KTM has taken the wraps off the E-SPEED, a new electric scooter concept, that sees the Austrian company preparing to move into a completely new market segment. The E-SPEED is powered by a liquid-cooled, permanent-magnet synchronous motor with 36Nm of maximum torque and a permanent power of 11kW to drive the rear wheel via a belt drive.

Electricity is stored in a package of cutting-edge lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 4.36kWh that is fully charged within two hours on a regular 220V socket. With the powerful acceleration typical of electric motors, and with its low weight of only 140kg, KTM claims the E-SPEED can be flicked through urban traffic with great agility, besides running nearly silently and completely free of emissions.

“Vehicles like the E-SPEED and Freeride-E will help powered two-wheelers win back more acceptance in society,” says KTM boss Stefan Pierer. “Not just because of their environmental credits, but because they are easy to use, quick, and simply great fun.”

“The KTM “E-SPEED” does indeed have sporting ambitions, as witnessed by the concept’s chassis and styling – thanks to completely unique technical solutions and the inimitable lines drawn by KTM’s very own designer, Gerald Kiska.

Suspension and equipment have as little in common with typical scooters as the electric motor, completely encapsulated inside an aluminium casing with integrated cooling fins. The E-SPEED uses the aluminium battery casing as a central, load-bearing chassis component which also carries the swing-arm, the motor and a lightweight sub-frame for the front suspension.

The rear swing arm acts on the WP shock via a linkage, while the front wheel is suspended from a single-sided front fork also made by WP Suspension. Aerodynamic polymer slats protect the rider’s feet and legs from the weather while guiding cool air toward the batteries.

Daytime running lights and the high beam use cutting-edge LED technology, while the seat rests on a lightweight but strong polymer support without any kind of metal reinforcement. Regenerative brakes with 220mm discs, ABS, and 14” alloy wheels round off the ground-breaking KTM concept.

The E-SPEED not only elevates the classic scooter concept to a new evolutionary level; its main purpose is to fulfill the requirements of sporty, urban mobility in a contemporary manner. After the Freeride-E, KTM thus once again proves that electric mobility can be combined with lightweight design, playful agility, and great riding dynamics in a single motorised two-wheeler.

Photography Credits: Schedl R.