Voltra electric motorcycle

Another day, another electric bike… In all seriousness, the plethora of electric bikes being researched and developed can only be a good thing.

The more electric models there are on the market, the more competitive things will be, which (in theory) should lead to more affordable prices down the track. Compared to cars, the cost to research and develop an electric motorcycle is significantly less. The simple fact of having to shift less weight works in the electric motorcycle's favour, and here's the latest one, the Voltra.

Though it's not destined for production anytime soon - it was created by an Australian bloke named Dan Anderson for his final year thesis project in an Industrial Design degree - the concept is workable.

The Voltra features an engine-mounted swingarm and the fuel tank is gone. This is, after all, an electric bike and the battery packs are slung underneath the rider, where the engine's pistons would normally take up residence.

Because it's an electric bike and far fewer components are needed, it allowed Dan Anderson to really go to town on the design, and as a result the Voltra's radical style gives it instant appeal.

The floating rear seat unit is a nice touch, and the instrument panel's mounted where the tank would normally be can be removed, storing all sorts of data. It would also give potential riders the ability to tweak the electric motorcycle's performance/efficiency levels.

With less moving parts and far fewer components needed, the Voltra shows how motorcycle design can be dramatically different with electric powerplants. If this is the future of 'green' transport, we could be in for a very trendy ride.