Lightning Motorcycles, the maker of the world’s fastest production electric motorcycle, has reached an agreement with Ener1 Inc for lithium-ion battery cells.
The Ener1 battery cells are designed for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and will now be used in the Lightning SuperBike. In addition, Ener1 will supply cells for Lightning’s commuter motorcycle and scooter which will be developed over the next few years.
Pike Research predicts that the global market for electric two-wheeled vehicles will grow at a compound annual rate of nine per cent until 2016. Lightning hopes to meet that demand by introducing a street-legal version of its Lightning SuperBike, which hit 173.388mph last year.
Richard Hatfield, the founder of Lightning Motorcycles, believes that Ener1’s lithium-ion batteries far outperform those from competing companies and are among the most powerful and safe on the market.
