Mission Motorcycles- Now At Select Dealers

Mission R at Pro Italia

Mission Motorcycles are rolling out their R and RS models to select dealerships. The new bikes were introduced on June 3rd, and covered here. Coincidentally, it’s the same day as the TT Zero at Isle of Man, a race Mission once competed in. Sadly, the company must focus their efforts on building bikes for customers, not just racing, so they weren’t debuting the bikes in the race, as I’d hoped. Please go out and buy one so we can see them on the eRoadRacing and TT Zero fields again in 2014.

In 2009, the inaugural TTXGP race, Mission’s Tom Montano finished 4th with an average speed of 74 MPH. In 2011, Mission racer Steve Rapp won theTTXGP race at Laguna Seca with a 39 second margin over 2nd place Michael Czysz. His qualifying time of 1:31 set the record for electric motorcycles at Laguna Seca, and I don’t recall if it was broken last year. Next weekend I’ll be covering eRoadRacing (formerly ePower/TTXGP) live, so you’ll get all the news as soon as it happens. Mission will be present at the Pro Italia booth in vendor row, so be sure to stop by and check out the bikes.

I attended their launch at Pro Italia in Glendale, CA on Friday night. The motorcycles were gorgeous, but of course their true beauty can only be displayed when you feel that 125 ft lbs of torque thrusting you back as the front wheel aims for the sky. Shod with rubber sticky enough to handle all that torque and 162 ponies, it’s a recipe for endless joy. Zero to sixty in THREE seconds? Yes please. Thank you, may I have another? Speed is addictive, it’s true. The same can be said for torque, the more instantaneously you feel that power thrust, the more instantaneously you want it. I thought my 70 ft lbs Zero FX was awesome, I am dying to try this out. When I do, you’ll get the helmet cam view, of course.

Unfortunately, this is only a feeling I heard about from everyone present who had actually ridden one. From Mission Motorcycles President Mark Seeger toMiguel Galluzzi, designer of such storied motorcycles as the Ducati Monster, everyone raved about the power. Mission’s bikes have proven themselves by winning TTXGP races, even pitted against the likes of MotoCzysz. They’re definitely on par with that level of machine.

Mission Motorcycles sells two models, currently on a made-to-order basis. The R is an open-class sportbike that will leave your Desmosedici collecting dust in the garage, while the RS is the same bike set up for racing. I spoke with a lot of Mission’s core team at the party, and all of them said they’re really hoping to be ready to race for the 2014 eRoadRacing series, but that for now they’re only interested in making bikes for customers. That’s certainly a great plan for a company that’s been in startup phase for a few years now.

Mission has split into two separate companies, Mission Motors and Mission Motorcycles. Mission Motors develops and sells their astounding powertrains to OEM’s, one of which happens to be Mission Motorcycles. This split, combined with their wise positioning as a luxury superbike maker sold through excellent dealerships, should position the company for success.

Source: Gas2.0

Mission Motors RS Is The Electric Superbike You’ve Been Waiting For

Do you consider yourself a real-life Bruce Wayne, but with a focus on cool green technology rather than crime fighting gadgets? If so, Mission Motorcycles just unveiled the equivalent of an all-electric Batcycle, the Mission RS. With more than 200 miles of driving range and a top speed of 150 mph, you’ll be the coolest rich guy in the neighborhood, as long as you don’t mind shelling out nearly $60,000 for it.

Let’s get the fun stuff out of the way first. The Mission RS packs a 163 horsepower electric motor that produces 120 ft-lbs of torque, enabling a top speed of up to 150 mph despite the bilky 17 kWh battery pack. With carbon fiber wheels, an Öhlin’s FGRT suspension, Brembo brakes, a Mission-designed OS touchscreen system onboard, and a tunable track mode, this is truly the most elite electric motorcycle on the planet. Production will be limited to just 40 models, and a $20,000 deposit is required. This is a street legal version of the racing motorcycle that won the 2011 TTXGP.

With a 17 kWh battery on board, the Mission RS has nearly as much power as some fully-electric cars; the Nissan Leaf, for example, has a 24 kWh battery. This allows the Mission RS to go up to 230 miles in city driving, or a 140 miles in 50/50 city/highway driving, and an optional second charger can top off an empty Mission RS in about two hours. Pricing starts at $58,999. Mission definitely delivered on their teaser in more ways than one.

A more pedestrian version of the Mission RS will also be available; the Mission R starts at $32,499, has a $10,000 deposit, and will come with a 12 kWh battery, with optional 15 and 17 kWh packs available. It also gets the Öhlin’s FGRT suspension and Brembo brakes, and the 12 kWh pack is good for a combined driving range of about 105 miles. Both Mission motorcycles are capable of the 150 mph top speed, and a sub 3-second 0-60 mph time.

Are you ready and willing to join the elite ranks of the electron riders?

Source: Mission Motors

Mission Motors closes $9M Series B round; support to commercialize its EV technology to vehicle manufacturers

Mission Motors, a developer of high-performance integrated electric drive systems, closed on a $9.0-million dollar Series B financing round led by Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm. Warburg Pincus is making an initial investment of $7.5 million in the company and Infield Capital is following on to its original investment in Mission. Warburg Pincus has the right to make additional investments periodically, up to a total of $50 million, at its discretion.

The Series B round brings Mission’s total to-date funding to $15.0 million. Proceeds from the financing will support the commercialization of Mission’s electric powertrain technologies and allow the company to expand its partnerships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

With this funding, we plan to grow our powertrain technology business by becoming a reliable production supplier to our OEM customers. The financing adds to what has already been a big year for our company. With the backing of Warburg Pincus, we will be able to build on our recent accomplishments, taking the powertrain technology that we have developed and integrating it into high-volume production vehicles.

—Mission Motors CEO, Jit Bhattacharya

Mission currently provides vehicle manufacturers with optimized electric powertrain solutions based on the company’s core technology. Examples of Mission’s latest technology at work include the integration of Mission powertrain components in high-performance hybrid race cars and the record-breaking Mission R electric superbike. Mission Motors 2011 highlights include:

• Unveiling of new electric powertrain technology on the leading edge of power and energy density;

• Winning the TTXGP/FIM e-Power race at Laguna Seca Raceway with the company’s Mission R motorcycle;

• Setting an electric vehicle lap record at Laguna Seca Raceway that was competitive with combustion-engine AMA Supersport race bikes; and

• Launching several new partnerships with OEM customers for Mission’s electric powertrain systems.

Source: Green Car Congress

Mitsubishi Motors pitching i-MiEV to Europe’s public sector

Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (MMC) is seeking to increase i-MiEV sales to the European public sector, such as police departments and municipalities.

The carmaker is betting that Europe’s public sector, which places a high importance on environmental protection, will be willing to swallow added expenses for EVs.

...The firm intends to produce and ship 25,000 i-MiEVs worldwide in fiscal 2011, a threefold jump on the year. Including sales to individuals and businesses, it seeks to ship about 15,000 units overseas, mainly to Europe.

Source: Nikkei

Mission Motors Showcases Mission R Electric Racing Superbike

Here we have another cool EV motorcycle which falls into the superbike racing category. Electric bikes and scooters are a great commute option for those who live in more temperate climes and we are excited to see more and more models available for purchase.

At the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show, Mission Motors unveiled the Mission R, the company’s new electric racing superbike. The Mission R features the latest components from MissionEVT, the EV powertrain technology arm of Mission Motors.

The Mission R packs 14.4 kWh and 141 hp in a package smaller than a modern 600cc sportbike. The liquid-cooled 3-phase AC Induction motor creates 115 ft-lbs (156 N·m) of torque at the crank from 0 to 6400 RPM, propelling the Mission R to a top speed of more than 160 mph (258 km/h) in a single gear. The MissionEVT 100kW motor controller, with customizable regenerative braking maps and throttle maps, allows the rider to tune the bike to his or her preferences.

The Mission R chassis, designed by James Parker, features an entirely new design for integrating and balancing the weight and volume of a large EV battery pack into a motorcycle chassis. The chassis is wrapped in a new and aerodynamic industrial design by Tim Prentice of Motonium, with a small frontal-area and aggressive ergonomics.

The Mission R will hit the track in early 2011 and will compete in the TTXGP racing series along with other races, events, and demonstrations.