We’ve seen a whole bunch of electric enduro bikes pop up in recent years, as these off-roaders are not only tons of fun, but could also hold the ticket to the future of off-roading.
And while there are tons of new models built from scratch, there are also those that make use of an existing platform and swap out the gas engine for an electric motor. Case in point: the Fantic XE1.
You may be familiar with Fantic, an Italian manufacturer specializing in all things off-road. The brand has a wide selection of enduro and motocross bikes, all of which rocking ICE powertrains. However, over in the Netherlands, Fantic has teamed up with Lizcat GmbH, a Swiss startup specializing in electric conversion kits for motocross and enduro bikes—a match made in heaven if you ask me.
Fantic Netherlands has adapted Lizcat’s electric powertrain to fit directly into the XEF platform, a popular enduro model from the Fantic lineup. The two companies have come up with two models: the XE1 4.0 and XE1 5.0.
The XE1 4.0 is the simpler of the two, and gets an air-cooled setup. With a 4.0 kW battery pack, the electric enduro dishes out a claimed 40 horsepower and an eyebrow-raising 720 Nm (532 pound-feet) of torque. Meanwhile, the XE1 5.0 dials performance up a notch, sporting a liquid-cooled electric motor. Power is up to 52 ponies and 820 Nm (607 pound-feet) of torque, and a 5.0 kW battery promises longer range.
It’s worth mentioning that the XE1 electric enduros aren’t official models from Fantic, but rather, a collaboration between Fantic Netherlands and Lizcat. They are, however, available for order from Fantic Netherlands, with the XE1 4.0 priced at 16,998 euros (about $18,197 USD), and XE1 5.0 priced at 18,998 euros ($20,339 USD).
Electric conversion kits for ICE-powered motorcycles are super exciting, and quite frankly, a logical way to go about electrification. There’s something very Mad Max-y about it, and there’s a chance this technology will become mainstream, perhaps in the distant future when electric will be the only option. But for now, however, it occupies a niche space among off-roaders and tech enthusiasts.
Would you ride a rad electric enduro like the Fantic XE1? Let us know in the comments below.
