Bultaco is reborn with 100% electric models

Sometimes dreams come true. Under this slogan, one of the most legendary brands in motorcycling is reborn 31 years after its closure. A few days ago, the news broke that Bultaco was returning to the assembly lines with two new models and a firm commitment to electric powertrains.

At first the relaunch, the brand does not plan to manufacture off-road models, although it is something that is on the minds of the new owners. It probably depends on the reception of the Rapitán, the first model with which the brand with the rampant finger embarks on this renaissance.

AN EMOTIONAL COMEBACK 31 YEARS LATER

On May 17, 1958, Paco Bultó presented the new Bultaco brand at the Ritz Hotel in Barcelona. Its glorious career was cut short in 1983 after a serious crisis in which the Ministry of Industry forced Montesa to absorb it. Yesterday, also May 17th, Bultaco presents its rebirth and return to the market, but this time at the Renaissance Hotel in London.

The first models will be released in mid-2015 and will be based on the prototypes that have just been presented. There will be two road motorcycles, the Rapitan and the Rapitan Sport, a variant with a sportier mood. Unlike the two-stroke engines that Bultaco has always used, both will be powered by a 100% electric motor with a power equivalent to 54 hpone Combined cycle range of 180 kilometres and a self-limited speed of 145 km/h. The brand also announces that the revisions will be with a periodicity of 40,000 kilometers.

BULTACO WILL REMAIN 100% SPANISH

Motors, whose current equity is three million euros, plans to manufacture 2,000 units in 2015 , and by then have points of sale or boutiques in Spain, England, France, Germany and the USA. It will thus continue the tradition of the old Bultaco, which exported 85% of its motorcycles. The company will have its innovation center in Leganés (Madrid) and the bikes will be assembled in Montmeló (Barcelona). It is expected that 500 direct and indirect jobs will be created once the commercialization is launched. Today, the company has 50 employees and the intention is to close 2015 with 150 workers on staff.

Bultaco Motors is an engineering company 100% made in Spain.
“We must take advantage of the fact that we are a leading country in high-speed railways,”
says Juan Manuel Vinós. In fact, for the development of Bultaco’s electric traction system (Bedts) they have had the collaboration of Viesca, an engineering company that has been working on the development of the AVE for several years. “The only thing we don’t develop ourselves are batteries, which are supplied to us by a German company; The rest of the bike is made in-house.”Gerard Pöllmann says that they have “the necessary funds for the planned developments”, estimated at more than ten million euros and coming from international investment funds.

The electric propulsion system that the bultacos will carry is similar to that developed by Tesla, the American luxury electric vehicle company. “We’ve done parallel developments without either company knowing.”

Bultaco plans to
“sell its electric propulsion system – whose power ranges from 1 kW to 80 kW – to other car companies,”
says Vinós, who is not closing the door on a future hybrid propulsion system combining the electric motor with an internal combustion engine.

BULTACO RAPITÁN

It is an urban model powered by the electric traction system of the future, which combines impressive performance with a very versatile chassis part.

The brains of the Rapitán are the BCU (Bultaco Control Unit), which not only manages the torque delivery of its PowerCORE engine to the rear wheel, but also integrates additional functions such as charging, BMS and communication between all the electronic systems on board.

Its ” EndurancePACK” energy storage and recovery system is similar to Formula 1’s ERS systems. It combines a state-of-the-art Lithium Ion cell battery with an ultracapacitor module for more efficient energy management. This results in a longer range, especially in urban cycles or “stop and go”.

Its “DUAL LINK Evolution” suspension system is characterized by its high torsional rigidity without sacrificing high ride comfort. It has also been optimised to maximise braking torque with the rear wheel, and thus the ability to regenerate braking energy.