Mission Motors has submitted an SEC Form D filing that shows that the San Francisco based company has raised $3.36 million in a $4.67 million investment round. While Mission Motors won’t comment on the SEC filing, the use of the funds is presumably to go towards bringing production of the Mission One and subsequent Mission motorcycles into reality, as the Mission Motors team gears up to bring its creations to market and establish a production facility.
After already confirming that they wouldn’t be in attendance at Infineon this weekend for the TTXGP season opener, Mission Motors has reaffirmed in a company blog post that they will not be racing in Sonoma this weekend, and have also announced that they will not be competing at the Isle of Man’s TT Zero event later this summer. The news is a bit of a disappointment for the electric motorcycling world, as the hopes of having an event where all the major brandscould be on the same track at the same time seems to be slipping from our grasp.
In conjunction with its announcement that Forrest North has stepped down as CEO of Mission Motors, the San Francisco based company is also announcing that the delivery dates for the Mission One electric superbike have been pushed back from Q4 of 2010 to Q2 of 2011. Mission Motors attributes the deadline push-back to the unforeseen economic collapse in both the motorcycle industry as well as in the capital markets. Despite these setbacks, the company is still on track to deliver the Mission One in a timeframe quicker than or equal to the industry norm, and has also revealed that an addition to the Mission One (which we’ll dub the Mission Two until we hear otherwise) will be announced later this year.
Want to see what the fastest production electric motorcycle looks like as it power-wheelies and slides the back-end around Infineon Raceway? The folks at Mission Motors thought you might, and put together a promotional video that showcases the (Editor’s Note: Mission Motors President Edward West has commented below that this is a fan video) Mission One doing its thing to an urban beatnik vibe. Grab a cup of your favorite fair trade coffee, put on your hipster skinny jeans, and get ready to see motorcycling through the eyes of the Mission District à la San Francisco in the video after the jump.
Following yesterday’s announcement that Zero Motorcycles will be entering into electric streetbike racing and the TTXGP, comes news that Mission Motors will also be entering the TTXGP series with their LSR setting Mission One sportbike. The first stop of the TTXGP North American Championship is set to be held at Infineon Raceway, which has been the test track of choice for Mission Motors and the Mission One. Press release after the jump.
When is a motorcycle more than a bike? When does the electric motorcycle become more than a powertrain? One of the largest hurdles that electric motorcycles face (along with electric vehicles as a whole) is the public notion that these vehicles are like their internal combustion counterparts, and therefore fit into the same preconceived anatomy of what a motorcycle should look and behave like.
However, with electric motorcycles comes the opportunity to start with a fresh slate on how we move about on two-wheels. If form follows function, then with this new function should come a new form. Yet, I still find it amusing when I see electric motorcycles with fabricated fairing fuel tanks. Granted there is a lot to be said about industrial design and its relation to psychology, but I think this fact illustrates the unfluctuating desire of motorcyclists to make every square bike fit through a round-hole.
Despite this allegory, the motorcycle industry sees electric motorcycle startups challenging a lot of norms that we still cling to desperately in the motorcycle industry. Our final stop in the “Tradition Is Not A Business Model” tour of motorcycle startups, takes us to San Francisco, California and the offices of Mission Motors. Fresh on the heels of Mission’s announcement of the Neimen Marcus Limited Edition Mission One, I got a chance to sit down with company CEO/Founder Forrest North and Product Manager Jeremy Cleland, to talk about how technology changes the way we understand and use motorcycles; and perhaps more important, how manufacturers can design and build better motorcycles better in the future.
Just in time for the holiday season, Mission Motors has made it into the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book with their Mission One electric motorcycle. The Neiman Marcus Limited Edition Mission One will only consist of 10 bikes, and accordingly comes with a $73,000 price tag. More after the jump.
When Mission Motors first came out of stealth mode, they used the slogan “The World’s Fastest Electric Production Sportbike”, and quoted a top speed of a 150 mph. It seems only logical then, that the company would have to back that claim up at some point, and apparently that time is now.
Last week we showed you a simple YouTube video entitled: “Electric Motorcycle 160 MPH”, and now we know the story behind that 160 mph run, and can report that the Mission One electric motorcycle is the fastest production electric motorcycle in the world, with an official land speed record of 150.059 mph. Video and more after the jump.
Looking to back up their claim as the fastest electric motorcycle in the world, Mission Motors was also in attendance at this year’s Bub Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Shod in their streamlined fairings from the TTXGP, the Mission One reportedly averaged 160 mph through the timed mile. Check after the jump for a video of their run down the salt.
A little late with its unveiling, Mission Motors has finally shown off its Mission One TTXGP race bike to the public at large. Noticeable right off the bat is the lack of fit-and-finish the the Mission One displays when compared to the Brammo or MotoCzysz motorcycles. But as the A&R track bike can attest to, how a bike looks, is poor, and usually incorrect indication of how it goes around the race track.
The day of reckoning for the TTXGP entrants is almost upon us. In just a short matter of months we’ve seen a handful of dedicated teams take on the challenge of building a fully electrically powered superbike motorcycle fit for FIM sanctioned racing.
Not at an easy feat to say the least.
Now granted, there’s still the matter of 30+ mile course to be covered, and of course all the chaos and excitement of race day, but all of the entrants should be proud of the hard work, and sleepless nights we’re sure they have encountered on their way to the Isle of Man TT.