These Are the 15 Best Electric Motorcycles in the World

Compared to the auto industry, though, the moto one sure seems to be taking its sweet time. The number of traditional bike makers going down the electrification path is almost zero, leaving mostly startups to venture into this segment.

Even so, the world does have today a sufficient number of electric motorcycle models to make interested customers scratch their heads a bit before deciding what to buy. With that in mind, I thought it would be best to have a rather comprehensive look at what the market has to offer.

15. Vespa Elettrica – the best looking electric scooter in the world

I know, I know, Vespas are not motorcycles, so they technically have no place in a list of best such electric two-wheelers. But do remember Vespas are Vespas, arguably the best-looking two-wheelers of any kind in the world, and because the Italians do offer this exciting electric model, we couldn't just ignore it, now could we?

The Elettrica is simply a hunk of Italian beauty powered by an electric heart, comprising an absolutely tiny 4.8 hp motor and an equally small 4.2 kWh battery pack. Together, the two are enough to push the wonderful two-wheeler to speeds of between 25 and 70 kph (15 to 43 mph), depending on variant.

As you'd expect from an Italian machine, the Elettrica retains all the design cues that have made the brand famous the world over, and pairs that with an assortment of colors that makes them look simply delicious (my personal favorite is red, which looks absolutely stunning on the small two-wheeler).

The Elettrica is available pretty much everywhere, including in the U.S., where prices for the mid-range 45 kph (28 mph) variant start at just one dollar under $8,000. A small price to pay for style, wouldn't you say?

14. Triumph Project TE-1 – best electric motorcycle concept

Because of the nature of the trade, electric motorcycles rarely go through a concept stage before making it into production. That's most often true when it comes to startups, which try to release a model into the world as fast as possible.

Established players have enough time and finances to play around, though, and thanks to them we sometimes get glimpses into the future of electric two-wheelers. And that's exactly what the Brits from Triumph did with Project TE-1.

Announced in 2019, it was a collaborative effort between Triumph and Williams Advanced Engineering that arrived just in time for the Brits to fight off Harley-Davidson and their LiveWire.

Something happened along the way, though, and the LiveWire proved to not be the hit Harley was hoping for. As a result, Triumph slowed things down a bit with the TE-1 as well, and it was only in 2022 when we got word of the "official completion of the TE-1 electric development project."

During the testing program, a prototype of the bike ran circuits across Britain under the power of a 175-hp electric motor, reaching an acceleration time to 60 mph of 3.6 seconds. The battery proved it could help the bike reach a range of 100 miles (161 km), which is not that great if you think about it.

The TE-1 will not spawn a direct production version, but Triumph says it will form a sort of basis for "the exciting electric future to come from Triumph Motorcycles." What that means is the concept, unlike the renderings and other CGI ideas we keep seeing, will actually spawn a real-world application – and that is why we declare it the best electric motorcycle concept on our list.

13. Zero SR/F, SR/S - best Zero electric motorcycles

In the world of electric motorcycles, the name Zero is perhaps just as famous as Tesla is in the car world. It's quite old, too, having been founded in 2006, and for these two reasons we reckon the company is worth a category of its own in our ranking.

At the time of writing there are ten Zero Motorcycles electric bikes that can be had, divided into two categories, dual sport and street. Based on maximum range and top speed, the best of them all are the SR/F and SR/S models.

Both street racing models get their juice from battery packs large enough to hold electricity for 187 miles (300 km, in city riding mode), and top out thanks to their 110 hp electric motors at 124 mph (200 kph).

On the market since the mid-2010s, the SR range is also one of the industry's oldest. As such, it's only natural for the company to take advantage of the bikes' notoriety and slap on both of them stickers reading an MSRP of $19,795 for the SR/F and $19,995 for the SR/S.

And if you're wondering why so low prices, we'll tell you that as you're reading this Zero is running a campaign and slashed some prices. On any other day, any of the two motorcycles will set you back close to $25,000.

12. LiveWire S2 Del Mar – best newcomer electric motorcycle

Whereas the LiveWire One can still claim to have a connection with Harley-Davidson, the S2 Del Mar was introduced after the brand was spun up into a separate company. But it's brand new, having been launched earlier in 2023, and lacking any serious competition so far, it's more than worthy of the best newcomer electric motorcycle title.

The bike is the first one to have been built on the LiveWire Arrow architecture, which comprises an electric motor good for 80 horsepower and 184 ft-lb of torque, and a battery pack which ensures a range of 110 miles (177 km, city riding).

Although reservations for the ride opened late last year, LiveWire only told the whole story of the bike's price in April 2023. On the American market, the Del Mar is going for $15,499, which is cheaper than both the One and the S2 Del Mar Launch Edition which last year could be had for $16,999.

The ride can't exactly be found on public roads at the moment, but the company is taking reservations for it. Given how it's made for urban riding, mostly, expect these things to become a constant presence in our lives, in all markets the brand is present in.

11. Arc Vector – the best tech on any electric motorcycle

When they arrived into this world, electric cars brought with them an ownership experience unlike anything before it. For the first time in history, a car is no longer a means of transport or a statement of social status, but also a gadget on wheels, that can connect with other kinds of gadgets, receive over-the-air updates, and generally be integrated into the modern world.

Going somewhat against common sense, electric motorcycles are not that, and they mostly focus on bringing riders the road or off-road experience they want. The British-made Arc Vector, described as the world's most advanced motorcycle, is one of the few exceptions.

And it's called that on the part of what it can do as a bike, and in part thanks to all the innovations it brings to the table.

As a bike, the Vector comes with more than decent attributes. The battery on it can hold enough electricity to keep it running for 436 km (271 miles), making it second only to the Lightning LS-218. It tops at 200 kph (124 mph) and can accelerate to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds.

On the tech side, it comes with something called the Arc Pilot System that helps keep the rider in the loop with the ride by means of feedback and notifications. It does that through a HUD built into a unique helmet design called Arc Zenith, but also through a custom-made suit, the Origin. This one ties directly into the motorcycle and provides feedback felt directly on the rider's body about safety, the bike's dynamic position, and even the music played in the helmet.

The Arc Vector not only delivers the best tech for any electric motorcycle, but it is also one of the most expensive we know of. Its maker is selling each bike for 90,000 British pounds, which is about $115,000 at today's exchange rates. That's more than the starting price of most Porsches currently available.

10. KTM Freeride E-XC – the best off-road electric motorcycle

When talking about off-road motorcycles, it doesn't get any better than Austrian bike maker KTM. Just take the enduro scene: since entering the picture there three decades ago, KTM has won no less than 126 world titles in various enduro competitions.

So it was only natural for the name to be behind what we consider the best off-road electric motorcycle money can buy today: the Freeride E-XC.

A superficial look at the thing may not be able to solve the puzzle of what powers the bike because it's so close to its ICE-powered siblings, design-wise. If you get any closer though, the electric drivertrain will reveal itself: a 24 hp electric motor, backed by a swappable 3.9 kWh battery pack.

Very small numbers, you could say, but in off-roading of the kind KTM is used to, other things take precedence. Things like wheels and suspension, brakes and tires…

And the E-XC has them all: fork and shock with 250 and 260 mm of travel, respectively, 21-inch front and 18-inch rear laced wheels, and Formula braking hardware.

There is only one problem with this bike though: it's not for everyone, but only for those who know how to use such a machine. So the $11,299 KTM is charging for it, exciting as it sounds, doesn't serve many of us.

9. SUPER73 C1X – the best electric motorcycle when it comes to charging times

Riders have to deal with the same issues as drivers do when it comes to electric vehicles. Not only need they be mindful of how they use the juice in the battery, but they also need to take into account charging times when prepping a journey.

Because they pack significantly smaller batteries than cars, motorcycles need less time to get to a satisfactory state of charge. Yet, at an average two-wheeler still needs hours to get fully juiced-up, and tens of minutes to go to 80 percent.

Considering all that, how would you feel about a ride with a battery capable of going from ten to 80 percent in just 15 minutes?

If you fancy that, you might just get it. At least that's the case if California company Super73 has it its way with the C1X, a brand-new two-wheeler announced just two months ago.

An 80 percent charge should get the bike 70 miles (133 km) of range, which may not be all that much for some but could make all the difference in the world for urban riders.

At the time of writing the bike is not yet available to use on the open road. You could say making it on a top best electric bikes list without even being here yet is a good sign Super73 is on to something. The company thinks so too, so the order books for the two-wheeler are already open.

8. BMW CE 04 – best-looking electric scooter

No matter how revolutionary they are, electric motorcycles and bikes still look like… motorcycles and bikes. Well, ok, maybe except for the Cake Makka. But the BMW CE 04 is an entirely different thing altogether.

Officially an electric scooter, it's so well designed that it looks more like a concept than something you can buy at your local dealer. The bodywork, carefully crafted, makes it challenging to identify it as a plain scooter, the floating-style seat makes it look like it's from an alien world, and when the rider climbs on, man and machine seem to become one.

And it's quite capable, too. Revealed in the summer of 2021, the CE 04 spits out a maximum of 42 horsepower from an electric motor fed through an 8.9 kWh battery. For a two-wheeler playing in this class, its range is simply huge, at 80 miles (129 km). And it's blistering fast too, hitting 60 mph from a standstill in just 2.6 seconds.

But then there's that question of price. Naked, the CE 04 sells from $12,390, but if you go crazy and configure the hell out of it, that quickly jumps closer to $15k. Just consider there are plenty of full-blown Harley-Davidsons to be had for this kind of money. Sure, the CE 04 is a BMW, but really, it still is a scooter.

7. Cake Makka – best electric bike for your pocket

It's only natural for humans to look for the best in whatever field, so dreaming about electric motorcycles worth tens of thousands of dollars is understandable. But the reality is that not many people can afford to spend that much on a motorcycle. And this is where Cake comes in.

The company with a delicious name is based in Sweden, and most of the bikes it makes looks like IKEA furniture. They're simple, utilitarian, and most of all cheap. How cheap? Think the equivalent of $4,500 for the entry-level Makka.

To be completely fair, the Makka is not an electric motorcycle per se, but an electric moped. It does get the job done, though, if that job is commuting over distances no greater than 66 km (41 miles), while carrying no more than 70 kg (154 pounds) of weight.

That's the standard configuration, which tops out at 25 kph (15), but there's a slightly faster version, the Flex, which tops out at 45 kph (28 mph), but you should know this one comes with a significantly reduced range, which would be 54 km (34 miles).

So, the Cake Makka is not exactly a speedy bullet, and not a looker either, but for people minding their budget, it remains a solid choice for a city ride.

6. Silver Lightning – the best electric motorcycle on the dragstrip

Last weekend we ran a story titled Top 15 Fastest Bikes in the World. As previously mentioned, the Lightning LS-218, the best production electric motorcycle by range here, was part of that select lineup as well, on account of its impressive speed.

The Silver Lightning is another bike that crosses over from that coverage, on account of nothing better than it being out there in any shape or form.

Coincidentally wearing a name similar to the LS-218 (there is no relation between the two), the Silver Lightning cannot be ridden on the road, but it more than feels at home on the strip. That's because it was there where it set the record for the fastest drag run of an electric motorcycle.

The noteworthy performance took place at the Santa Pod Raceway in the UK in 2020. There, the bike put together by Danish drag racing team True Cousins sped past the onlookers, cranking out 1,300 hp from two electric motors and ensuring the bike a pass of just 6.86 seconds for the quarter mile. The top speed reached, 191 mph (307 kph), helped with that lot.

The record still holds to this day, and until another ride comes along to break it, the Silver Lightning remains the best electric motorcycle on the drag strip.

5. Ducati MotoE V21L – the best track electric motorcycle

As of 2019, the appeal of electric motorcycles spread to the racing world as well with the launch of the MotoE World Cup. For the next four years, the one-make racing series relied on an Energica-made bike called Ego Corsa. This year, that changed, with another Italian bike maker taking center stage: Ducati.

The Ducati MotoE bike, also known as the V21L, was raced three times already since May 2023, and given how it's the only electric bike out there doing the rounds in a major competition, it is obviously also the best there is…

The beast is powered by an 18 kW battery that feeds a 150 hp/140 Nm of torque electric motor. The highest speed the two-wheeler was able to achieve during testing was 275 kph (171 mph).

Important to note is that, despite the V21L being Ducati's first-ever electric motorcycle, the Italian company hasn't expressed any intention of making a road-going version of it. So, at least for the rest of 2023, the best track electric motorcycle will only have 18 examples to show for, all present on the track of the MotoE series.

This year, the competition has five races left and is scheduled to end in early September in Misano.

4. LiveWire One – the best electric motorcycle with Harley-Davidson DNA

As I said earlier in this text, established motorcycle makers do not really go nuts after electric motorcycles. In fact, if I remember correctly, just one of them went down the electric motorcycle path, guns blazing, these past few years: Harley-Davidson. Then the company decided an electric Harley motorcycle might be a bad idea after all, and spun the whole thing into a completely different company: LiveWire.

Harley introduced the LiveWire in 2019 as perhaps one of their biggest gambles in years. Like many others before it, it turned out to be a losing bet, perhaps even for the company's CEO Matt Levatich, who had to resign one year later.

From a performance point of view, the original LiveWire was a so-so-bike, offering a range of 146 miles (235 km), and a top speed on par with what all other Harleys are capable of, namely 110 mph (180 kph). It was however a lot faster off its feet, with an acceleration time to 60 mph of just three seconds.

In its current, independent incarnation, the LiveWire has the exact same specs, but a somewhat revamped look and a new name: LiveWire One. It's accompanied on the roster of electric Harley bikes by the S2 Del Mar, but it's clearly the better one from a performance point of view – the Del Mar comes in with a 110 miles (177 km) range and a time to 60 mph of 3.1 seconds.

That's why the One made it onto our list as the best of just two electric motorcycle with Harley-Davidson DNA. And it's not expensive either, at $22,799.

3. Energica EsseEsse9 – the best electric motorcycle by longest distance covered

If you look through the entries in the Guinness World Records book, you'll find something called "greatest distance on an electric motorcycle in 24 hours (individual)." And beneath that title you'll read Energica EsseEsse9 and Ali Abdo.

The EsseEsse9 is one of four electric motorcycles offered to the general public by Italian bike maker Energica Motor Company. If the name sounds familiar, that's because the company was until recently (2023) the sole bike supplier for the MotoE racing series.

The bike we're here to celebrate packs in its frame a 21.5 kWh lithium polymer battery that in normal riding conditions allows it to reach a maximum range of 160 miles (257 km) of combined use.

Egyptian Ali Abdo used the bike, in its stock form, to travel for a total of 571.58 miles (919.87 km) in New Alamain, Egypt, in 2021. The available info does not make it clear how many times the bike was charged during this time, but the record remains.

As it happens, Abdo also holds another two electric bike records, one for longest journey by electric motorcycle in a single country (6,064.377 miles/ 9,759.67 km), and another for longest journey by electric bike, after he traveled 7,921.86 miles (12,749 km) over the course of a month. In both these instances, the bike of choice was the EsseEsse9.

If you're planning to have your own shot at such records, you should know Energica is selling the EsseEsse9 for around $20,000. That's half the price of the next two bikes on our list, and for a clearly very capable machine.

2. Damon Hypersport – the best production electric motorcycle by range (combined)

We chose to include in our list the electric motorcycle with the best combined range because that's the most likely use of a two-wheeler at the hands of riders the world over. And when looked at from this point of view, there can be only one winner: Damon.

That's the name of a Canada-based startup established in 2017 already selling not one, but two electric motorcycle models (each with its own subvariants): the Hypersport and Hyperfighter. It's the former that's of interest to us because it has one of the highest combined ranges we know of.

Damon offers the bike in four versions, namely the SE, SX, HS, and Premier. Whereas the SE comes with a range of just 108 miles (174 km), the Premier almost doubles that, at 200 miles (322 km). That's possible thanks to a 20 kWh battery that needs 45 minutes to get to 80 percent charge.

The electric motors of the bike use the battery juice to push the bike forward with the punch of 200 horsepower and an equal number of Nm of torque, allowing the Hypersport to hit 60 mph in just three seconds.

As you can clearly see, performance numbers are right up there, and the price is one to match: Damon sells the bike starting at $40,000.

1. Lightning LS-218 – the best production electric motorcycle by range

Given the volatile nature of the electric motorcycle industry, pointing the finger at the bike with the biggest range is quite difficult. That's because some companies list how much juice a battery can hold while in highway riding, others go for city riding, and a few others for a combined cycle. The range also greatly depends on how the bike is handled, the weather, and all the other elements that impact the performance of electric cars as well.

But we can still give you an idea of the longest-range electric motorcycle out there, and that would be the Lightning LS-218.

It seems it is almost impossible to compile a list of the best motorcycles without including this thing. Already part in our Top 15 Fastest Bikes in the World coverage, the bike makes it into this list as well.

The LS-218 is produced by an American startup called Lightning Motors, established in 2006. The two-wheeler traces its roots to a Yamaha R1 bike converted that year to run on a lithium battery and an electric motor – the first bike in the world to use such a powertrain.

The machine went on sale for the first time in 2016 as the world's fastest production motorcycle no matter what powered it - it could accelerate to 60 mph in under two seconds and topped at a heart-stopping 216 mph (348 kph).

As far as range is concerned, the bike dwarfs any other model out there. Whereas in standard configuration (15 kWh battery pack) it doesn't go further than 188 miles (303 km), the monstrous and optional 28 kWh battery pack is good for 335 miles (539 km). Sadly, Lightning does not say what kind of range that is. It does say how much it charges for a bike, and that would be close to $50,000.

It's been a long read so far, I know, so there's a chance you may have missed some important takeaways from this piece. So here's a short FAQ section to sum up the most important the bits of info above.

How far can an electric motorcycle can go on a single charge?

It depends on a lot of factors, the most important being battery capacity. The farthest distance any electric motorcycle can cover today is 335 miles (539 km) with a 28 kWh battery pack. The bike that uses this battery is the Lightning LS-218.

What is the greatest distance covered by an electric motorcycle in 24 hours?

Exactly 571.58 miles (919.87 km), as written in the Guinness World Records book. The man responsible for the feat is Egyptian Ali Abdo, and the bike he rode was an Energica EsseEsse9. Given how the bike has a maximum range rated at 160 miles (257 km) of combined use, it's likely some recharging was done along the way.

What is the longest trip on an electric motorcycle?

The same Ali Abdo who holds the record for greatest distance covered by an electric motorcycle in 24 hours has the title for longest journey by electric bike. Records show he covered a total of 7,921.86 miles (12,749 km) over the course of a month on the back of the same EsseEsse9.

How fast can electric motorcycles go?

Here too the answer depends on a large number of factors. If we're strictly referring to speed on a production bike, than the Lightning LS-218 wins again, with a recorded 216 mph (348 kph).