Brammo
Encyclopedia
Brammo, Inc. is an electric vehicle
company based in Ashland
, Oregon, United States. Its first production electric motorcycle, the Enertia
, is assembled in Sárvár, Hungary and is selling online via the company's website and is available for sale and service at select motorcycle dealers throughout the USA.
's garage after he visited several Ferrari
and Lamborghini
dealerships in Hollywood and Los Angeles
, California
, looking for a supercar
that he could comfortably sit in. Bramscher, who was a football player at his high school, Shawnee Mission South, is tall but has described himself as "long-waisted, so I sit like I'm tall." Bramscher set out to design and build a car comparable to the McLaren
Formula 1 car, but which would comfortably accommodate a tall person weighing 300 lb (136.1 kg). On September 4, 2002, he registered the name "Brammo Motorsports" with the state of Oregon.
Brammo began importing the Ultima Can Am in an attempt to understand at a basic level the components, tools, and processes needed to manufacture a complete vehicle. The company continued to import the cars from Ultima in component form, assemble them, and sell them to customers. Customers were offered “build journals," which enabled them to watch their vehicle being built in near real-time online.
. However, it has since been announced that the project has shifted to making the GT a battery electric vehicle
to compete with the Tesla Roadster
.
producing 800 hp. Brammo commissioned a six-speed transverse synchro-mesh gearbox with Xtrac, Inc., of Berkshire
, England. They also built a custom Falconer V12 engine.
Brammo changed the name of the Pro GT to the Rogue GT. They also imported some Gardner Douglas T70s, but demand for the vehicle was not sufficient. In 2006, Brammo executed an assignment of its interest in the trademark "Rogue" to Nissan Motors
,
which introduced the Nissan Rogue
, a compact
crossover SUV
in October 2007.
In early 2005, Brammo purchased a license to produce the Ariel Atom
, an exo-skeletal vehicle designed by Nik Smart while he was a transport design student at Coventry University
. Brammo's license allowed the company to produce the vehicle for the North American market only. After it secured the license from Ariel
CEO Simon Saunders, Brammo reverse-engineered the vehicle, making several improvements along the way, and began production. The company could not secure the Honda engines which were installed in the UK versions of the car, so it approached GM and was able to obtain the supercharged GM Ecotec engine, although a limited run of ten of the Atoms came equipped with Honda K20A engines. The company sold just over 130 of the cars during a 20 month period. Jay Leno bought one of them and wrote an extensive review of it for Popular Mechanics.
In 2007, Bramscher decided that a car with nearly 1000 hp that got 3 mpgU.S. (1.3 km/L) was not a viable product to be selling in a post-Inconvenient Truth world. Brammo began looking at electric motors as a possible next step because of the torque produced by such motors. It began developing an electric Ariel Atom and learned some of the intricacies of electric drivetrains while it worked toward production of the vehicle. Although Ariel Atom UK had been amenable to Brammo's re-engineering of the Atom for a GM motor due to the unavailability of the Honda system used in the UK, it became economically unfeasible for the electric Atom project to continue due to the amount of the royalty required by Ariel for the electric vehicle. Brammo then decided to develop its own electric vehicle (EV
) from the ground up.
Brammo's experience with building supercars, coupled with its research of electric drivetrains and then-current battery technology led to the belief that with the power-to-weight ratio and energy density of lithium batteries, an EV was possible, but that the vehicle's weight was a crucial concern. The decision was made to produce a lighter motorcycle.
Brammo focused on designing and building the Enertia powercycle prototype. After completing the prototype, the company met with investors and determined that Brammo Motorsports needed to become Brammo, Inc., and that it would thereafter focus fully on electric vehicles. The name "Brammo, Inc." was registered in August 2008.
In September 2008, Brammo raised a $10 million round from Best Buy Venture Capital, Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital, and others.
stores on the West Coast, with a gradual roll-out to the electronic retailer's stores nationwide. Bramscher said, "what we're selling is a lot closer to consumer electronics than to transportation." He indicated that basic repairs and maintenance would be carried out by the Geek Squad
crew while more intensive work would be performed at various service centers around the country. The Enertia began selling at select Best Buy locations in August 2009.
In June 2009, Brammo entered two modified Enertia motorcycles in the Time Trial Xtreme Grand Prix (TTXGP), a motorcycle race billed as "the world's first zero-emissions superbike event." The race took place on June 12, 2009, on the Isle of Man
's 37.7 miles (60.7 km) Snaefell Mountain Course
. Brammo's #26 bike, a model it called the TTR, finished in third place during the final race. Scottish rider Mark Buckley finished with a time of 30 minutes, 2.64 seconds, an average speed of 75.35 miles per hour (33.7 m/s), and reached a top speed of 102 mph (45.6 m/s).
as its global manufacturing partner for the production of plug-in electric motorcycles and components. Brammo CEO Bramscher indicated that it would benefit from the arrangement because of Flextronics' ability to supply Brammo with all its electronics needs and because it would use Flextronics' assembly facilities worldwide in order to build its motorcycles closer to end user consumption, rather than shipping completed motorcycles overseas from US assembly lines.
"Notice of Exempt Offering of Securities" with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In that filing, Brammo certified that it had secured $12,454,653 of the total $30,000,000 private offering. Brammo indicated that most of the remaining $17.5 million worth of shares it intended to sell were spoken for, and that its goal was to close the offering within the next two months. Chrysalix, an energy-focused venture capital firm in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Best Buy Capital, which together backed the company with $10 million in the Series A Round in 2008, were joined in this round by Alpine Inc., an Edmond
, Oklahoma, gas and oil exploration investment group. Another investor participated, but CEO Craig Bramscher said a nondisclosure agreement prevented him from naming the organization.
(onroad, mostly) variants. The Encite MMX Pro, the smaller of the two bikes, was described as a more hardcore racing version. Along with the announcement of the two bikes came the announcement that the company had partnered with SMRE, an Engineering and Design firm based in Umbertide
, Italy. SMRE had designed the mechatronic six-speed gearbox that the new bikes, in prototype form, were using.
, Brammo's Empulse RR racing motorcycle won the first two races of the TTXGP North American Series, also known as the A123 Infineon Round. The motorcycle was ridden by Steve Atlas, an AMA
credentialed racer and a contributing editor for Motorcycle-USA.com. During the race on Sunday, the Empulse RR broke the track record for electric motorcycles, set the previous year by the Zero-Agni
machine, ridden by Shawn Higbee
.
to provide race-ready rides for the TTXGP electric racing series for the 2013 season. Brammo indicated that it would provide box-stock Empulse motorcycles to the TTXGP through Mavizen, the electric motorcycle startup launched by TTXGP founder Azhar Hussain. Mavizen and Brammo would develop a “race kit” including racing bodywork, unspecified “race performance upgrades” and track-side tech support.
in Utah on the weekend of September 2, 2011, its position and prior points earned in the racing series guaranteed it the title of TTXGP North American Champion. The electric racing motorcycle was piloted by Steve Atlas, who had given the team consistent speed and performance throughout the 2011 season. According to Brian Wismann, Brammo’s Director of Product Development, the team was satisfied by the dependable performance of the bike and was "excited about the opportunity to defend the title next year against even stronger competition."
, a manufacturer of ATVs, snowmobiles, neighborhood electric vehicles, Victory Motorcycles
and Indian Motorcycles
, announced an investment in Brammo that closed the final tranche of the Series B funding round of $28 million. Polaris had been showing interest in electric propulsion for some time, producing an electric version of its Ranger Side-by-Side, and more recently buying up Global Electric Motorcars
(GEM) from Chrysler
. As one publication put it, "This latest move likely signals the addition of clean and quiet drivetrains to ATVs and motorcycles under the global giant's brand umbrella – snowmobiles may have to wait on battery breakthroughs before they become commercially feasible." Along with the announcement of the Polaris investment, Brammo indicated that the Brammo Power battery pack production would be commencing soon in Frickenhausen, Germany.
Government Logistics Department announced that it would be replacing its existing fleet of gasoline-powered motorcycles in the District's Police Department
and Water Supplies Department with Brammo Enertia Plus "LE" (Law Enforcement) electric motorcycles. The Hong Kong Police Department had been using several Brammo Enertia motorcycles as part of pilot project for over a year and had decided to commit to switching over to the electric motorcycles on a permanent basis. The bikes would be supplied to the government through Brammo's exclusive dealer in the area, JCAM Advanced Mobility, Ltd.
Electric vehicle
An electric vehicle , also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion...
company based in Ashland
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, near Interstate 5 and the California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It was named after Ashland County, Ohio, point of origin of Abel Helman and other founders, and secondarily for Ashland, Kentucky, where other...
, Oregon, United States. Its first production electric motorcycle, the Enertia
Brammo Enertia
The Enertia is an electric motorcycle designed and sold by Brammo, Inc. It uses a Lithium iron phosphate battery, and is intended as a commuter vehicle. Enertia motorcycles first went on sale in late July 2009, and began selling at Best Buy in August 2009....
, is assembled in Sárvár, Hungary and is selling online via the company's website and is available for sale and service at select motorcycle dealers throughout the USA.
History
Brammo Motorsports began in Craig BramscherCraig Bramscher
Craig Bramscher is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Brammo, Inc., an electric motorcycle manufacturer in Ashland, Oregon, United States.-Awards:...
's garage after he visited several Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
and Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
dealerships in Hollywood and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, looking for a supercar
Supercar
Supercar is a term used most often to describe an expensive high end car. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive, fast or powerful car"...
that he could comfortably sit in. Bramscher, who was a football player at his high school, Shawnee Mission South, is tall but has described himself as "long-waisted, so I sit like I'm tall." Bramscher set out to design and build a car comparable to the McLaren
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup...
Formula 1 car, but which would comfortably accommodate a tall person weighing 300 lb (136.1 kg). On September 4, 2002, he registered the name "Brammo Motorsports" with the state of Oregon.
Enertia GT
The Enertia GT was a car planned for production, intended to be powered by a naturally aspirated Falconer V12 engineV12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
. However, it has since been announced that the project has shifted to making the GT a battery electric vehicle
Battery electric vehicle
A battery electric vehicle, or BEV, is a type of electric vehicle that uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs. BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of, or in addition to, internal combustion engines for propulsion.A battery-only electric vehicle or...
to compete with the Tesla Roadster
Tesla Roadster
The Tesla Roadster is a battery electric vehicle sports car produced by the electric car firm Tesla Motors in California. The Roadster was the first highway-capable all-electric vehicle in serial production available in the United States. Since 2008 Tesla has sold 2,024 Roadsters in 30 countries...
.
Pro GT and Rogue GT
Brammo applied for a trademark of "Pro GT" in April 2004. Brammo finalized the design for the Brammo Motorsports Pro GT and hired Brian Wismann as the lead designer prior to building the prototype. The Pro GT prototype had a 600 cubic inch V12 engineV12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
producing 800 hp. Brammo commissioned a six-speed transverse synchro-mesh gearbox with Xtrac, Inc., of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England. They also built a custom Falconer V12 engine.
Brammo changed the name of the Pro GT to the Rogue GT. They also imported some Gardner Douglas T70s, but demand for the vehicle was not sufficient. In 2006, Brammo executed an assignment of its interest in the trademark "Rogue" to Nissan Motors
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
,
which introduced the Nissan Rogue
Nissan Rogue
The Nissan Rogue is a compact crossover SUV that debuted in October 2007 for the 2008 model year, produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan. It is the North American counterpart of the X-Trail sold outside North America , as well as the Qashqai in Europe and the Dualis in Japan and Australia.The...
, a compact
Compact SUV
Compact SUV is a class of small sport utility vehicles with a length roughly between . This class should not be confused with mini SUV, which refers to smaller vehicles.- Background :...
crossover SUV
Crossover SUV
A crossover SUV is a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of a sport utility vehicle with features from a passenger vehicle, especially those of a station wagon or hatchback.Using the unibody construction typical of passenger vehicles, the crossover...
in October 2007.
Ariel Atom
Ariel Atom
The Ariel Atom is a high performance sports car made by the Ariel Motor Company based in Somerset, England and under licence in North America by TMI Autotech, Inc. at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia....
, an exo-skeletal vehicle designed by Nik Smart while he was a transport design student at Coventry University
Coventry University
Coventry University is a post-1992 university in Coventry, West Midlands, England. Under the terms of the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992, the institution's name was changed from Coventry Polytechnic to Coventry University...
. Brammo's license allowed the company to produce the vehicle for the North American market only. After it secured the license from Ariel
Ariel Ltd
Ariel Motors Ltd is a Crewkerne, Somerset, England based low-volume performance motor vehicle manufacturing company.Founded by Simon Saunders in 1991 as Solocrest Ltd, the name was changed in 2001 to Ariel Motors, although the name change and company have nothing to do with the former Ariel...
CEO Simon Saunders, Brammo reverse-engineered the vehicle, making several improvements along the way, and began production. The company could not secure the Honda engines which were installed in the UK versions of the car, so it approached GM and was able to obtain the supercharged GM Ecotec engine, although a limited run of ten of the Atoms came equipped with Honda K20A engines. The company sold just over 130 of the cars during a 20 month period. Jay Leno bought one of them and wrote an extensive review of it for Popular Mechanics.
In 2007, Bramscher decided that a car with nearly 1000 hp that got 3 mpgU.S. (1.3 km/L) was not a viable product to be selling in a post-Inconvenient Truth world. Brammo began looking at electric motors as a possible next step because of the torque produced by such motors. It began developing an electric Ariel Atom and learned some of the intricacies of electric drivetrains while it worked toward production of the vehicle. Although Ariel Atom UK had been amenable to Brammo's re-engineering of the Atom for a GM motor due to the unavailability of the Honda system used in the UK, it became economically unfeasible for the electric Atom project to continue due to the amount of the royalty required by Ariel for the electric vehicle. Brammo then decided to develop its own electric vehicle (EV
Electric vehicle
An electric vehicle , also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, uses one or more electric motors or traction motors for propulsion...
) from the ground up.
Enertia Powercycle and Brammo, Inc.
Brammo focused on designing and building the Enertia powercycle prototype. After completing the prototype, the company met with investors and determined that Brammo Motorsports needed to become Brammo, Inc., and that it would thereafter focus fully on electric vehicles. The name "Brammo, Inc." was registered in August 2008.
In September 2008, Brammo raised a $10 million round from Best Buy Venture Capital, Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital, and others.
Best Buy sales agreement
In February 2009, Brammo announced that the Enertia would be sold at Best BuyBest Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
stores on the West Coast, with a gradual roll-out to the electronic retailer's stores nationwide. Bramscher said, "what we're selling is a lot closer to consumer electronics than to transportation." He indicated that basic repairs and maintenance would be carried out by the Geek Squad
Geek Squad
The Geek Squad is a subsidiary of the Best Buy Company and is based in Richfield, Minnesota. It was originally founded on June 16, 1994 by Robert Stephens. The company offers various computer-related services and accessories for residential and commercial clients...
crew while more intensive work would be performed at various service centers around the country. The Enertia began selling at select Best Buy locations in August 2009.
TTXGP
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
's 37.7 miles (60.7 km) Snaefell Mountain Course
Snaefell mountain course
Snaefell Mountain Course or Mountain Course is a road-racing circuit used for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix Races held in the Isle of Man from 1911 and 1923 respectively. The racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald...
. Brammo's #26 bike, a model it called the TTR, finished in third place during the final race. Scottish rider Mark Buckley finished with a time of 30 minutes, 2.64 seconds, an average speed of 75.35 miles per hour (33.7 m/s), and reached a top speed of 102 mph (45.6 m/s).
Empulse electric motorcycle
In 2010 Brammo announced the Empulse Trio line of water-cooled electric motorcycles, with models 6.0, 8.0, and 10.0 offering an average range of 60, 80 or 100 miles respectively. Top speed is in excess of 100 miles per hour. Summer 2011 delivery was projected for orders placed in July 2010. The 2011 delivery date was later extended into 2012 due to the decision to incorporate a gearbox into the production model.Partnership with Flextronics
In September 2010, Brammo announced an agreement with FlextronicsFlextronics
Flextronics International Ltd. is an electronics manufacturing services provider that offers services to original equipment manufacturers . It also provides supporting supply chain services, including packaging and transportation throughout the world, as well as design and after-sales...
as its global manufacturing partner for the production of plug-in electric motorcycles and components. Brammo CEO Bramscher indicated that it would benefit from the arrangement because of Flextronics' ability to supply Brammo with all its electronics needs and because it would use Flextronics' assembly facilities worldwide in order to build its motorcycles closer to end user consumption, rather than shipping completed motorcycles overseas from US assembly lines.
Series B Funding
Later in September 2010, Brammo filed a Form DForm D
Form D is an SEC Filing form to be used to file a notice of an exempt offering of securities under Regulation D. Commission rules require the notice to be filed by companies and funds that have sold securities without registration under the Securities Act of 1933 in an offering based on a claim of...
"Notice of Exempt Offering of Securities" with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In that filing, Brammo certified that it had secured $12,454,653 of the total $30,000,000 private offering. Brammo indicated that most of the remaining $17.5 million worth of shares it intended to sell were spoken for, and that its goal was to close the offering within the next two months. Chrysalix, an energy-focused venture capital firm in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Best Buy Capital, which together backed the company with $10 million in the Series A Round in 2008, were joined in this round by Alpine Inc., an Edmond
Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the population was 81,405, making it the sixth largest city in the state of Oklahoma....
, Oklahoma, gas and oil exploration investment group. Another investor participated, but CEO Craig Bramscher said a nondisclosure agreement prevented him from naming the organization.
Enertia Plus electric motorcycle
In October 2010, Brammo announced a new model of its Enertia motorcycle, called the Enertia Plus. Set for delivery in 2011, the Enertia Plus will have a 6.0 kWh Brammo Power Lithium Ion battery pack. According to CEO Bramscher, the Enertia Plus is a zero-emissions motorcycle that will travel 80 miles on one charge, over 60 miles per hour, and should take about 6 hours to fully power up at any electric vehicle (EV) charging station with Level 1 capabilities.Engage, Encite, and partnership with SMRE
In May 2011, Brammo announced two new models of electric motorcycle, the Engage and the Encite. The Engage is a full-sized dirtbike, available in both motorcross (offroad) and supermotoSupermoto
Supermoto is motorcycle racing on a circuit that alternates between three types of track: flat track, motocross and road racing, using motorcycles designed for that purpose...
(onroad, mostly) variants. The Encite MMX Pro, the smaller of the two bikes, was described as a more hardcore racing version. Along with the announcement of the two bikes came the announcement that the company had partnered with SMRE, an Engineering and Design firm based in Umbertide
Umbertide
Umbertide is a town and comune of Italy, in the province of Perugia in northwestern Umbria, at the confluence of the Reggia river and the Tiber. It is 30 km North of Perugia and 20 km South of Città di Castello...
, Italy. SMRE had designed the mechatronic six-speed gearbox that the new bikes, in prototype form, were using.
Empulse RR Wins TTXGP races at Infineon Raceway
On May 14 and 15, 2011, at Infineon RacewayInfineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains near Sonoma, California, USA. The course is a complex series of twists and turns that go up and down the hills...
, Brammo's Empulse RR racing motorcycle won the first two races of the TTXGP North American Series, also known as the A123 Infineon Round. The motorcycle was ridden by Steve Atlas, an AMA
American Motorcyclist Association
The American Motorcyclist Association is an American not-for-profit organization of more than 300,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights...
credentialed racer and a contributing editor for Motorcycle-USA.com. During the race on Sunday, the Empulse RR broke the track record for electric motorcycles, set the previous year by the Zero-Agni
Zero Motorcycles
Zero Motorcycles Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells high performance electric motorcycles. Formerly Electricross, it was started in 2006 near Santa Cruz, California in Scotts Valley. The company was founded by Neal Saiki who is a former NASA engineer and has also won numerous design awards in...
machine, ridden by Shawn Higbee
Shawn Higbee
Shawn Higbee is an American professional motorcycle racer in the AMA Daytona and Superbike Series. He also races with the Willow Springs Motorcycle Club ....
.
Brammo and TTXGP Partnership
In July 2011, Brammo announced it had entered a partnership with TTXGPTTXGP
The TTXGP, first conceived by Azhar Hussain in 2008, was a new event for the 2009 Isle of Man TT races. It was a one-lap, race for racing motorcycles "powered without the use of carbon based fuels and have zero toxic/noxious emissions." For 2010 the event was replaced by TT Zero, also created...
to provide race-ready rides for the TTXGP electric racing series for the 2013 season. Brammo indicated that it would provide box-stock Empulse motorcycles to the TTXGP through Mavizen, the electric motorcycle startup launched by TTXGP founder Azhar Hussain. Mavizen and Brammo would develop a “race kit” including racing bodywork, unspecified “race performance upgrades” and track-side tech support.
Brammo wins the North American Championship of the TTXGP
Although Brammo's Empulse RR racing motorcycle took third place at the TTXGP race at Miller Motorsports ParkMiller Motorsports Park
Miller Motorsports Park is an auto, motorcycle, bicycle and kart racing facility located in the unincorporated Erda area just outside Tooele, Utah.- The Track :...
in Utah on the weekend of September 2, 2011, its position and prior points earned in the racing series guaranteed it the title of TTXGP North American Champion. The electric racing motorcycle was piloted by Steve Atlas, who had given the team consistent speed and performance throughout the 2011 season. According to Brian Wismann, Brammo’s Director of Product Development, the team was satisfied by the dependable performance of the bike and was "excited about the opportunity to defend the title next year against even stronger competition."
Acquisition of QuantyaParx - Renamed BrammoParx
In September 2011, Brammo acquired QuantyaParx, a motocross rent-and-ride business created and operated by KOM Enterprise GmbH with operations in five European countries. Hans Eder, founder of the parks, indicated that "Brammo ownership will give our existing and new BrammoParx operators access to the Brammo Engage and Encite, the most advanced off-road electric motorcycles in the world." Craig Bramscher, CEO of Brammo, indicated that they would be making the Brammoparx franchise opportunity available to more locations, including within the United States.Polaris Invests in Brammo
In October 2011, Polaris IndustriesPolaris Industries
Polaris Industries is a manufacturer of snowmobiles, ATV, and neighborhood electric vehicles. Polaris is based in Medina, Minnesota, USA. The company also manufactures motorcycles through its Victory Motorcycles subsidiary and through the Indian Motorcycle subsidiary which it purchased in April...
, a manufacturer of ATVs, snowmobiles, neighborhood electric vehicles, Victory Motorcycles
Victory Motorcycles
Victory Motorcycles is a motorcycle manufacturer based in Spirit Lake, Iowa, United States, which began production of its vehicles in 1998. Its parent company, Polaris Industries, created the firm following the modern success of Harley-Davidson...
and Indian Motorcycles
Indian (motorcycle)
Indian is an American brand of motorcycles. Indian motorcycles were manufactured from 1901 to 1953 by a company in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, initially known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company but which was renamed the Indian Manufacturing Company in 1928. The Indian factory team took the...
, announced an investment in Brammo that closed the final tranche of the Series B funding round of $28 million. Polaris had been showing interest in electric propulsion for some time, producing an electric version of its Ranger Side-by-Side, and more recently buying up Global Electric Motorcars
Global Electric Motorcars
Global Electric Motorcars , a wholly owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries, is a U.S. manufacturer in the low-speed vehicle category, producing neighborhood electric vehicles since 1998 and has sold more than 45,000 GEM battery-electric vehicles worldwide as of December 2010.Until June 2011, GEM...
(GEM) from Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
. As one publication put it, "This latest move likely signals the addition of clean and quiet drivetrains to ATVs and motorcycles under the global giant's brand umbrella – snowmobiles may have to wait on battery breakthroughs before they become commercially feasible." Along with the announcement of the Polaris investment, Brammo indicated that the Brammo Power battery pack production would be commencing soon in Frickenhausen, Germany.
Hong Kong Chooses Brammo to Equip Police and Other Departments
In October 2011, Hong Kong'sHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
Government Logistics Department announced that it would be replacing its existing fleet of gasoline-powered motorcycles in the District's Police Department
Hong Kong Police Force
The Hong Kong Police Force is the largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong. It is the world's second, and Asia's first, police agency to operate with a modern policing system. It was formed on 1 May 1844, with a strength of 32 officers...
and Water Supplies Department with Brammo Enertia Plus "LE" (Law Enforcement) electric motorcycles. The Hong Kong Police Department had been using several Brammo Enertia motorcycles as part of pilot project for over a year and had decided to commit to switching over to the electric motorcycles on a permanent basis. The bikes would be supplied to the government through Brammo's exclusive dealer in the area, JCAM Advanced Mobility, Ltd.