Quebec’s Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), makers of the three-wheeled Can-Am Spyder (and Sea-Doos and Ski-Doos and all that other fun stuff), announced today in a press release that it’s bought “select assets” of Faster-Faster Inc., the parent company of Alta Motors.
Alta, you’ll recall, was the San Francisco startup company that began as a maker of electric motorcycles and then partnered with Harley-Davidson to develop electric drivetrains for The Motor Company. But that partnership ended last year, and a mysterious investor that Alta was counting on to acquire it and give it an essential cash boost pulled out of the deal at the last minute. That investor was rumoured to be BRP.
Alta went out of business late last year and creditors have been selling off whatever they can to recoup their losses. BRP stepped in this month to buy “certain intellectual property, patents and some limited physical assets,” but states it has no interest in restarting operations of Alta Motors and assumes no liabilities.
It is, however, “constantly on the lookout for the next generation of powersports solutions. BRP has already commercialized electric side-by-side vehicles for a number of years, has created electric and hybrid prototypes of Can-Am Spyder vehicles and is currently involved in electric karting with Rotax.”
Sounds like a good deal for BRP, and definitely the final nail in the coffin for Alta Motors.
Yes really ugly!I the thing had no freaking air box And no radiator let’s make it look like a Harley Davidson LiveWire no that’s good lux ha ha
So, let me get this straight. HD invests in Alta. Instead of helping it succeed with cash and access to a world-wide dealer network, HD takes its ideas, dresses them up in a leather vest, doo-rag and tassels to become their new prototype electric scooter and electric bicycle thingy, then kicks Alta to the curb to die. Didn’t they also do that to Mission in order to develop their vastly over-priced and under-ranged LiveWire?
Now BRP (presumably), who posted record profits in 2017, sees Alta lying half dead at the curb. Instead of doing CPR and putting a roof over its head, BRP stands there waiting for it to die so that it can steal its toys at a bargain basement price.
Such a shame too. Alta was showing so much promise. But since BRP might get all Alta’s hard developed R&D for a song, maybe, just maybe, they’ll come out with quality electric MX and Enduro bikes that are price competitive with comparable ICE. Yeah, who am I kidding.
Well said!!!
Awesome! Restyle the Redshift; fuuugly, and bring a couple of bikes to market. I’ll have no problem embracing electric bikes when the prices come down. The more bikes that come to market, the more competitive the prices become.