The electric two-wheeler market is booming with innovation, and we’re seeing all sorts of weird and wonderful machines hit the scene. From an urban point of view, EVs just make sense. They’re quiet, maneuverable, and have lots of torque to zip through traffic-laden streets. When fitted with practical accouterments, they could pretty much replace your car on daily trips around the city.
This is exactly what French brothers Henri and Olivier Rabatel wanted to achieve when they founded Motowatt, an electric motorbike startup, back in 2020. Now, some four years after the company’s birth, Motowatt introduces the W1X, a unique electric motorcycle with a focus on safe and efficient urban mobility. It seems that the Rabatel brothers threw the rule book out the window when coming up with the design of the W1X, as it features components we don’t normally see on electric two-wheelers. For starters, it gets a rugged steel frame and an interesting cantilever-type front suspension system. On top of that, it gets not one, but two electric motors. All-wheel-drive e-moto, anyone?
The Motowatt W1X took four years of rigorous research and development to complete, as the company wanted to ensure that it was building a carbon-neutral machine. Motowatt says that they make use of efficient manufacturing practices by using common components and processes to streamline their production. The company holds its design office near Lyon, France, while its production facility is situated near Figeac in southwestern France. At present, Motowatt is a member of the France System 2030 initiative, a massive investment campaign by the French government for innovative companies with an eye to the future,
Diving right into the tech of the W1X, Motowatt designed the bike to be a practical and user-friendly city commuter. It’s suitable for A1 and B license holders, and promises an ample range of 130 kilometers (about 81 miles) on a single charge. As mentioned earlier, the bike gets two motors – one on each wheel – ensuring optimum traction and stability on all road conditions.
In order to be an effective urban commuter, Motowatt ensured that customers could tailor fit the W1X to their specific needs. As such, it can be outfitted with practical accessories such as a tank box, rear luggage case, and EMC adjustable shock absorbers to account for the added weight of cargo. The braking system can also be upgraded to fancy components from Beringer, and there’s the option of fitting bigger wheels and tires.
When it comes to pricing and availability, the Motowatt W1X is priced starting at 15,000 euros, or about $16,152 USD – quite a hefty chunk of change, all things considered, but that’s the price you pay to be a pioneer of new tech. Motowatt says that deliveries of the new motorcycle will start in January 2025. With all that being said, feel free to visit Motowatt’s official website for more information on this innovative e-moto.
Gallery: Motowatt’s W1X Electric Motorcycle Wants To Be The Ultimate Urban Commuter
