Mission One: the electric superbike that launched Mission Motors

The Mission One was the first vehicle from Mission Motors, an American company founded in San Francisco in 2007 to build high-performance electric motorcycles. The prototype was revealed in February 2009 at the TED conference, styled by the industrial designer Yves Béhar and promising a top speed of 150 mph with a 150-mile range on one charge.

Mission One at a glance

There is no Wikipedia article on the Mission One itself; this page is based on the section about the model in the English Wikipedia article on Mission Motors. Based on one source.

History of the Mission One

A start-up in San Francisco

Mission Motors was founded in 2007 by Mason Cabot, Forrest North and Edward West. While it operated in stealth mode the company was briefly known as Hum Cycles, and it set out to create high-performance electric motorcycles rather than the small urban scooters that dominated the electric two-wheeler market at the time.

The prototype at TED

The company revealed the prototype of its first vehicle, the Mission One PLE, at the TED conference in February 2009. The letters stood for Premiere Limited Edition. The all-electric motorcycle was styled by Yves Béhar and claimed a top speed of 150 miles per hour and a range of 150 miles per charge. Mission accepted reservations for the first 50 vehicles, which were originally scheduled for delivery in 2010; a reservation required a $5,000 deposit against a sales price of $68,995.

Racing and records

The Mission One went racing before it went on sale. On 12 June 2009 the American rider Thomas Montano rode it over the 37.733-mile course of the TTXGP on the Isle of Man, finishing fourth in the PRO class with an average speed of 74.091 mph and a lap time of 30 minutes 33.26 seconds. In September 2009 Mission’s product manager Jeremy Cleland broke the AMA electric motorcycle land speed record at the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, recording a two-way average of 150.059 mph on the same model. Mission did not race in 2010, choosing instead to concentrate on bringing the Mission One to market.

Delivery and the end

The company’s plans changed several times. In February 2010 founder and chief executive Forrest North stepped down, and delivery of the Mission One PLE slipped until the second quarter of 2011 before the model was eventually discontinued. Mission Motors moved on to a new machine, the Mission R, and later became a supplier of electric powertrains; it ceased operations in 2015.

Design and features

• All-electric drive: the Mission One was built as a high-performance electric motorcycle from the outset, not a converted petrol model.
• Yves Béhar styling: the industrial designer gave the prototype its clean, enclosed bodywork.
• Claimed 150 mph and 150 miles: the figures announced at the launch put the bike in superbike territory.
• Racing pedigree: a TTXGP finish on the Isle of Man and an electric land-speed record at Bonneville came in its first year.

Mission One versions

• Mission One PLE (2009): the Premiere Limited Edition prototype shown at TED and offered to the first 50 customers.
• TTXGP racing machine (2009): the Mission One ridden by Thomas Montano on the Isle of Man.
• Bonneville record bike (2009): the Mission One used by Jeremy Cleland for the AMA electric land-speed record.

The Mission R followed in December 2010 as the company’s second motorcycle. More machines from the maker are in the Mission collection.

Sources

• Mission Motors, English Wikipedia: history, Mission One, racing, records