Report: KTM Abandons Electric Scooter Project

KTM seems to have a tumultuous relationship when it comes to electric vehicles. The Austrian company was the first OEM to announce an electric product, back in 2011.

Then in 2013, KTM CEO Stefan Pierer announced that the timing wasn’t right for electrics…and then promptly debuted the company’s E-Speed electric scooter, several days later.

KTM has since revamped its electric dirt bike program, showing three new Freeride E models at EICMA (MX, Enduro, and Supermoto).

So maybe then it’s without surprise that word is going around that KTM is canning its E-Speed project, ahead of its expected 2015 debut.

The official line being reported is that the electric scooter project is not in keeping with KTM’s “Ready to Race” brand image.

Certainly we can’t foresee a large electric scooter racing market, though KTM’s process through electric drivetrains suggests that the company was having a tough time catching up with the ever-evolving landscape for electric motorcycles.

Of course feedback from customers and dealers likely sealed the E-Speed’s fate, though no one can be certain that Pierer & Co. won’t change their minds yet again.

In fact, it wouldn’t surprise us to see Bajaj continue the electric scooter program, but time will tell on that account.