In an all-British Columbia deal, Damon says its HyperSport electric motorcycles will now be powered by E-One Moli batteries

Vancouver-based electric motorcycle company Damon Motors has announced a new partnership to power its flagship HyperSport electric motorcycles using batteries from E-One Moli Energy Corp. 

E-One Moli Energy (also known as Molicel) is based in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. It is the Canadian division of E-One Moli Energy Corp., a Taiwan-based global manufacturer of rechargeable lithium-ion cell products.

“Molicel’s battery technology is tailor-made to meet the unique requirements of high-performance motorcycles,” said Casey Shiue, president of Molicel, in a press statement.

In November 2023, E-One Moli Energy revealed plans for a $1.05-billion lithium-ion battery cell plant near its existing operations in Maple Ridge.

Derek Dorresteyn, chief technology officer of Damon Motorcycles, highlighted the benefit of the new partnership. He mentions that E-One Moli’s new B.C. plant will “shorten supply chains for battery cells and improve the responsiveness of our North American motorcycle manufacturing activities.”

Testing the technology

Engineers from E-One Moli and Damon are already working together on current and future battery applications. The goal is for the HyperSport “deliver more range, higher power, and shorter charge times than industry competitors,” says Damon.

Damon recently tested a HyperSport equipped with Molicel batteries against a combustion-powered “2023 model 1000cc superbike.” The test occurred at a private, closed-course test track at Thunderhill Raceway in California.

Results showed the HyperSport’s acceleration was comparable to the competitor. They achieved top speeds of 168 mph and 169 mph, respectively, says Damon.

But the power delivery of the HyperSport is smoother. This is because “the usual problem of an unstable chassis caused by the fluctuating torque in traditional combustion engines was noticeably not present,” claims Damon.

Damon also says the HyperSport design, featuring liquid cooling technology, single-sided electric connection and 500V architecture, allows it to deliver high continuous power output comparable to the 1000cc superbike.

Patents and funding

Damon says it has 40 patents covering a diverse range of technologies. These include advanced rider aids, an embedded active ergonomics system named “Shift,” 4G connectivity and a “proprietary AI-enabled cloud.”

The company has raised more than $70 million in funding so far. It says it has over $85 million in deposit-backed reservations, totalling over 3,400 pre-ordered motorcycles.

Damon is finalizing a reverse merger transaction with a spin-off entity of Inpixon, a California-based IoT company, called Grafiti Holding Inc. After the transaction is complete, Damon will become a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange.