When you hear the word ‘Kalashnikov’, what comes to your mind? Certainly not an electric motorcycle, right?
A wide range of AK series assault rifles, automatic rifles, Dragunov sniper rifles and many more fire weapons. Yes, the 213 years old Russian company that started its journey from Izhevsk is known for its wide range of fire weapons, most famous among them is the mighty AK-47.
But, for the last couple of years, the company has been trying its luck in the field of automobiles as well, especially the electric vehicles.
The Russian company has uncovered its latest electric motorcycle dubbed as Izh-49, a limited edition model for motorcycle collectors.
Kalashnikov is yet to reveal the pricing of the Izh-49. As the Russian media reports, this electric motorcycle is priced at to amount, which is equivalent to around $20,000.
Kalashnikov Concern claims that most of these collectors’ edition motorcycles are already sold and only a few remain in stock. Kalashnikov Concern has revealed that the company has made only 49 models and doesn’t plan to opt for mass production at the moment.
The Izh-49
The Izh-49 electric motorcycle is themed around the Soviet-era motorcycle with the same name, which was the most produced motorcycle of the Soviet Union. Even today, some of them can still be found in rural Russia.
The electric motorcycle Izh-49 was recently displayed at the Army-2020 military exhibition in Moscow, the Russian capital. The Izh-49 is not built for long trips, but comfortable city rides.
This retro-themed electric motorcycle comes with a design that seems to be straight inspired from a science-fiction movie (Read it Terminator series). The Izh-49 motorcycle comes with visual features that draw inspiration from the original Soviet-era model.
The motorcycle is built on a balanced frame with aluminium power elements. It gets a comfortable suspension and an authentic appearance replicating the original Izh-49 motorcycle produced 70 years ago.
The 130 kg weighing Kalashnikov Izh-49 is claimed to be capable of being charged using a household 220V power socket. It gets power from an air-cooled brushless motor clubbed with a Li-ion battery, which churns out 20 PS of power and 60 Nm of torque. This motorcycle can run at a top speed of 95 kmph and it has a ride range of 80 km on a fully charged battery.
The Kalashnikov IZH-49 electric motorcycle uses ventilated hydraulic disc brakes.
Kalashnikov Concern’s EV ambition
The manufacturer of AK-47, Kalashnikov’s ambition about electric vehicles is nothing new.
Back in early 2018, Kalashnikov Concern made 30 units of ‘Izh Pulsar’ electric motorcycles for the Moscow’s Police Department, which were used during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. These electric motorcycles were suitable for off-roading.
Kalashnikov Concern also developed a cruiser motorcycle named as Izh in 2018, for the Russian President’s motorcade.
At the end of 2019, Kalashnikov Concern showcased another Izh motorcycle concept with a cafe racer design, which was developed for fast riding purpose. This motorcycle was claimed to be capable of running at a top speed of 100 kmph, which was similar to the Izh model developed for Russian President’s motorcade.
Not only motorcycles, but Kalashnikov Concern also tried its hands in the electric cars as well. Back in 2018, the Russian weapons maker showcased an all-electric car dubbed as Kalashnikov CV-1 at an event in Moscow. This car was touted as Russia’s answer to the Tesla Model S electric sedan.
The Kalashnikov CV-1 was claimed to have a range of 350 km on a single charge and it had an accelerating capability of 0-100 kmph in 6 seconds. Power source for the car was a 90 kWh battery pack.
As the Kalashnikov Concern claims, firearms are its main sphere of production and interest. But the company wanted to try itself in another segment and each time the initial batch of its electric motorcycles were sold out. While the company isn’t planning to start full-scale production of electric motorcycles, it vows to continue demonstrating its new creations in the coming years.
Thumb image: rg.ru
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