Industrial designer Yves Behar and engineer Forrest North came together to develop the Mission One, a fully electric motorcycle that travels twice as far on a single charge as current options on the market. While it is still in the development stages, the two gave a brief introduction (shown below) to their invention at a Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED) sponsored event in Long Beach, California earlier this year. Mr. North, a former engineer at Tesla Motors, founded Mission Motors in 2007 with Edward West and Mason Cabot. According to the company’s history,

Forrest North first dreamed of building an electric motorcycle when leading the Stanford University Solar Car Team in 1998. Seven years later, he joined Tesla Motors working with many of his old Solar Car teammates. Tesla had a simple vision: build an electric sports car without compromised performance. By using lithium-ion batteries that were lighter and cheaper, the Tesla Roadster changed the meaning of electric cars. Tesla’s vision for electric cars paralleled Forrest’s dream of making an electric motorcycle that rivaled the best gasoline bikes in the world.

Mission One is comparable to many gasoline powered bikes on the road today. It has a range of 150 miles (250 kilometers) per charge, which is similar to bikes with a 3 gallon (11 liter) tank that achieves 50 miles per gallon. The top speed of Mission One is a breathtaking 150mph (250kph).

The unique features of the Mission One include:

• 100% Torque without Shifting
• Top Line Components
• Real Time Data Acquisition
• Wireless Enabled
• Regenerative Braking

The Mission One recaptures the kinetic energy of the motorcycle during braking and turns it into electrical energy stored in the batteries. By recapturing energy, the Mission One goes further on a single charge. The Mission One also allows riders to tune their regenerative braking to fit with their riding style.

• Recharge Anywhere

The Mission One’s onboard charger allows riders to recharge from any standard wall socket. Recharging from empty to full takes 2.5 hours off of a 220V outlet (8 hours off of a 110V). In California, which has the 11th highest electricity prices in the US, “filling up” your bike only costs you $1.96.

• Low Maintenance Costs

The Mission One lacks a combustion engine. That means no oil changes, no gaskets, no timing belts, no valve replacements, no spark plugs. The list goes on. The Mission One powertrain will cost less to maintain than any comparable gasoline sportbike. The battery pack on the Mission One is modular, allowing for individual sections to be replaced if they fail.

The following clip is from Mr. Behar and Mr. North’s brief presentation at TED:

These features follow Tesla Motor’s model of producing sleek, fully electric, high-performance vehicles. As of today, the production date and price have yet to be announced. When this news becomes available, 2nd Green Revolution will report back with the details.

- Eric Wilson

[image source: Mission Motors]