KTM

KTM owner agrees strategic battery cooperation with VARTA

KTM owner PIERER Mobility AG, headed up by Stefan Pierer, has agreed on a strategic cooperation partnership with Graz, Austria based VARTA - which is headed up by another well-known Austrian entrepreneur, Michael Tojner.
The two want to "cooperate more closely in the e-mobility sector and thus send a strong signal in and from Europe with highly efficient battery systems in the electric two-wheeler sector".

VARTA AG is described as the leading European manufacturer of Li-ion cells and a "global innovation and technology leader". As the largest European Powered Two-Wheeler manufacturer, the cooperation partners "see great potential for the development of a platform battery for light electric vehicles in the field of 48 V technology with peak outputs of up to approx. 20 kW.
"With VARTA Innovation in Graz, we are strongly positioned for VARTA AG's materials research and development in Austria. The site is being massively expanded to drive the development of large battery cell formats for electromobility," says Tojner, CEO of the Montana Tech Components AG group of companies, the majority owner of VARTA AG.
Stefan Pierer, CEO of PIERER Mobility AG, said: "Through our innovative strength, we see ourselves as a technology leader in the two-wheeler sector in Europe and want to set the tone especially in the development of two-wheeled electric vehicles."
The focus of the cooperation between VARTA and KTM is the development and industrialisation of low-voltage battery platforms for vehicles from 250 W to 20 kW peak power, which achieve a high range and performance. 

Stefan Pierer, CEO of PIERER Mobility AG: "As a technology leader in the two-wheeler sector in Europe we want to set the tone in the development of two-wheeled electric vehicles."

In other news, PIERER Mobility has announced that it is to "strengthen" its "strategic cooperation" with Bajaj Auto of India "in the development of electric products in the two-wheeler sector to meet the growing demand for innovative e-mobility concepts".
The two originally joined forces to make a "sizeable and relentless footprint in the international motorcycle industry" and, after 15 successful years, the two companies have decided to "jointly explore the zero tailpipe emissions, low maintenance and long-lasting benefits of light electric vehicles in urban settings and dense metropolitan areas.
"This renewed strategy will centre on the development of common electric platforms to deliver the advantage of scale, regarding all critical components, allowing both companies to quickly and effectively adapt to evolving customer needs globally".
Following the company's commitment to the Swappable Battery Consortium (with Honda, Yamaha and Piaggio and cooperation agreement with VARTA), part of this remit "involves an open approach to all battery opportunities, aiding the parallel advantage of both fixed and swappable solutions".
PIERER Mobility states that "moving at pace, the initial output from this manufacturing impetus will see the first of these shared platform vehicles beginning of 2022".
The company has also confirmed its record results for 2020 with 326,471 motorcycle and e-bicycle unit sales and revenues modestly up over 2019 at € 1,530.4m (previous year:
€ 1,520.1m). It says it sold 212,713 KTM motorcycles, 49,046 Husqvarna models and (already) 8,648 GasGas units. The e-bike division delivered exceptional sales growth of more than 33% with the sale of 56,064 HUSQVARNA and R RAYMON branded e-bikes (2019: 41,993).
PIERER Mobility says that with its three motorcycle brands, the Group further expanded its presence in the key motorcycle sales markets, increasing its market share to 12.7% (previous year: 11.0%).
For the 2021 financial year, the Executive Board expects revenues of between € 1,800 - 1,900m, an EBIT margin of between 8 - 9% and an EBITDA margin of over 15%.
Meanwhile, European type-approval registration has revealed that a third KTM 1290 Super Adventure model is due at some stage this year. A 'standard' base model, it will sit below the already-revealed Super Adventure S and Super Adventure R as an "entry level" machine in the 2021 SA line-up in price and spec terms.

Super Adventure S

Simply called the 1290 Super Adventure, it shares its appearance and dimensions with the 'S' version, with the same wheelbase and length denoting the use of 19in front and 17in rear wheels instead of the off-road-oriented 'R' model's 21in and 18in rims. However, since the entry-level machine won't have the S's high-spec WP-SAT semi-active suspension or radar-assisted adaptive cruise control, it's 5 kg lighter, with a ready-to-ride weight of 240 kg including a full tank of fuel. In comparison, both the 'S' and 'R' come in at 245 kg in the same state. The 'S' gains weight due to its electronic extras, while the 'R' - which lacks the radar and active suspension - features crash bars that increase its mass.
All three models will share identical engine specifications, with even the base machine getting the 1301 cc, 158 hp version of KTM's LC8 V-twin to make it one of the most powerful adventure bikes on the market.
KTM is also thought to be due to unveil a higher-spec version of the 1290 Super Duke R - dubbed the 1290 Super Duke RR. Like the base level Super Adventure, the Super Duke RR has already been type-approved, so we know it's 10 kg lighter than the 'R' version, coming in at 200 kg wet. The paperwork also confirms a different exhaust - the Akrapovic carbon end can (currently on the options list for the R) will be standard on the RR, saving weight - even though it doesn't increase the power, which remains an impressive 177 hp. Lightweight wheels cut further kilos, along with a new seat subframe that's lighter than that of the standard bike.