Business & Events

Electric Era: Arc Vector $122,000 electric motorcycle

Mark Truman, a former Jaguar Land Rover engineer, debuted his Arc Vector electric motorcycle in 2018.

The Vector's abundance of carbon fiber, wishbone hub steering, and Tron design stated that it wasn't here to electrify motorcycles, but rather to investigate what an electric performance motorcycle could be. Unfortunately for Truman, one of the answers to that question was, "Really difficult to bring to market." Following that 2018 reveal, investor troubles resulted in bankruptcy in late 2019 rather than 2020 deliveries.

In 2021, Truman repurchased the company's assets and recently told Motorcycle News that the project is back on track. Reservation holders are at Arc's central England headquarters speccing a production-ready fleet, while development riders are believed to be shepherding a production-ready fleet through Spain for homologation, with the first bikes anticipated to arrive before the end of 2022.

The Vector is made out of a carbon fiber battery case that houses a Samsung 399-volt, 16.8-kWh pack. All of the other pieces are hung off of that box, which replaces a typical frame. The battery powers a motor with 138 horsepower and 293 pound-feet of torque that drives a belt to the back hub. The 485-pound bike is said to go from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds with this arrangement.

The top speed is capped at 124 mph. Arc claims a range of 271 miles, which is almost certainly a European NEDC figure. The battery may be recharged in 40 minutes using DC fast charging.

Traditional high-end components like as custom Ohlins TTX dampers, Brembo Stylema brakes, and carbon fiber wheels are included in the parts list. Truman's exploration of how far an electric motorcycle could take him didn't end with the motorcycle.

The Arc Pilot System, which includes an Arc Zenith helmet with a heads-up display and a rear-view camera, as well as an Origin armored undershirt and jacket with built-in haptic feedback, is included with the Vector. When a vehicle enters a rider's blind spot, for example, the jacket buzzes the rider to direct him or her to the proper location.

The pricing starts at 90,000 British pounds sterling ($122,000 USD). This time around, the corporate trip should be a little easier, according to Truman, Arc is totally self-funded, because it does design and consultancy work.

If that's all true, the Vector will get even better, with "a very special limited edition that we will be launching [in 2022] that will allow customers to get closer to their technology and be part in the production of future cutting-edge tech advances," according to the press release.

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