Volta BCN electric motorcycles have terrible range, awesome style
Dan Seitz 
Yes, we all know that we should be driving an electric car, or a hybrid, or something powered by unicorn farts, but while they may save the Earth, we do need to own to the fact that, a few sports cars like the Tesla aside, most green-friendly cars are dorkmobiles. Seriously, you see somebody tooling around in one of those things and you just want to give them a wedgie.
Fortunately, electric motorcycles have no such problem. You just can’t get very far. But, hey, you’ll look good pushing it!
Specifically, this is the Volta BCN, coming in Spring 2012 and in three models: the Sport, the City and the MyVolta, which is one you customize to your content on the website and have delivered to you. It’s got 35 horsepower, which is on the low end for cycle but respectable, and it’ll run you about $10,000.
The catch, as you might have guessed, is the range: you’ll be going a grand total of…well…43 miles on a full charge. That’s about a third of what, say, the Nissan Leaf pulls in, largely due to the smaller batteries the cycle needs.
On the other hand, it only takes two hours to recharge, and it can do that off a wall plug, unlike plug-in hybrids, and it keeps 80% of its capacity after five years of use. Also, nobody will point and laugh at you when you’re waiting on the side of the road for an emergency charge. Although they might mistake you for Eurotrash, so maybe wear the less elaborate riding leathers. Check out the announcement video, and let us know what you’d like for an electric cycle. Aside from it looking more like the one from Tron, that is.
VOLTA BCN Teaser from VOLTA Motorbikes on Vimeo.
Volta BCN electric motorcycle announced, set to go on sale in Q2 2012 [Engadget]
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