Electric mopeds and scooters are ideal for last-mile delivery fleets, and electric motorbikes are rapidly growing in popularity as a commuter choice.
With well-known manufacturers like Triumph increasingly focusing on battery power, the e-motorcycle sector made even more progress last year.
However, the electric two-wheeled sphere is also giving new businesses a chance to capture a portion of the expanding market. Although the market is difficult, some of them have the potential to become as well-known in the e-motorcycle industry as companies like Tesla and Polestar in the electric car industry.
Here, we examine the most resourceful and reputable e-motorbike start-ups that are expected to revolutionise the market for zero-emission two-wheelers.
CAKE
Power cake? The Swedish company isn’t attaching batteries to a victoria sponge, so don’t worry. Instead, it produces a variety of electric dirt motorcycles and mopeds for both business fleets and recreational users.
Cake, a company founded in 2016 by Stefan Ytterborn, debuted its first model, the Kalk, in 2018. This lightweight, straightforward vehicle is designed for urban riders. Soon after, Cake added two more compact models to its lineup: the Makka, a commuter bike, and the Sa, a utility bike geared for fleets.
Cake was founded on a modest lineup of motorcycles, but since then, it has evolved into something far greater. In order to assist rangers fighting poaching, the company launched a fleet of special edition bikes in Africa last year.
By 2025, the company promised to produce the first totally fossil-free e-motorcycle, and in the summer of 2022, Cake announced its entry into the UK with the opening of a new store in London.
In addition, Cake unveiled its new Aik utility e-bike, three new children’s bikes, and an electric quadbike for farmers before the year came to an end. They also found time to work with the automobile company Polestar on a limited-edition Makka.
It appears like Cake’s ambition will allow them to capture a sizable portion of the e-motorbike industry.
Damon
The 2017 establishment of the Canadian company has its sights set on taking the lead in performance motorcycle electrification.
In 2020, the business unveiled the Damon Hypersport, a sporty vehicle with a sleek design and a top speed of 200 mph in Premier specification.
The Damon Hyperfigher, a stripped-down version of the Hypersport with the same drivetrain and electronics, came next in 2022.
Damon claims it has an order book worth $100 million (£83 million) but has yet to produce any of the devices despite all the buzz around the brand.
However, Damon’s goals seem achievable given that the company announced plans in 2021 to construct a new 110,000 square foot production plant in British Columbia, Canada. Dom Kwong, a co-founder of Damon, stated in June of last year that the plant was 50% finished, but it is not yet known if the facility is completely operating.
A new distributor of the company’s model lineup, Indika, recently joined the firm’s operations in Indonesia.
Davinci
Davinci was established in 2013 as a technological company focused on the creation of robotic vehicles. Since then, it has developed into a full-fledged e-motorbike start-up and plans to introduce its first model this year.
The initial model of the Chinese company’s DC100 electric motorcycle had its European debut at the Milan EICMA show last year, although the DC100 was not released until 2021. The DC100 will be a visually arresting 100kW, 124mph performance-oriented vehicle with a range of up to 222 miles when it debuts.
Davinci has not verified this, however the company’s website does permit clients from the UK to reserve a DC100, so we might eventually see them on British roads.
Additionally, Davinci has introduced the DC Classic, a limited-edition special edition of the company’s signature DC100 model.
Along with its e-motorbike operations, the company has established a Davinci Lab in China, a gathering place for motorcycle aficionados, and expects to add three more locations this year.
Davinci has not verified this, however the company’s website does permit clients from the UK to reserve a DC100, so we might eventually see them on British roads.
Additionally, Davinci has introduced the DC Classic, a limited-edition special edition of the company’s signature DC100 model.
Along with its e-motorbike operations, the company has established a Davinci Lab in China, a gathering place for motorcycle aficionados, and expects to add three more locations this year.
Energica
The Italian company specialises in high-performance vehicles, and it has already demonstrated its talents by producing the MotoE electric racing series’ specification vehicle.
The 150mph Ego and Eva Ribelle are only two of the sports and naked e-motorbikes that Energica, an Italian company founded in Modena, offers.
With the Ego Corsa created for the racing series since 2019, Energica dissolved their cooperation with MotoE last year, expressing their intentions to test themselves in different industries.
The Energica Experia, a brand-new touring bike with a 22.5kWh battery that the manufacturer claims is the largest ever installed on a production e-motorcycle, served as the vehicle for that test.
And so far, the decision to enter the touring motorcycle market has paid off; Energica reports that the Experia bike has received a lot of pre-purchase orders.
According to Energica’s end-of-year report for 2022, the company had a 52% increase in unit sales and a 67% increase in motorbike revenue. Energica is showing encouraging signals, but if it wants to keep up with competitors Livewire and Zero, it will need to maintain its current sales levels.
Livewire
The electric motorcycle brand, which debuted in 2021 as a Harley Davidson sub-brand, is more of a spin-off than a start-up. However, considering its importance, we felt it warranted a spot on our list.
Harley-Davidson, an American manufacturer of motorcycles, introduced the Livewire electric motorbike in 2019 as a 75kW sports machine before establishing the Livewire corporation as a stand-alone entity to lead its future line-up of electrified models.
Currently, Livewire sells the One, and last year the company unveiled the Del Mar, a second, more economical e-bike. The Del Mar, which is scheduled to debut on market in 2023, will have a 110-mile range and a 59kW power output, according to the company.
Livewire anticipates selling 101,000 electric motorcycles by the year 2026, demonstrating its confidence in the viability of its new products. The company only sold 387 devices in 2021, so there is still a long way to go for a brand that is only beginning to show promise.
Maeving
The expression “dare to be different” is one that most of us have heard of, and British start-up Maeving is one company that subscribes to this idea. Furthermore, it is undoubtedly called Maeving .
In 2017, William Stirrup and Sebastian Inglis-Jones launched the business. They then set out to assemble a team of primarily former Triumph engineers to build the company’s first machine, the RM1.
The retro-styled RM1, which has replaceable battery technology and is modelled around board trackers from the 1920s and café racers, is unquestionably unique.
Maeving RM1 electrie motorbike review
Maeving is persevering with its RM1 and intends to deliver more than 1000 bikes this year despite supply chain challenges.
Sebastian Ignlis-Jones, a co-founder of Maeving, stated that the company will use detachable battery technology going forward for the foreseeable future, but that they would switch to a different setup once charging infrastructure became more widely accessible.
Silence
Tony Lewis and John Edwards, former heads of Nissan GB’s sales division and specialists at Land Rover and Jaguar Land Rover, respectively, are in charge of Silence UK, which aims to revolutionise last-mile delivery and inner-city commuter transportation.
The British division of the specialised electric vehicle manufacturer Silence, which produces its e-scooters and e-mopeds at a plant in Barcelona, is called Silence UK. Additionally, they provide equipment for the Seat Mo 125 electric scooter, which belongs to the automaker Seat.
Despite initial difficulties brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK company built its first retail location in the West Midlands in 2021, and the company has gradually gained ground by selling its Vespa-like, twist and go electric scooters.
Move Electric was informed by co-founder Edwards that the company was now seeking dealers to get national distribution. He continued by saying that Silence has collaborated with Ocado and will be providing a fleet of 10 e-scooters for delivery services to the online grocery store. As a result, the startup has since strengthened the durability of its electric scooters.
Stilride
Stride, well renowned for its innovative “industrial origami,” wants to adopt a centuries-old method to build its own electric motorcycle.
The company, founded in 2019 by Jonas Nyvang and Tue Beijer, will employ the ground-breaking new method known as Stilfold to produce its SUS1 lightweight electric motorcycle. Using this method, stainless steel sheets are folded and bent into lightweight constructions.
With more than 135,000 customers on a waiting list, the Scandinavian company is sure that its new machine will deliver even if it hasn’t officially launched its first electric motorcycle.
In order to further develop and improve its Stilfold technology, Stilride began a funding campaign last year. The company received an initial £3.2 million investment.
Don’t believe for a moment that Stilride’s goals are limited to electric motorcycles; by 2030, the company will work with Polestar, another Swedish business, to produce the first totally climate-neutral vehicle.
Zapp
Zapp was founded in 2017, and the i300 e-moped was initially displayed in 2018. Since then, the business has created a brand-new vehicle with motorsport as its inspiration; the i300 made its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2014.
According to the company, its first model would have motorcycle levels of acceleration and riding dynamics. The Zapp i300 is an electric city bike with a “step-through” scooter design.
The i300 combines an exoskeleton structure along with lightweight alloy composite bodywork to achieve its 92kg (without batteries) weight.
Q&A: Zapp founder on why electric mopeds are the future
Although the i300 will be put together in Thailand, its components will be produced and sourced all around the world, including in Britain. Swin Chatsuwan, the creator of Zapp, is sure that his company can scale very quickly because the bike’s exoskeleton design requires only four pieces of metal.
Zero
One of the more established and ambitious start-ups on our list, Zero currently manufactures a wide range of e-motorbikes for practically all market categories.
Former NASA engineer Neal Saiki founded Zero, formerly known as Electricross, in 2006. He set out to revolutionise the e-motorbike business with the release of the Zero DS and S (for Street) in 2010.
Since then, the company has grown to become a recognised name in the world of electric motorcycles, selling anything from basic commuter bikes to more potent models like the SR/S in more than 30 nations.
With the introduction of the DSR/X adventure bike, which combines off-road skills with urban and highway commuting last year, Zero further expanded its model lineup.
Zero has encountered supply chain challenges, like many other motorcycle manufactures, with semiconductors being the hardest to find.
However, the company has matched deliveries for 2021, and Umberto Uccelli, the European CEO of Zero, told Move Electric that despite a wide model lineup, more bikes might be coming.
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