Electric Motorcycle Sets Land-speed Record at 215.9 mph

Content courtesy of TorqueNews.com

by Don Bain

We’ve been trying to convince people for years electric vehicles will be more powerful and even faster than combustion engines, but they simply don’t believe it. They say things like, “Electric motors will never work for racing because they would need too many batteries for preliminary trials and everything else.” Of course they’ve failed to consider inductive power transmission, which has absolutely nothing to do with this story.

Lightning Motorcycle‘s electric motorbike is powered by an ENER1 lithium
ion battery pack, as are most hybrids and EVs. ENER1 is a leading
provider of batteries to automobile and motorcycle manufacturers, among
others.

“It’s extremely rewarding to be working with such an innovative customer
like Lightning Motorcycles, which has set multiple land-speed records
over the last year,” stated Chris Cowger, president of Ener1. “Lightning
recently switched to using Ener1‘s automotive-grade, lithium-ion PHEV
cells in their motorcycles, and we’re glad to be part of the team that
helped them achieve the world land-speed record. We’re also excited that
the technology and innovation Lightning uses for its record-holding
SuperBike will also be available when the company’s electric commuter
motorcycle and scooter hit the market next year.”

Lightning Motorcycles is also working on prototypes of electric
bicycles, scooters and ATVs. They recently signed a supply and
distribution agreement with Ener1to use their expertise in design and
engineering electric motorcycles to sell more PHEV and EV cells and
energy storage solutions into the growing e-bike market.

“Ener1’s PHEV cells performed flawlessly at Bonneville, and we’re
extremely pleased with our decision to switch to their energy storage
solutions,” stated Lightning Motorcycles Founder and CEO Richard
Hatfield. “Our goal is to push electric-motorcycle technology to parity
with gas-powered motorcycles, and we believe Ener1 will be a terrific
partner in helping us realize that goal for both our racing and
commercial bikes.”

Lightning Motorcycles set the FIM and AMA official world record of
173.388 mph during the world finals in October 2010. During Bonneville
SpeedWeek, Lightning set a new land-speed record of 206.079 mph earlier
in the week and then topped it by setting the current land-speed record
of 215.90 mph.

Before very long we may all be moving at the speed of electricity.