Developing an Electric Motorcycle With the fun Built in - Arc CEO Mark Truman

"From a grin factor perspective, when you're out there on the open road on the bike, it really is second to none." The words of Mark Truman, CEO of the British electric motorcycle company Arc. He was describing its first product, the Arc Vector, the world’s first fully electric neo-cafe racer.

Truman, a self-confessed huge motorcycle fan, has been talking to Auto Futures.

He had been working at Jaguar Land Rover running its 'white space' team, where, he says, the (unofficial) tagline was - 'crazy ideas with commercial opportunities'. His team came up with the idea of a Jaguar Land Rover-branded electric motorcycle. The management loved the prototype, but thought it would cost too much and take too long to build.

"At which point the business was spun out in 2017 and the the initial concept became a reality," says Truman. The Arc Vector was unveiled a year later at the EICMA show in Milan.

"We wanted our bike to be light and compact. ...So we thought about making beautiful batteries."

The hand-made motorcycle features a lightweight carbon-composite structure and a unique battery-module monocoque. It has a range of about 200 miles in urban use and 120 miles on the highway. 

"Imagine when electric motorcycles are the only kind of motorcycles that are actually allowed on the road. We want young kids to be saying, have you seen that battery over there? Look at that battery, isn't that beautiful? Which is a slightly weird concept, but that's what we set out to achieve," he adds.

Getting On Track

Arc has enlisted the ex-MotoGP rider James Ellison to help test the Vector. He has been working alongside Truman to hone the final settings before it goes into production.

“It’s just so different to anything you will ride. I’ve been really surprised by the agility, the bike changes direction like a much smaller bike due to the steep steering angle it can run. This means the bike can be flicked from side to side with little effort," says Ellisson.

Truman adds: “Riding the Vector alongside James has been fantastic, his perception and feeling for the slightest change to the settings are second to none and his experience goes without saying.” 

Arc Angels Get to Test The Tech

The company recently announced a programme whereby ten lucky Arc customers will be offered the opportunity to play a role in the development of the human-machine interface (HMI) technology, the Arc Pilot System. Each participant, called an Arc Angel, will receive a limited Angel Edition (AE) Vector motorcycle that will have a raft of cutting-edge features.

Once their personalised bike has been received, each Angel will embark on a testing program to try prototype versions on tracks in the UK and America. Their feedback will be help to define and improve it until it is ready for the open road.

"These customers will get the ultimate peek behind the curtain. They'll effectively become part of the development team. They'll become a test rider. There'll be invited to track days initially to try the system in a closed circuit environment," says Truman.

Each Vector will be custom-made and will come with a helmet and a jacket that form part of the Arc Pilot System.

The Zenith Helmet can display speed, GPS, revs along with a rear-view camera for better road awareness that can be shown displayed automatically when the bike detects anything in the rider's blind spot. The Helmet also doubles as the bike’s keyless ignition fob.

The Arc Origin jacket can communicate with the rider using haptic feedback, which can vibrate to warn of potential hazards, provide dynamic performance-based feedback, or even enhance the thrill when on a stimulating ride,

"I've had the random experiences in places like Mumbai in Paris, where I didn't get to take in any of the surroundings, any of the things around me. It was survival and getting to where I needed to be. So, if we could provide a system that gave people awareness, to stop them having to look down so much at their clocks, or their Sat Nav or whatever it is, that would be a marvellous thing and allow people to enjoy their moments when they're in these type of situations a bit more," explains Truman.

Although in its early stages, Arc's HMI is also set to have an impact on rider safety.

"The rider will get that flash in the ailment. They will get an audible warning in their in their face. And they also get a rumble in their jacket. So, if they just happen to be looking at the Ducati dealership on the left hand side when something falls out in front of them, they will instantly know about it," he says.

The development of the HMI will offer long- term benefits for riders.

"Increasing the number of motorcyclists on the road each year due to the interest from more tech minded generations that are coming of age is one. Another is starting to equip motorcycles with the technology needed to make them viable in the connected world of more autonomous vehicles. In the future the ability to connect to the IOT (Internet of things) and the integration of AR (Alternative Reality) technology into systems like this will make motorcycling far safer and allow people to make the most of their ride.”  

Built-in Grin Factor

Truman, being an experienced motorbike rider, is obviously excited about testing his own product. But, he says, speed wasn't the most importat factor when it came to designing the Vector.

"The top speed wasn't that important to me. The bit that most motorcyclists really enjoy is that initial part of acceleration and some twisting roads, and having confidence in the bike to be able to flick it from side to side. Really the handling of it. And that's the moment and really only that moment, you know that this bike has been designed around." 

"From a grin factor perspective, when you're out there on the open road on the bike, it really is second to none," he adds. 

"We've had numerous test riders and they all say the same thing, which is, on the twisty stuff this bike handles and changes direction, like nothing else that they've ridden and feels like a much more smaller bike than it actually is. This bike weighs 235 kilos, so it's a it's a pretty big bike. But it doesn't feel like that." 

Truman concludes: "From a rider enjoyment perspective, it's absolutely fantastic. And you always come off the bike with a huge grin on your face."