The Novus Electric Motorcycle Is a Lightweight Commuter Bike With a Heavyweight Price

Dodge morning traffic in style.

It’s slim, sleek, and has a color scheme like a storm trooper from Star Wars. It’s the Novus all-electric motorcycle, a fine piece of German engineering designed for commuter use. It has to be for commuters, because it only gets 60 miles per charge.

The “only” above may be unfair to the Novus. It is, after all, remarkable in many ways, reports New Atlas. This hollow-bodied little beauty comes with thin tires designed for city commutes in part because when it comes time to park, a rider can simply haul its feather-light 85 lbs into a foyer or utility closet. Some elements like its 18.7 horsepower may be a downer, but it’s not like anyone needs a big Harley hog on the city streets.

New Atlas details why the Novus is an odd duck among the current field of electric motorcycles and jumped-up scooter-style ebikes, writing that “it makes for a seriously stylish and ultra-lightweight commuter that would suit most people’s needs for the daily traffic dodge perfectly,” and would likely “sell like hotcakes if it cost $7,000.”

But its price doesn’t remotely match its size and capacity. The Novus goes for $39,500. Despite its pleasingly futuristic look and feel, mobility, and decent speed for its size (up to 60 mph), it’s tough to see putting down the cost of a Tesla Model 3.

That said, in a world where electric scooters have begun to proliferate, there’s a case to be made for the Novus being a bellwether of what’s to come after them. Plenty of these babies will end up in the hands of forward-thinking and well-heeled owners, but the creators of this bike may one day lay claim to beginning a new phase in urban commuting.