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Mission One to Be World's Fastest Electric Motorcycle


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150 mph with 150 mile range... not bad, not bad.

Via Gizmodo: http://i.gizmodo.com/5146464/mission-one-to-be-worlds-fastest-electric-motorcycle

Mission_Motorcycle_Behar.jpg

The Mission One

by Mission Motors promises to be the world's fastest 100% electric

production motorcycle, reaching speeds of 150mph. And while that's nice

and everything, we really like how it looks, too. More shots/details:

The Mission One was designed in part by Yves Behar

of OLPC fame. Featuring a lithium ion battery that recharges in two

hours before supplying 150 miles worth of power, the liquid cooled

engine doesn't even need an exhaust or gas tank since there's no

internal combustion. And a single-speed transmission eliminates

shifting. From the aluminum, honeycomb body that flows in a single line

to the convex front meant to suck the rider's chest in for speed, the

Mission One is really a remarkable looking machine, even if we have no

idea how designing OLPC laptops equates into the kind of wind carving

design that a bike at 150mph needs to have. You can pre-order your Mission One now on Missions site. [Mission Motors and fuseproject]

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Better site...

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/04/mission-one-ev-sport-bike-unveiled-150-mph-150-mile-range/

Important things...

P O W E R T R A I N

Battery Pack High Energy Lithium-Ion with Integrated Safety

Motor Liquid-cooled, 3 phase AC Induction

Torque 100 lb-ft @ Zero RPM

Transmission Single speed, #525 O-ring chain

C H A S S I S

Front Suspension Ohlins, 43mm inverted fork, fully adjustable

Rear Suspension Ohlins, single schock w/piggyback reservoir

Front Brakes Brembo forged 4 piston calipers.

Rear Brakes Brembo, 220mm disc; single-piston caliper

Wheels/Tires/Front Marchesini forged Al 3.5"x17", 120/70Z

Wheels/Tires/Rear Marchesini forged Al 6.0"x17", 190/55

T A R G E T P E R F O R M A N C E

Top speed 150mph

Range 150 miles per charge (Est. under EPA drive cycle)

Recharge Under 2 hours @ 240V (8 hours @ 120V)

Features: Adjustable regenerative braking,

Intuitive/adjustable data acquisition system

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Via Wired.com: http://blog.wired.com/cars/2009/02/mission-motors.html

Almost identical to Yota's link.

missionsideshot_sized.jpg

A San Francisco startup led by a former Tesla Motors engineer is developing an electric motorcycle capable of 150 mph, a claim that, if true, would make it the fastest production electric vehicle in the world.

Mission Motors unveiled the bike, dubbed Mission One, at the TED conference and said it will begin selling them next year for $69,000 apiece. Although several electric motorcycles have been announced in recent weeks, Mission Motors sticks out because its 12 employees have worked for Tesla, Ducati North America and Intel, and the bike they're building could set a new benchmark for EVs of all kinds.

"As a motorcycle enthusiast and engineer, I knew I could combine my passion for motorcycles with my passion for innovation and create a motorcycle that truly sets a new standard in the perception of electric vehicles," company founder and CEO Forrest North said at the Mission One's launch.

The prototype, wearing bodywork designed by Yves Behar, is based on a Ducati 900 was designed entirely in-house by Mission Motors. Power comes from a 3-phase AC induction motor and a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery the company claims delivers 150 miles and recharges in just two hours at 240 volts. That climbs to eight hours at 120 volts.

Top-shelf hardware includes Ohlins suspension at both ends, four-piston Brembo brakes and Marchesini forged wheels. The components - and the claimed 150 horsepower - put the bike on par with hardcore sportbikes like the Ducati 1198. That's exactly what North had in mind.

"With Mission One, we're writing the next chapter in motorcycle design, delivering a new riding experience without sacrificing performance or design in a zero emissions vehicle," he said in a statement.

Mission Motors was called Hum Cycles when North launched the company in 2007 after spending a year at Tesla, where he worked on the battery pack that powers the Roadster. Since then he's assembled an impressive team drawn from Silicon Valley and Ducati North America. Vice president of engineering Mason Cabot spent 10 years at Intel. VP of finance Dan Kaplan was CFO of Ducati North America and director of finance at Tesla. Product manager Jeremy Cleland is a motorcycle racer who also has worked for both Ducati and Tesla.

So far the company has raised $1.5 million from investors and capital venture firms like One Earth Capital. As Forbes notes, that won't last long, and Tesla's shown that building a high-dollar, high-performance EV is a tricky proposition. And in addition to going up against startups like Zero Motors and Brammo, Mission Motors will be competing with major manufacturers like Honda and KTM as they develop electric motorcycles.

North says production will begin next year and he's already sold five bikes. The first run is limited to 50 hand-built bikes, which will be followed by a bigger run of 250 before the company introduces a more affordable model.

The company plans to race the bike in the TTXGP, a zero-emissions motorcycle grand prix slated for the Isle of Man, on June 14th.

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