Motorcycles The Disruptors: FuellErik Buell's American EV Startup Fuell is boldly entering the the race to become a player in the electric motorcycle market.

Words Julia LaPalme

While the first electric vehicles were invented in late 1800s, it has been gas-powered vehicles that have ruled the roadways for over a century. But there is a growing movement determined to change that, and over the past two decades, electric vehicles have slowly slipped into the mainstream as the public’s impression of EVs has improved. People are now more aware of the effects of noise and exhaust pollution, and the cost of owning and operating a gas-powered vehicle is driving more traffic toward EVs. Technological advances, cost of operations, and other barriers to entry have been lowered, making it easier to enter the market; as a result, a handful of boutique motorbike and motorcycle companies have emerged. Each of the following seven companies present their own electric motorcycles and e-bikes with a unique approach, hoping to make a lasting impression on the personal mobility market.

FUELL

EVs built a man who once championed performance V-Twins.

Fuell is the latest brainchild of Erik Buell, founder of defunct Buell Motorcycles. After Buell met with his co-founder Frédéric Vasseur and CEO François-Xavier Terny, they collaborated to create a startup that addressed the changing transportation marketplace. “Fred, F-X, and I initiated the company specifically to build products to address the needs of personal commuting and play in urban areas,” Buell says.

Currently, Fuell lists two products in its lineup: Flow, an electric motorcycle, and Fluid, a pedal-assist (or “pedelec”) electric bicycle. Starting at $10,995, the Flow features a proprietary electric wheel motor that comes in two sizes: 11 kilowatts (Flow-1) and 35 kilowatts (Flow-1S). The Flow has a claimed range of 150 miles and can accelerate up to 85 mph. “Overall, the combination of acceleration, smoothness, and silence is simply amazing,” Buell says.

Fuell’s other offering, Fluid, is an e-bike with two power options: 250W (Fluid-1, a Pedelec) or 500 watts (Fluid-1S, an S-Pedelec), priced as low as $3,295. Buell says, “I intensely believe in the importance of slim, nimble, efficient personal rides, and I also seem to think differently, which leads to different solutions.”

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