Electric mobility is the present and the future – that’s true for cars. However, motorcycles are also in tow for the inevitable plugged-in motoring. While e-bikes are actually a thing these days, most of them come from small Chinese brands.
That won’t always be the case as mainstream motorcycle manufacturers have begun investing in the electrified future. One of those brands is BMW Motorrad.
To further strengthen its position in the emissions-free market, the Bavarians have announced an extension and expansion of its long-term partnership with Indian motorcycle giant TVS.
Under the agreement, the companies will develop common platforms by mutually tapping the emerging technologies in the future mobility space with various segments and market needs in mind. Both companies have identified a range of products and technologies to deliver significant business benefits.
The partnership also appoints TVS to design and develop future BMW Motorrad products, as well as deliver world-class quality, supply chain management, and industrialization.
“In the nine years of our long-term strategic partnership, we have always cherished the common core values we share with BMW Motorrad: focus on quality, engineering prowess, innovation, and customer satisfaction. These factors and our commitment to deliver superior quality products with a strong value proposition have been key to the success of all three products launched from the platform. The new world of future mobility encompasses a strong play through alternate solutions, including electric mobility. Expanding this successful partnership to EVs and other newer platforms will create opportunities to deliver advanced technology and aspirational products to global markets and bring valuable synergies to both companies,” said Mr. Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director, TVS Motor Company.
“In light of our fruitful association with TVS Motor Company, we are delighted to extend and expand our cooperation agreement to include long-term partnership and joint development of new platforms and technologies, including electric vehicles. Our strong synergies have led to the development of impressive offerings in the sub-500cc segment. Since the launch, BMW G 310 R and BMW G 310 GS single-cylinder models continue to enjoy unrivaled popularity with over 100,000 global customers. We look forward to the future of this cooperation,” said Dr. Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad.
This isn’t the first collaboration between BMW and TVS. The pair inked a deal to develop sub-500cc motorcycles in 2013. The team-up allowed BMW to access TVS manufacturing and access to the Indian market with its G 310 lineup. On the other hand, TVS got the Apache RR 310 as the fruit of that team up, as well as design and engineering knowledge from BMW Motorrad.
In the Philippines, TVS offers a wide range of two-wheel and three-wheel vehicles in more than 500 outlets nationwide. The lineup includes the RR 310, NTORQ 125, Dazz, Max4R, Neo NX, RoxkZ, and XL 100, along with the three-wheelers TVS King Euro 4 and TVS Kargo Euro 4.