https://jalopnik.com/bombardier-bought-up-alta-motors-assets-to-kickstart-el-1832915056
[links in online article]
Bombardier Bought Up Alta Motors Assets To Kickstart Electric Production
Bradley Brownell
February 26, 2019
Bombardier Recreational Products recently purchased select assets from
the now-defunct electric motorcycle brand Alta Motors, including
intellectual property, patents, and limited physical items. BRP is the
parent company for Can-Am, Ski Doo, Sea Doo, Evinrude, and Rotax.
The company hopes to spread this newfound electric juju among the
brands, focusing in the present tense on continued development of
electric and hybrid Can Am Spyder models, as well as electric go-karting
motors with Rotax.
In fact, Can-Am has been teasing a PHEV Spyder since 2011, and an
all-electric concept in 2016.
Unfortunately for the motorcycle world, BRP does not plan to re-start
the Alta Motors brand. That’s a huge bummer, because by all accounts
Alta was building some seriously good electric bikes.
Alta was on the verge of signing a partnership deal with Harley Davidson
motorcycles in 2018, only for the Wisconsin bike giant to pull out at
the last second, leaving Alta high and dry. The company officially
closed its doors in October of 2018, coming as a surprise to dealers and
staff. The owners were seeking new funding and a partnership to reduce
production costs. Neither came in time, and what once had such promise
is now gone.
Can Am last produced an electric side-by-side in 2015, and this new
purchase could see such a vehicle come back to the market. Electric
Karting is always a good idea, and if Rotax can make an e-Kart that is
as quick as its 33-horsepower 125cc 2-stroke motor, that would only be a
good thing. The current electric Rotax makes about 25 horsepower.
Personally, I’d love to see electric Ski-Doos, as my Michigan
back-country upbringing means part of me still has an affinity for
snowmobiles, and they would be an absolute riot if they were quiet to
operate and had more torque.
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