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Mon dieu! Voxan's big electric motorcycle packs 200 hp

At this year's Salon de la Moto in Paris, behold Voxan's hulking new Wattman. It may weigh nearly 800 pounds, but it zips from zero to 100 mph in 5.9 seconds.

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
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Stephen Shankland
2 min read
Voxan Motors debuted its massive Wattman battery-powered motorcycle at the Salon de la Moto in Paris. The 772-pound, 200-horsepower machine has a 12.8kWh battery.
Voxan Motors debuted its massive Wattman battery-powered motorcycle at the Salon de la Moto in Paris. The 772-pound, 200-horsepower machine has a 12.8kWh battery. (Click to enlarge.) Stephen Shankland/CNET

PARIS -- The usual suspects like Honda, Yamaha, and BMW were at the Salon de la Moto, but the motorcycle that really stood out was a massive all-electric machine called the Wattman from Voxan Motors.

The French company debuted the unusual machine here at the sprawling show dedicated to motorcycles, scooters, and off-road four-wheelers. Although bystanders gave it a lot of attention, don't expect it to unseat any of the industry's incumbent players: they'll be built by hand, one at a time, for an "exclusive international clientele."

For a full gallery of the machines at the show, check CNET's pictures from the Salon de la Moto.

Salon de la Moto, Paris' motorcycle show (pictures)

See all photos

The Voxan Wattman is a hulking machine, weighing 772 pounds and stretching 7.7 feet long. But it's powerful: its 200-horsepower motor, with torque of 200 newton-meters, outclasses a Ducati Monster 1200S whose 1,998cc engine produces 106 horsepower with torque of 113Nm.

It'll accelerate from 0 to 100mph in 5.9 seconds. Its top speed is 106mph.

A view of the Voxan Motors Wattman's rear wheel and suspension.
A view of the Voxan Motors Wattman's rear wheel and suspension. Stephen Shankland/CNET

The 12.8kWh battery, enough for a range of about 110 miles, is hidden away behind inside an aluminum exoskeleton, a smooth surface that contrasts strongly with most motorcycles' combustion-engine complexities.

It takes less than 30 minutes to charge the battery to 80 percent capacity using a high-voltage, the company said

Voxan was founded in 1995, but Gildo Pallanca Pastor acquired it in 2010 and is trying to use the Wattman to revive the brand name. Pallanca Pastor also is the chief of electric vehicle maker Venturi Automobiles, whose designer Sacha Lakic also designed the Wattman.

Voxon Motors' Wattman has a swooping seat and a belt-driven rear wheel. Its top speed is 170kph, or 106mph.
Voxon Motors' Wattman has a swooping seat and a belt-driven rear wheel. Its top speed is 170kph, or 106mph. (Click to enlarge.) Stephen Shankland/CNET