, delightful, and truly differentiated to the world of city-plus mobility,” he added.
Announcing the creation of the brand and showcasing of its first two models at the global launch event in Milan ahead of EICMA, B Govindarajan, chief executive officer of Royal Enfield added, “It is an especially exciting moment for us, as we present the new Flying Flea brand at EICMA. This represents a completely new chapter for Royal Enfield, inspired by our legacy, driven by our vision for the future and outcome of REBALANCE, our approach to business. Flying Flea combines distinctive style, city-focussed practicality, and cutting-edge technology. This is the start of a fresh, sustainable ride for us, and offers the world an elegant, effective and sustainable everyday transportation.”
The Flying Flea team within Royal Enfield, boasts of a class-leading team of more than 200 engineers in the UK and in India, allowing Flying Flea to develop its own motor, battery, BMS and custom software for its line of connected electric vehicles. With more than 28 patent applications filed for native and connected applications, end-to-end technology for the Flying Flea has been developed in-house, in partnership with industry-leading experts and brands.
“We’ve been deeply investing in R&D and infrastructure for EV over the last many years. We have also initiated the development of an EV manufacturing plant in Chennai, India. We have invested in Barcelona-based Stark Future known for its advanced off-road electric motorcycles” Govindarajan said.
“All aspects of our connected electric motorcycles, including product strategy and development, technical components like motor, battery, BMS, custom software, and our retail and market strategy have been developed in-house by our dedicated technical and commercial teams,” he added.
Mario Alvisi, chief growth officer of electric vehicles for Royal Enfield said, “Flying Flea is not just a new division but a completely fresh start in every respect; when we say this is a city+ platform, this is to say Flying Flea allows riders to break free to and from the city with a truly moving and visceral riding experience. This is much more than a new brand from Royal Enfield – this is a whole new approach from the brand. We have worked tirelessly to assemble a world-class team and culture, invested in groundbreaking infrastructure, class-leading technology and have formed both the brand and products from a blank sheet of paper.”
The company said that as an expression of Royal Enfield’s commitment to keep moving forward, this new brand of electric vehicles continues a legacy of innovation and builds a unique, and exciting range of urban and city plus motorcycles for the global electric motorcycle marketplace and beyond.
