Could Tesla build an electric motorcycle?
And more importantly, could it change public perception of electric motorcycles, just like the Tesla range of cars have?
With the news earlier this week that Harley-Davidson’s Livewire electric motorcycle is floundering, we got thinking about potential non-bike brands that could step in and help make electric motorcycles acceptable.
Tesla are the company that immediately springs to mind. Their rise from a niche maker of expensive but quick electric sportscars to the biggest electric-only maker on the planet is nothing short of meteoric. The company now employs over 40,000 staff and is worth nearly $5b.
And it’s not just their size and growth that makes them an ideal electric motorcycle maker. The business model and infrastructure they have built up are key points in the Tesla success story.
First off, the company unveils its first product, the small electric sportscar. Impractical and expensive, but also eye-catching and different. From there, each version of their electric vehicles has become less expensive and better spec’d than the previous version.
They also put almost as much work into the charging infrastructure as they do in their cars. Most major motorways now include at least one Tesla-only Supercharger locations.
So why won’t Tesla just step up and make an electric motorcycle for the masses?
Sadly, it looks like Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, is a life-long abstainer when it comes to motorcycles. He’s gone on record to say as much, claiming that an incident on a bike occurred in his teens that saw him come a little too close to the edge.
With Musk saying they won’t build a bike, that doesn’t stop us, or other people, dreaming about one though, as the lead image at the top of page shows. The CG image has been doing the rounds on the internet for some time, and just goes to show what a Tesla motorcycle could look like – if they ever do build one!
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
