British electric sports motorcycle on sale in 6 months
British-based electric scooter company Ecolve has unveiled a prototype electric sports bike with a performance comparable with petrol-engined equivalents.
The ‘Bolt’ uses a 15kW water-cooled electric motor to achieve a potential top speed of 150mph.
The bike is expected to go on sale throughout Europe as early as May 2010.
The company currently offers a range of three electric bikes including the ‘Electro’, a retro-styled scooter marketed as an environmentally-friendly alternative to petrol scooters in town.
Electric motorcycles are coming
The Ecolve Bolt is not the only electric motorcycle on its way to market; electric sports cars like the Tesla Roadster and Dodge EV are blazing a trail for two-wheeled electric vehicles.
Forrest North, a former engineer at Tesla, is now taking orders for the Mission One (pictured right), a sports-oriented electric motorcycle that boasts a range of 150 miles and a charging time of less than three hours via a household power supply.
Quantya SA was formed in Switzerland to create a range of high-performance and efficient electric motorcycles, which includes a fully-electric enduro model called the Strada.
The bike’s top speed is limited to 43mph, but in terms of handling and torque its performance is described as on a par with petrol-powered 250cc models.
Electric motorcycle performance
| Quantya Strada | Quantya Strada electric off-road motorcycle…..performance at a glance |
|---|---|
| Top speed | 43mph |
| Battery duration | 30-120 minutes depending on how the bike is used |
| 0-43mph time | 2 seconds |
| Recharge time | 2 hours |
| Watch the Strada in action | |
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Quantya bikes website
