This electric motorcycle already tops 400 km/h and wants to go even faster

The Voxan Wattman -- the world's fastest electric motorcycle -- has been upgraded in an attempt to break even more records. After smashing all the speed records in the over 300 kg category, the Wattman has been slimmed down to take on the under 300 kg category, with former world champion Max Biaggi still in the saddle.

In its 2020 performance, the Wattman broke no less than 11 world speed records for electric motorcycles -- including for the "partially streamlined electric motorcycle weighing over 300 kg" class, with an average speed of 366.94 km/h over one mile (a little more than 1.6 km) and an instantaneous speed of 408 km/h.

Now, the Wattman has set its sights on the lower, under 300 kg weight category. The bike has been made lighter, mainly due to a new battery design. Another important change is that its dimensions have been slightly increased for more stability and, above all, better air penetration, which is essential for achieving an optimal top speed. The powertrain is a Mercedes EQ, the same one used in Formula E (a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars), which delivers 320 kW, equivalent to 435 hp. Finally, the bike's Michelin tires have been specially developed for these new record attempts, based on technologies tried and tested in MotoGP.

It is in the United States, on the Space Florida shuttle takeoff and landing strip at the Kennedy Space Center, that the brand is conducting its first tests, with a view to embarking on a new record haul in the first half of 2022.

Unveiled at the Paris Motorcycle Show in 2013, the Wattman failed to find a following, and Voxan went into liquidation in 2015. Venturi, the brand's owner, has since revived it through these multiple record attempts.

© Agence France-Presse