history
Lightning Motorcycle Corp. is an American electric motorcycle manufacturer. The company was founded by Richard Hatfield in 2006 and was based in San Carlos, California, United States of America.
It all started when Hatfield wanted to convert a gas-engined motorcycle into an electric machine powered by lithium batteries after participating in an Electric Porsche race team. In 2006, the company converted a Yamaha R1 race machine into an electric vehicle with 60 hp, 95 Nm (70 lb-ft) torque, and 160 kph (100 mph) top speed.
In 2008, the company manufactured an induction motor ATV powered by a lithium battery pack used by the military, border control, law enforcement, and search and rescue facilities.
In 2018, Lightning Motorcycle relocated its headquarters to San Jose, California, five times the square footage of the San Carlos location. The larger unit allowed the company to dramatically enhance production of the LS-218 Superbike but also offered the space needed for an in-house design studio for future products and the space to accommodate the expanding team.
In 2019, the American motorcycle manufacturer unveiled their new Lightning Strike machine that delivered a claimed top speed of 241 kph (140 mph), 241 km (150 miles) of range, a 35-minute DC charging time, and a starting price of $13,000.
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