California-based electric motorcycle manufacturer, Alta Motors, builds some of the fastest and most advanced, competition-ready electric motorcycles in the world. Founded in 2008 by Marc Fenigstein, Derek Dorresteyn, and Jeff Sand, Alta Motors is arguably the Tesla of motorcycles. The company claims that “mile for mile, there is no smaller, more compact, energy dense battery pack in transportation” than the ones used in the company’s line of all-electric motorcycles, including the Enduro (EX), Motocross (MX), and Supermoto (SM).
I sat down with Alta Motors’ CEO on the NextMobility podcast to discuss the company’s current lineup and their upcoming products.
“I think it’ll [Supermoto] give more people an opportunity to try out what we have built. I think they are the most fun style of motorcycles out there… with electric, there is no maintenance, so you get all the benefits of a race breed supermoto and none of the headaches,” said Marc on the NextMobility Podcast.
Alta Motors has been developing and perfecting their powertrain over the last several years, and the results of their efforts have left them with one of the most energy dense automotive battery packs available, says the company. Alta uses 18650 lithium-ion battery cells, the very same form factor Tesla uses in its Model S and X. In speaking with Marc, he tells me that Tesla is one of the only other automotive companies really paying close attention to thermal pack management, which is crucial to pack longevity and safety.
Alta Motors CEO Marc Fenigstein (Photo: Aaron Brown/Business Insider)
“If you are trying to get from one side of Manhattan to another, there isn’t anything else with a license plate that can keep up.” – Alta Motors CEO, Marc Fenigstein
Alta raised $27M in June of this year to help develop their next platform, a full street motorcycle, and scale their manufacturing processes. The company in its current capacity manufactures 20 bikes per week but is looking to grow production as their sales network grows.
Be sure to tune in for the full season of NextMobility podcast and subscribe.
