Mission Motors Electric Motorcycle – Car News
February 2009, CarandDriver.com – A green bike you don’t have to pedal.
When Tesla Motors kicked off the modern I-want-to-be-green-and-have-fun-too electric-car phenomenon a few years back, it was only a matter of time before other modes of transportation began to follow suit. Sure, plenty of these vehicles exist as corporate science projects and marketing ploys, but few have been successfully produced in any sort of quantity. However, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, as Forrest North, a former mechanical designer at Tesla, has started Mission Motors in an attempt to market the world’s fastest production electric motorcycle.
Lots o’ Torque
The Mission One will be the company’s first production stab at the world of electric-powered superbikes. Boasting a claimed top speed of 150 mph and a range of 150 miles on a full charge, the sportbike attempts to be the Tesla of the motorcycle industry. Charging time will require less than three hours via a 220-volt outlet, achieving 80 percent capacity in just over an hour, or about eight to ten hours using a standard 110-volt plug. Lithium-ion batteries—located everywhere in the bike—will feed the liquid-cooled motor, which sits approximately where the transmission mounts on a gas-fired bike and produces more than 100 lb-ft of instant torque. The Mission One will be chain-driven and will not contain a transmission, but rather a gear-reduction box. Adjustable regenerative braking is also featured and will assist in extending the range by about 10 percent, the company says.