The Electric Motorcycle Startup (Charlie Lane)

Charlie Lane is building EMP Motorcycles, creating customisable electric motorcycles that are both factory configurable and fully repairable. As an electrical engineer combining his passion for motorcycles with EV technology, Charlie's developing bikes that can be personalised online through their configuration tool - from sports bikes to naked bikes - while ensuring ergonomic fit for riders of all sizes.

The bikes will be LAMS approved with programmable power delivery, targetted at around the £30k price point for the initial Founder's Edition run of 10 bikes. Charlie is aiming to have the first working prototype completed by the end of 2023, with the first customer bikes potentially hitting roads by mid-2025.

A key differentiator is EMP's focus on right-to-repair, making all parts available for purchase and enabling owners to maintain and fix their own bikes. This addresses the growing pushback against disposable consumer goods while appealing to motorcyclists' hands-on nature.

Charlie is building this startup alongside his day job as an electrical engineer, dedicating evenings and weekends to development in his workshop. The project evolved from his custom motorcycle work, with input from advisors helping shape the current business model targeting a gap between small electric bikes and £60k superbikes.