On your e-bike

10 November 2021

In a significant milestone for Australian motorcycling, production of the first Australian designed and manufactured battery electric motorcycle will begin in Melbourne next year. 

The emergence of electro-mobility is creating new opportunities for Australian automotive manufacturing, one of the latest examples of which is Savic Motorcycles which will soon begin production of a full-sized, high-performance electric motorcycle in Melbourne.

The innovative start-up recently confirmed it will move from prototype to manufacturing stage with its electrically powered C-Series café racer, following completion of a $1.83 million capital raise – which included contributions from the Victorian Government and co-investment of $657,000 from the Federal Government’s Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC).

“The investment from AMGC is a strong vote of confidence in our product and plans to manufacture EV motorbikes onshore,” said 29-year-old company founder, Dennis Savic. “Now that our first production run is funded, we’re aiming to have at least 20 bikes delivered to their owners in the last quarter of 2022, before rapidly scaling up manufacturing in 2023.”
 
The company has run two smaller capital raises over the past four years to develop its prototype, but Savic described this latest round as “a game-changing proposition” that would fast-track progress towards a second 200-unit production run in 2023. The funds drive was supported by grants from the AMGC and the Victorian Clean Tech Fund, as well as an R&D loan from the Victorian Government’s Invest Victoria.

Savic said the C-Series has been designed to “fulfil the promise of ethical, pollution-free transport,” and that more than 80 percent of the vehicle, including its frame and powertrain enclosure, are made from fully recyclable cast aluminium. 

“The bike is virtually maintenance free, with owners only having to take care of the tyres, brakes and suspension, and the batteries and motor components are unlikely to require mechanical attention for the life of the vehicle,” said Savic. 

Featuring classic 70s-era café racer styling and a muscular electric powertrain, the C-Series has already captured the imagination of some motorcycle enthusiasts, with the West Melbourne firm having received 90 orders for the bike, which is available in three-variants – Alpha, Delta, and Omega – with different motor outputs, range, and performance. 

“Our initial customers have proved to be incredibly loyal and have shown great faith in us and our bike during the delays we’ve experienced during the lockdowns of the past 18 months,” said Savic.

All three Savic models promise the exhilarating instantaneous performance of an electric powertrain, with the top-of-the-line Alpha boasting 200Nm of torque, a 200km riding range, and a 0-100km/h acceleration of 3.5 seconds. The lighter and more affordable Delta has a range of 150km range, while the entry level Omega can travel 120km on a single charge. 

The company cites industry tests that suggest the batteries will last between 1,000 to 5,000 charge cycles – or at least 200,000km – before they require replacing, at which time they can be recycled for use in home energy storage systems. 

Savic Motorcycles was one of 10 companies that received a total of $6.1 million from the AMGC Commercialisation Fund grants, which is designed to support a wide variety of manufacturers, each falling within the Federal Government’s six National Manufacturing Priority sectors.

“Australian manufacturers are exceedingly innovative and competitive when given the right support,” said Managing Director of the AMGC, Dr Jens Goennemann. “Savic Motorcycles is paving the way for electric mobility in Australia by leveraging the best of breed designers, engineers and manufacturing partners to deliver motorbikes of unmatched performance for local and global customers. Savic is proof that when you embrace the entire manufacturing process from design to research and development, all the way through to sales, there are exciting times ahead for Australian manufacturing.”

The funding news is another major milestone for the eponymous entrepreneur and former Ford Australia automotive engineer and his Perth-based designer, Dave Hendroff, who have been working on the concept of an Australian-made electric motorcycle for the past 10 years. 

Since the initial concept sketch back in 2017, the bike has travelled through three prototypes and benefited from numerous advances in electrical engineering, artificial intelligence (AI) and data processing. 

“This includes four years of ground-breaking design by our team of young Australian engineers, plus mentoring from two former Formula One engineers, a Silicon Valley ‘techpreneur’, and several international automotive executives,” said Savic.

All three Savic C-Series models feature a fully integrated, stressed, liquid-cooled motor and energy storage system, with the core bike’s standard body and battery design enabling construction of the two additional models with different price points, power outputs and range. 

The bike also boasts world-class, racing-quality components, including optional Wilbers suspension, Brembo brakes, and customised Optibelt carbon-fibre drive belt, with the Savic team currently developing a sophisticated AI system and rider app. The development team is also about to embark on the design of a special anti-lock braking system, in conjunction with Melbourne-based Bosch Australia. Pricing starts from $12,990 for the C-Series Omega, rising to $23,990 for the Alpha. While that’s hardly cheap for a motorcycle, it’s significantly below the price of the all-electric Harley-Davidson LiveWire which launched here in late 2020 with a $49,995 ride-away price. 

The Savic Alpha’s claimed 0-100km/h acceleration of 3.5 seconds, range of 200km and four to six hours charge time also compares favourably with the LiveWire’s urban range of 235km and highway range of 150km, as well as its three second 0-100km/h time.

Savic spoke of the challenge of designing a head-turning motorcycle that would combine the power, handling, and stripped-back style of a traditional café racer with the latest electric battery and power conversion technologies. “With the C-Series, we wanted to recreate the distinctive pared-down style of a café racer, with clip-on handlebars, a broad ‘fuel tank’, and a vegan-leather cowled seat enabling riders to adopt a low racing stance.” He said the main engineering challenge was weight, specifically integrating the bulky 80kg powertrain – more than one-third of the bike’s overall weight – without detracting from the lines and distinctive ‘racing’ style of the iconic 1970s motorcycles it emulates. “We did this by casting the bike’s frame in lightweight aluminium, and incorporating the powertrain enclosure – containing the motor, the motor-controller, and a 144-volt battery pack – into the frame, as a structural chassis element.”
 
It’s not just the Savic’s drivetrain that is hi-tech either, the ‘cockpit’ of the C-Series features a 7.0-inch resistive touchscreen that connects riders to their bike's location and performance in real time. In addition to a full quota of safety, performance, and battery data, the Savic’s advanced Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities are designed to facilitate the delivery of instant journey information, traffic, and weather alerts, as well as enabling riders to ‘tweak’ their bikes to suit individual riding preferences.

“The result is Australia’s first true 21st century motorbike, a testament to the emerging electric revolution, which will delight riders with its powerful performance, data smarts, and head-turning looks,” said Savic. 

While the Savic Alpha is certainly quick, Savic says his new bike range is “not just for speed-merchants,” adding that by having a standard body and battery design the company has been able to affordably produce the two lighter, lower-powered and less expensive models.

“The bike’s powerful instantaneous torque and acceleration will appeal to speed-seekers, while the smooth handling and quiet operation will appeal to the most conscientious modern rider,” he said. “With our Omega model priced at $12,990, we’re making the dream of electric motorcycling accessible to younger, more price-conscious consumers. The absence of gears or clutch also means the C-Series offers a much simpler, more seamless riding experience than traditional combustion motorbikes.”

The bike’s focus on design and technology has already been recognised by the Australian Good Design Awards, which handed the C-Series Alpha a Gold Award in its 2021 awards program. The Savic has also previously been featured as the title object at the entrance to the Spark climate-change exhibition at Sydney’s Australian Museum, and celebrated as one of the world’s 101 most influential motorcycles at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art.

“Among those who have pre-ordered our bike are lifelong motorcyclists who say they would never previously have considered an electric bike but have been won over by the prototype’s styling and performance,” said Savic. “Savic Motorcycles' number one priority is to play a leading role in the e-mobility revolution. We’re doing this by delivering future-proof motorcycling to riders who love the art of classic motorbikes, but want a reliable vehicle to get from A to B safely, comfortably and affordably, with zero emissions.”

The number of electric motorcycle and scooter models is gradually increasing in Australia, according to Australian electric vehicle lobby group, the Electric Vehicle Council which lists models now available from Evoke, Fonzarelli, Harley-Davidson, and Super Soco.

With the Savic C-Series soon to join that list, Australia’s long dormant motorcycle manufacturing industry is set to be jolted back to life, and when the first C-Series rolls off the production line in 2022 Victoria will once again be at the forefront of Australian automotive manufacturing.


As featured in Australian Automotive December 2021.