Franco-American team brings another e-bike to market

Formula 1/Formula E visionary Frederic Vassuer, Entrepreneurial Investor Francois-Xavier Terny and American motorcycling icon Erik Buell have teamed up to launch a range of electric mobility offerings.

The following is a press release from FUELL:

FUELL
The new urban mobility brand that brings
back the pleasure of city riding.

Press Release • New York, Paris – 4 March, 2019

FUELL’s vision

Faced with saturated cities – pollution, traffic jams, noise – and the arrival of new regulations limiting internal combustion engines, the founding idea of FUELL is to offer a complete and unique selection of innovative, electric and attractive two-wheelers to cover all the needs for urban “macro-mobility” – city journeys that require a personal vehicle to cover distances greater than 3 miles – and therefore replace cars and public transportation.

FUELL wants to put emotion and freedom back into urban travel by offering riders something different, innovative, upgradeable and attractive. 

FUELL offers e-vehicles designed around the pleasure of urban riding, offering riders a whole new experience of the city. FUELL also offers digital services around mobility for an enriched experience.

FUELL’s history-

It all started with the unexpected encounter and the Franco-American convergence between Erik Buell, founder of Buell Motorcycles and legendary engineer, Frédéric Vasseur, current team principal of the Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team, also founder of Spark Racing Technology (which builds the Formula E racers), and Francois-Xavier Terny, a transatlantic entrepreneur fond of industrial endeavors and new business models.

The unifying idea: to create an urban mobility solution for the city, which is currently the best application of electric powertrains (low speeds, rapid acceleration, zero emission zero noise, shorter distances traveled, denser charging infrastructures).

The founders combined their experience and competences to invent a genuinely new experience entirely focused on the urban rider’s needs, thanks to the freedom of design, engineering and distribution that is unique to electric vehicles.

FUELL’s first e-vehicles

FUELL’s “urban mobility” positioning led to the creation of several machines to cover all the needs and styles of those who choose two-wheeled electric mobility. FUELL’s offer is centered around two products:

• FLOW – an electric motorcycle available in 11kW (125cc equivalent) or 35kW (motorcycle license) versions, combining practical aspects for the urban journey (integrated 50 liter/13 gallon internal storage), technological innovations (proprietary wheel-motor*, connected dashboard) and unparalleled driving pleasure thanks to its acceleration and low center of gravity.
• FLUID – a robust and elegant electric bike, with exceptional range (up to 125 miles thanks to its 2 removable batteries with a total of 1,000Wh) and generous torque (100Nm), virtually maintenance-free with its carbon belt and internal hub gears. Fluid is offered as a Pedelec (max 20mph) or S-Pedelec (max 28mph, requiring helmet and insurance in most States).

Every step from design to manufacture had accessibility in mind: competitive prices (starting from $3,295 for Fluid and $10,995 for Flow), financing options that favor usage over ownership (credit, leasing, battery leasing), and a clear emphasis on easy handling and riding. These e-vehicles are upgradeable (battery, wheel-motor*, charger, etc) and are among the best performing on the market.

They have a great autonomy (125 city miles for Flow), and recharge easily (at home for Fluid, in less than 30 minutes on a public charger for Flow). They also offer connectivity and security options, and are infinitely customizable.

FUELL Founders’ Bios

• Erik Buell (CTO)
is the Founder, former Chairman and CTO
of the Buell Motorcycle Company, which
eventually merged with Harley-Davidson
from 1993 to 2009.
Erik is a pioneer of modern race motorcycle
technology, as well as a world class
engineer and an inventor. He created
some of the most innovative and usable
motorcycles to date, using inventions like
a hollow aluminum frame to house the fuel
and create chassis rigidity, or a hollow swing
arm to house the oil. More than 130,000
motorcycles with the Buell name have
been produced to date.
Erik and his engineering team have
an incredible experience in motorcycle
development, industrialization, sourcing,
manufacturing and homologation,
and bring an unparalleled expertise
in chassis, powertrain and overall
motorcycle engineering.

• Frédéric Vasseur
is a well-known figure in motorsport around
the globe: as the founder of ART Grand
Prix and ASM, Frédéric has celebrated
outstanding accomplishments with 8 GP2,
9 GP3, and 12 Formula 3 Euro titles.
Three Formula 1 World Champions –
Hamilton, Vettel, and Rosberg – were among
the many drivers who were part of Frédéric’s
talent pool in their early days.
Frédéric also founded Spark Racing
Technology in 2012, which develops hybrid
and electric powertrains and builds the
Formula E racers, a revolutionary and
entirely electric series that began in 2014.
In 2017, Frédéric Vasseur joined Sauber
as Team Principal of the F1 Team and CEO
of Sauber Motorsport.

• Francois-Xavier Terny (CEO)
began his professional path in 1991
as a strategic consultant with Bain & Co,
then created his own consulting firm,
Masaï, in 1996 as a firm specializing
in cost optimization. Masaï enjoyed rapid
growth, addressing a growing concern
within corporations for cost control and
cost optimization. In 2006, having reached
120 professionals in 12 offices in Europe,
US, Japan, China and India, François-Xavier
accepted an offer from a competitor
to acquire the company.
Since 2008, F-X continued his path
as an entrepreneur, investing time and
money in several start-ups including
motorcycle ventures.
With an advanced take on design
and new ideas and approaches
to manufacturing, sales, marketing
and distribution, F-X brings design
directions, disruptive thinking
and operational management.

FUELL Inc. 244 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10001 USA

I will bring you more details as they become available. The FUELL team expects to release additional information along with demonstrations in March and April, with a website expected in mid-April. The Fluid is slated for release later this year, while the Flow is expected to show up in 2021.