Skip to main content

Alta Motors teases electric street tracker — commuting can be loads of fun

The small world of serious all-electric motorcycles may gain a new citizen and it could be one of the sweetest yet. San Francisco-based Alta Motors told Autoblog the company is bringing a street tracker Redshift ST concept bike at The One Moto Show in Portland, Oregon in early February.

A street tracker is a street-legal version of a flat track racer, a relatively lightweight, powerful, low-slung motorcycle designed for racing on oval dirt tracks – which traditionally means sliding sideways (going counter-clockwise) around the track as fast as you can for four laps. Alta Motors launched the company’s first two models, the $15,000 RedShift MX (motocross) and $15,500 street-legal version Redshift SM (supermoto), in August. If Alta brings the ST to market, the lightweight electric’s appeal could be significantly broader.

The ST concept has a lowered frame that brings the seat height to 31.5 inches. That height means most adults will be able to sit comfortably at stop signs and stoplights. The MX’s and SM’s 37-inch and 35.5-inch seat heights, respectively, can literally be a stretch for some riders. When Digital Trends tested the Redshift SM, the 5-foot-10 reviewer couldn’t put his feet flat on the ground when in the saddle.

Alta hasn’t released the ST’s battery power or drivetrain specifications. If the company sticks with the setup used with the MX and SM, with a 5.8kWh battery pack and a 40 hp motor with 120 ft-lbs of torque, the range will still be about 50 miles and it will top out at around 80 mph. Like other electric vehicles, however, the RedShift’s acceleration with 28 ft-lbs of instant torque from a standing start will surprise first-time drivers and riders, especially because it’s all so quiet.

Alta isn’t talking price or making a commitment to actually take the sweet street bike into production. If production does get the green flag, however, the ST won’t be available before 2018, Alta told Autoblog. The price will likely be about the same as the other models, however, so guessing $15,500, like the RedShift SM, could be close to the mark.

Bruce Brown
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
Mercedes to trial humanoid robots for ‘low-skill, repetitive, demanding’ jobs
Apptronik's Apollo robot at work in an auto plant.

Humanoid robots have been coming on leaps and bounds in recent years, and some major companies are starting to take note.

Mercedes-Benz, for example, has just entered into an agreement with Texas-based robotics specialist Apptronik to collaborate on identifying applications for highly advanced robots that the auto giant could deploy. The deal will involve a trial that will see Apptronik's Apollo humanoid robot work alongside Mercedes' human workers on the factory floor.

Read more
Hyundai Ioniq 9: price, release date, range, and more
Hyundai Ioniq 9 Front

Hyundai has been at the forefront of EV development for a while now, largely thanks to the success of the crossover-sized Hyundai Ioniq 5. But the company is readying another new EV that could be even more popular than the Ioniq 5 -- or at least more desirable in the U.S., the land of big cars.

The upcoming Ioniq 9, previously set to be called the Ioniq 7, will be Hyundai's take on an electric SUV. It will be to Hyundai what the Kia EV9 is to Kia. It will have three rows and carry over design elements from the Ioniq 5.

Read more
Audi Q6 e-tron ushers in the automaker’s next EV phase
2025 Audi Q6 e-tron front three quarter view.

Audi doesn’t get enough credit for getting luxury car buyers comfortable with EVs. While Tesla took care of the image-conscious types, the German brand unveiled its e-tron electric SUV in 2018 with the tagline “electric has gone Audi” in hopes of getting loyal customers excited about (or, at least, acclimated to) electric cars by pitching the e-tron as an Audi first and an EV second.

The e-tron wasn’t a one-off, either. It’s since evolved into the Q8 e-tron and has been joined by the sporty e-tron GT and entry-level Q4 e-tron. So, while some car brands are only just introducing their first electric models, Audi is ready for round two.

Read more