One of the more interesting developments announced at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy was the debut of the Arc Vector electric superbike, which is being back by InMotion Ventures, the investment arm of Jaguar Land Rover. Yes, as in the car manufacturer.
The link to Jaguar Land Rover was an easy one, as Arc founder Mark Truman was formerly part of the company’s skunk works team, called White Space. Other funding partners include Mercia Fund Managers, the Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund which is part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, and a number of industry specialist angels.
Arc has been teasing the Vector for the past several weeks, with plenty of buzzwords to go along with its electric motorcycle offering. The company plans a multi-pronged approach to get into the motorcycle industry, which includes creating a line of smart apparel (co-developed with Knox) that includes a helmet with a heads-up display (HUD).
The 127hp (95 kW) electric motorcycle can reach a top speed of 150 mph, and while battery pack capacity is suspiciously not mentioned in the information provided to the public, with a cell technology from Samsung unlike any other, Arc is quoting a 120-mile highway range, 170 miles in the city.
The monocoque chassis is made from a carbon fiber, as is the swingarm and wheels, and the front-end is a hub-center steering design. Suspension is handled by Öhlins, and the brakes by Brembo, as one would expect from a £90,000 ($117,500) motorcycle. Only 355 units of the Arc Vector will be made of this 485 lbs motorcycle.
The claims don’t stop with the motorcycle though, as the company envisions using a line of wearables that would include haptic feedback that integrate with the motorcycle’s controls – a subject we have talked about here at Asphalt & Rubber before.
Arc also intends to bring a motorcycle helmet to market, which uses a heads-up display, which is a subject we have also covered on A&R…
Source: Arc
As always, Asphalt & Rubber will be covering all the new bikes debuting at EICMA this year. Be sure to follow our coverage for the most recent news and photos.
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