The market for electric scooters and motorcycles is estimated at more than a billion dollars in 2024 and is expected to reach 1.40 billion dollars by 2029. In a fledgling market heavily dominated by Asian companies, a young French manufacturer wants to try to plow its furrow with its carbon-neutral two-wheeled vehicle, but “offering real driving sensations”. Founded in 2020 by brothers Henri and Olivier Rabatel and based near Figeac, Motowatt has developed W1X, a 100% electric motorcycle, adapted to new uses of urban mobility.
“With my brother, Henri, we are passionate about motorcycles. He being an engineer by training and me from the world of finance and business management, we decided to found Motowatt in the latter part of our careers. We decided to make an innovative vehicle that stands out in a relatively complete Asian market.
We designed a dual axial flow motor motorcycle with a classic architecture, which was a real technical challenge. We surrounded ourselves with competent people like Christophe Espanet, an expert in the field of electric motors and Antoine Lenain, formerly of Renault Sport Formula 1,” recalls Olivier Rabatel, co-founder of Motowatt.
Range of 130 km
The result of four years of R&D, the family business’ two-wheeler carries the ambition of carbon-neutral mobility, but strong in sensation, safe, efficient and designed for daily urban use. The W1X carries a unique technical process: the modular two-motor traction chain. This management and distribution of torque on two motors, each in one wheel, brings stability and enhanced safety to this 178 kg motorcycle, which is powerful, light and silent. This first Motowatt model is equivalent to a 125 cc. Full battery, it claims a range of 130 km and requires 5.5 hours of charging to go from 20 to 80% battery capacity.
“The motors, which have an almost unlimited lifespan, are in the wheels. This therefore frees up space in the frame of the motorcycle which allowed us to position the battery. The front/rear balance is perfect and the center of gravity is quite low, which gives a machine that is easy to handle and safe. The top speed is limited to 115 km/h, but it can go up to 140 km/h. There is a fast charging option which allows it to be fully recharged in 1h30. We wanted a practical vehicle for every day, hence the presence of a large trunk, where the tank is usually placed on a thermal motorcycle,” explains the general manager of the Lot brand.
The electric motorcycle does not have a gear shift and clutch system and is driven like a scooter.
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A motorcycle produced in France
Approved to European standards and covered by five patents to date, the vehicle was designed near Lyon and is produced near Figeac in the startup’s workshop. Motowatt has oriented its design in such a way as to be able to easily industrialize its manufacturing.
“We have chosen to produce in France, favoring national sovereignty and short circuits as much as possible. This commitment places us in the France 2030 strategy, the plan put in place by the State aimed at catching up with French industrial delay,” explains Henri Rabatel, president of the company.
The French electric motorcycle was unveiled exclusively to the general public during the 2 Roues show in Lyon last March. At the same time, pre-orders were launched on the brand’s website for the first deliveries scheduled for January 2025. The W1X is priced at 15,000 euros including tax. From next year, the vehicle should be distributed in major French cities through specialized dealers. A long-term rental offer will also be put in place. For comparison, the DAB 1a model produced in France by Peugeot is priced at 14,900 euros.
“The W1X has the performance of a 400 cc thermal motorcycle. Certainly, on the Peugeot vehicle, the charging time is shorter, but the performance is half as low and the motorcycle is much smaller than the Motowatt. Same for the Z e-1 model from the Japanese Kawasaki and the two BMW models which are more like scooters. In terms of price, it is difficult to fight with Chinese manufacturers knowing that we use as many French and European components as possible,” says Olivier Rabatel.
A new vehicle in design
For the moment, the family business has recorded around fifteen pre-orders. Its objective is to release and sell a first series of around fifty motorcycles. Once this step has been validated, the young company wants to ramp up. After its second year of commercial activity, it intends to attack neighboring markets such as Italy, Spain and Switzerland.
Employing six people, the Lot company intends to soon offer new models moving towards more innovation in electric urban mobility. Motowatt is already working on its next vehicle, the W1VU, a three-wheeler. The vehicle designed for sustainable mobility will be intended for professional customers to carry out last km delivery.
“We have acquired know-how in the multi-wheel drive chain. Last km delivery is a major problem for cities which want fewer and fewer thermal vehicles. We are in the process of designing the three-wheeler which should have a six-month lag with the motorcycle. This will be a way to diversify our turnover”Olivier Rabatel projects.
