Mission Motors might very well bring the fastest entirely electric motorbike into this oil-tired world of ours. It's called Mission One and has been designed by Yves Behar, one of the greatest contemporary figures of industrial design. But the impressive thing about this bike is its speed: 150mph, without having to shift gears.

According to Mission Motors' web site, Mission One couldn't make this kind of promises if it weren't for its batteries. As a matter of fact, this is the weak point of many electric vehicle prototypes, and manufacturers usually find themselves trapped between using long-lasting batteries at the expense of the vehicle's speed or high-power batteries that provide speed, but get used up in a short while.

Mission One apparently gets its power from “the most energy dense lithium-ion batteries available on the market.” These batteries also use a technology patented by the company and involving cooling and management of the batteries, enabling the motorbike to get additional power from the cells. As a result, Mission One should have the same acceleration performances as a race bike.

The charger of this motorbike will allow you (in case you have enough money to buy it) to refuel your mean electrical racing machine from any wall socket. If you're using a 220V outlet, you'll have to leave the bike plugged in for two hours (eight hours for a 110V outlet). And get this: if you're riding the Mission One in California, U.S., you'll fill it up with only $1.96 (again, according to the company's site). One charge lasts you for 150 miles.

For now, it's hard to say exactly how the Mission One compares to a racing motorbike. The sure thing about it is that it will be quite a different riding experience, single speed and all. Without shifting and those complicated clutch moves, and in the eerie silent purring of the electric motor, and at those unearthly speeds, one would probably feel like the original Ghost Rider.  


We are just a few, but there are many of you, Softpedia users, out there. That's why we thought it would be a good idea to create an email address for you to help us a little in finding gadgets we missed. Interesting links are bound to be posted with recognition going mainly to those who submit. The address is .