California-based company ICG developed the overall design and was responsible for fabricating the initial prototype. Zero Motorcycles provided the proprietary powertrain package (motor, batteries, controller and other components) as well as engineering support during development and testing of the prototype.

Ural Motorcycles President and Chief Executive Ilya Khait said the company had always been confident their sidecar would be “the perfect platform” for an electric motorcycle.

“It can offer what regular two-wheeled motorcycles can’t — passenger comfort, stability and safety, not to mention more space for batteries.

“We’re very happy with the results. At a glance it’s still a Ural, but the electric bike offers a totally new experience. It’s very easy to control, thanks to a low centre of gravity and optimal weight distribution.

“It’s very stable thanks to its three wheels. It doesn’t have a clutch or gear shifter, twisting the throttle is basically all you need to operate the bike. And it accelerates very quickly – for a Ural. Overall, it’s a fun and very versatile vehicle that you can use almost like a car.”

Ural’s Vice-President of Operations and project manager Jason Rae said the main goal of the project was proof of concept.

“We went through several iterations, searching for the best configuration of the electric powertrain package. One of the main challenges was to find the optimal location for the batteries while maintaining passenger comfort, storage capacity and stability distinctive to Ural sidecars.

“The bike was tested intensively in a real world conditions – in the rain and snow, on cold and hot days, on the highway and city streets. We accumulated a lot of data that will be used in the next phase of the project.

“Admittedly, I was apprehensive in the beginning that an electric Ural was something worth putting our resources into, but now I’m totally convinced and looking forward to development of our production intent prototype.”

The company has no immediate plans to manufacture an all-electric model at this time. The decision will be based on market research, consumer and industry experts’ feedback.

Ural estimates it would take approximately 24 months to ramp up serial production upon final design approval. Production bike design would incorporate the latest battery technology and charging options.

The Electric Ural is currently making its way around the North American market for trade shows and demo-ride events to collect feedback before moving to the next phase of this project.

More info: https://www.imz-ural.com.au/electric

NB. The bike in the photos is a right-hand configuration. Sidecars for the Australian market have their chairs on the left.

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