Norton ABANDONS electric motorbike citing LACK of DEMAND | MGUY Australia
Well, that didn’t take long. It was only 3 years ago that legendary motorbike manufacturer Norton proudly announced that it was embarking on an electrification journey with a nice injection of taxpayer funds into the bargain, naturally. But guess what? Hairy bikers don’t want ponyy electric bikes. They want a muscular bike with a combustion engine with all the sounds, smells, and sensations that go with it. If you wanted an electric bike, you could buy a batterypowered scooter, which isn’t exactly a replacement for a thumping great superbike. That other legendary brand, Harley-Davidson, has already ventured into electric bikes, and entirely predictably, it has been an almost total flop with only a handful sold. And just like EVs, electric bikes popularity has already peaked, if you can call it that, and is already declining rather than continuing to grow as anticipated. See, you just can’t buck the market. storied past, having been founded in 1898. And by 1902, they were already making motorbikes with engines bought in from other manufacturers. They continue in business to this day. And if you’re interested in the history, I suggest you take a look at the very long and detailed Wikipedia entry. But even Norton was infected with the net zero mind virus and in June 2022 announced that it was going electric thanks to some government funding. Norton motorcycles begins electrification journey. The time has come. Norton will begin developing electric motorcycles in the UK after winning significant investment through a government scheme. Thanks to funding from Advanced Propulsion Center APC19, an initiative which aims to assist businesses in the automotive sector in advancing their lowcarbon offering, Norton is now part of the movement helping to accelerate the UK towards a net zero automotive future. As demand for electric motorcycles and micromobility solutions grow, the project zero emission Norton will expand our ever growing electric vehicle engineering capabilities and develop worldclass electric motorcycles. Guided by a design-led philosophy and a relentless commitment to perfection, the electric products will still look unmistakably Norton. The project’s team will refine the traditional Norton design DNA, but with modern twists, introducing industry-leading innovations and digital solutions. Electric products to date offer either range or performance as the weight and size of the battery compromise vehicle design. However, using the extensive engineering and design experience within the Norton team, this project looks to eliminate that compromise while simultaneously delivering race performance and touring range. Well, they may have looked like Norton, but they certainly wouldn’t sound like Norton. And predictably, barely three years later, the electric superbike project is over. Norton pulls plug on electric superbike. Historic Mark says lack of demand means it will park a project that had received £8.5 million from UK taxpayers. Norton Motorcycles has pulled the plug on an advanced electric motorbike project despite the historic manufacturer having received 8.5 million pounds from UK taxpayers to develop it. Executives at the Midlandbased firm said there was simply not enough demand for electric superbikes to justify production. The injection of public funds came through the governmentbacked advanced propulsion center in 2021. It was supposed to help Norton along with partners including Warick University develop a high-performance electric motorcycle under the code name Project Zen, Zero Emissions Norton. Though a prototype has been completed, company bosses said the project will not be taken forward. Richard Arnold, chief executive of Norton, told the Telegraph that the prototype was capable of spectacular levels of performance. There’s a lot of technological innovations within it, a lot of design innovations within it, he said. But there is a question for the people that have sought to bring electric bikes to market. Has the demand been good or bad? And the demand has been bad. You can develop as many products as you want, but we have to make sure they’re ones consumers want to buy. And the evidence to date is that this is something consumers aren’t ready for. And that’s the key point. If consumers don’t want it, why build it? And Harley’s experience has been even worse. Harley-Davidson’s electric spin-off LiveWire sold just 33 bikes in the first quarter of 2025, a 72% drop yearonear, and reported an operating loss of $20 million during that period. In Britain, sales of electric two-wheelers fell by 7.7% in 2024. And I’m delighted to report that Norton is returning to its roots. The company is now focused on producing premium petrol bikes including the £44,000 V4SV as well as a re-engineered Commando 961. It may also produce a cheaper bike in India. According to Sudar Shan Venu, the TVS boss, we’ll definitely have a differentiated retail strategy in India covering Norton. This will help connect with the growing middle class and top-end segments who buy sports cars and other high-end vehicles, he said in an interview with CNBC. Well, the arguments against electric motorbikes are exactly the same as the arguments against electric sports and exotic cars. A complete lack of driver involvement. A vehicle with no beating heart, no soul, nothing to raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Just a pointless, bland eco blob, which no bikey would consider buying. At least Norton pulled the plug before it was too late. Thanks very much
Who on earth would want an electric motor bike? What’s the point?
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