Aprilia Looks To The Future With The ELECTRICa Project
This supermoto-ish-looking thing is Aprilia‘s “vision of mobility for the youngest riders of the near future.” So, forget Millenials or even Gen Z, this Aprilia ELECTRICa project is aimed at Generation Alpha – a cohort of kids who, at the oldest end of the spectrum, are currently in junior high school.
Aprilia envisions the future as a space of freedom, where remote working is the norm, yet digital interconnectivity remains at an all-time high. The riders of tomorrow will be used to being able to do what they need to do without having to be at an office building for eight hours a day. They’re free to roam and explore and work wherever their environment lets them. But despite this interconnected world, one thing will remain the same: the need to move around. Until teleportation makes this an instantaneous task, riders of tomorrow will need a fun and engaging way to get around congested cities.
The ELECTRICa is the way, at least according to Aprilia. Its minimalist design appeals to the rider of tomorrow who’s agnostic to today’s different riding categories and just wants a motorized two-wheeler to get around. The term motorized is apropos, as you can probably guess what powers something called ELECTRICa – a battery. The Piaggio Group, Aprilia’s parent company, has been working on electric propulsion since 1975, so while you and I might not be used to seeing an electric Aprilia, the technology isn’t new to the brand.
From what we can tell, the battery’s integration into the frame structure indicates it’ll be a modest size. The motor itself looks to be mounted inside of, or is a structural feature of, the swingarm itself. As such, it doesn’t look very big proportionally. Don’t expect massive power numbers. Still, you have an inverted fork, a centrally mounted shock, radial brakes, and minimalist wheels.
Tomorrow’s riders will be accustomed to electric motorcycles, and the ELECTRICa is aiming to be the next transition after a scooter. It even has both brake levers on the handlebars to make the transition simple. Being a prototype, little is actually known about what powers it, but what we do know is the ELECTRICa is making its debut at EICMA today and it could signal the future of our sport.
Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.
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Good looking EV. A motor with wheels in a lightweight package - as it should be. Now let's see if that is reality and if real world range can hit 100 miles. Doubt it.
Better look waaay into the future, to the day when they match ICE bikes in range, price, weight and aesthetics. I've yet to see any company come near to matching what ICE bikes offer.