The Ethec Electric Bike combines Refined Design with Swiss Engineering
The Ethec electric motorcycle is a student-built, Swiss-engineered prototype that combines a 15 kWh battery pack with a genuine two-wheel-drive system to deliver a verified range of 400 kilometres. Created by 16 students from ETH Zurich and the Zurich University of the Arts, the Ethec challenges what an electric cruiser can achieve: not in terms of peak power or top speed, but in terms of real-world range and thoughtful engineering.
How Does the Ethec Two-Wheel Drive System Work?
Most electric motorcycles place a single motor at the rear wheel. The Ethec integrates a second hub motor at the front, and this is not simply for additional traction. In conventional motorcycles, approximately 75 percent of braking energy is dissipated at the front wheel. By placing a motor there, the Ethec captures that energy through regenerative braking more efficiently than any rear-only system. The front hub motor also provides better stability during cornering and deceleration. Combined, both motors deliver a continuous output of 22 kW and a peak of 50 kW.
The 15 kWh Battery: Range First Engineering
The Ethec battery pack contains 1,260 lithium-ion cells and is kept at its ideal operating temperature by a thermoelectrical cooling system. At 15 kWh, it is large by motorcycle standards, and its physical presence dominates the bike's proportions. The team made a deliberate choice: range comes first. The result is 400 kilometres of range, a figure that matches many small electric cars and comfortably surpasses any electric motorcycle on the market at the time of the prototype's reveal.
The battery housing is finished with grilles across its entire surface, offering both visual texture and functional cooling. A 7-inch tablet mounted via a curved bracket handles navigation and vehicle data. Electrive's technical report goes deep on the AWD specification, while New Atlas provided an independent assessment of the range and drivetrain claims.
Design: Purposeful, Not Polished
The Ethec is not a production-ready motorcycle. It is a proof of concept, and the design reflects that honestly. The front forks carry a geometry reminiscent of Confederate motorcycles, and the headlight extends forward as a shaped metal element directly from the bodywork. Cables and connectors are routed through organised boxes and metal formations rather than hidden, making the engineering visible as part of the aesthetic. The bodywork itself is smooth and detailed, even if the proportion between the slim frame and the substantial battery block is unconventional.
Performance and What It Means for Electric Motorcycling
Nominal power output is 30 hp through both motors combined, with a burst figure of 67 hp available on demand. The Ethec is not designed for the track: it targets long-distance comfort and efficiency for touring riders who cannot accept limited range. As a student project, it demonstrates that the engineering barriers to a 400 km electric cruiser are solvable, even within a university research budget.
Explore Electric Bikes and Motorcycles at TheArsenale
TheArsenale carries a curated selection of exceptional electric two-wheelers. Discover the Michael Blast x TheArsenale Outsider MX e-bike, the UBCO 2x2 adventure e-bike, and the Fuell Flluid electric bike. Browse the full TheArsenale e-bikes collection for more Swiss-quality engineering on two wheels.
