Spanish brand Bultaco bets on all-electric model for comeback

The Spanish motorcycle manufacturer Bultaco, which went out of business in the early 1980s, is back in the news following the introduction of the Rapitan, a new all-electric ride slated to go on sale in 2015. The news echoes the spectacular return of the French brand Voxan last December with its Wattman, which is also due to hit the market in 2015.

In the hopes of resurrecting the Bultaco name, the successors to founder Paco Bulto are focusing their efforts on an all-electric model. The Rapitan packs an electric motor with 40kW, or the equivalent of 55hp. While its top speed is limited to 145km/h, the manufacturer says the motorcycle can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in a mere 4 seconds.

The battery, which recharges fully in less than five hours, has a range of up to 200km per charge. Presented as a prototype, the Bultaco Rapitan is scheduled to hit the market in 2015.

This is not the first time that a brand has risen from its ashes with an all-electric motorcycle. In December 2013, French manufacturer Voxan, which was liquidated in 2009 and purchased by Venturi in 2010, returned to the scene with the Wattman, an all-electric motorcycle symbolizing its rebirth.

Powered by an engine with 200hp -- making it the world's most powerful electric motorcycle, according to Voxan -- the Wattman boasts a top speed of 170km/h, 0 to 100km/h acceleration in just 3.4 seconds and 0 to 160km/h in 5.9 seconds. The battery offers a range of around 180km. Like the Rapitan, this powerful all-electric ride will not go on sale to the public until 2015.