Electric Voltra motorcycle concept far too cool not to build

Recently, James Tate wrote here about how electric vehicles are changing the face of auto manufacturing in the U.S. -- how the less complicated, cleaner electric powerplants keep engineering and manufacturing infrastructure requirements (and, therefore, costs) low, which means it's much easier to build small-scale EV product lines than it ever could be for internal combustion engine-based autos.

Electric Voltra motorcycle

If that's true for cars, it's doubly so for motorcycles, and there's no better proof of that than the Voltra electric motorcycle. Just a concept at present -- in fact, the design study is Australian student Dan Anderson's final-year thesis project for an industrial design degree -- the bike is still entirely buildable, and enjoys some revolutionary design cues made possible by the very fact that there's no engine or fuel tank to contend with.

For example, the lack of a fuel tank means the entire subframe can be bolted directly on the front of the bike, which gives the seat the floating-in-air look. The dash is removable, because the "tank" to which it's affixed of course isn't a tank at all.

And while battery technology is not yet at the point where electrics can rival the power-to-weight ratio of petrol-fired bikes, there are some performance benefits: Mass centralization will deliver superb handling, and the electric components (at least in Anderson's design) will allow the driver to sacrifice power-saving for performance with variable electronically controlled riding modes.

While all of these design elements are in the realm of the possible right now, they of course only exist in concept for this sleek, menacing electric bike. There's only one way to remedy that: Build the thing, and soon.
(Source and image: Gizmag.)

Electric Voltra motorcycle concept far too cool not to build