The legendary British motorcycle company, Norton Motorcycles, has announced a transformation of its business to focus on building electric vehicles of the future.
The motorcycle brand, which has participated in the world war, said it would begin this transformation with a project for the next 30 months to develop a battery-powered iron horse called Project Zero Emission Norton or Project ZEN for short. This is a completely new Norton project under TVS ownership.
A 30-month timescale means the project will be completed by the end of 2024. Norton expects the project to produce the motorcycle that many riders around the world want. In addition, these jobs are expected to create many jobs in UK manufacturing and R&D.
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The company has also received funding from the Advanced Propulsion Center (APC) 19 initiative, a government organization that aims to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission transportation technologies. APC 19 will distribute ÂŁ25m to the UK auto sector, or up to 50 per cent of the investment made by entrants. But so far Norton hasn’t announced anything about the spending or how much APC-19 is giving away.
âThis significant funding investment is an important milestone, as it marks the beginning of the electrification journey and fulfills our ten-year product plan. Norton is an example of modern luxury and is not afraid to challenge the status quo, innovating for the future of mobility while staying true to our British heritage. It also focuses on our desire to support the UK in its mission for a clean automotive future,â said Robert Hentschel, CEO of Norton.
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In its development, Norton did not do it alone. He has formed partnerships with several companies. Among them is Delta Cosworth, an electric powertrain specialist owned by the legendary company Cosworth. Headquartered at Silverstone and ready to develop Norton battery packs.