Cleveland-based electric motorcycle startup Land Moto is looking to diversify by boosting the battery design side of its technology, and has raised $3 million (on top of $7 million raised last summer) to do so in 2024.
The main product of land is a impressive electric motorcycle called District, which is somewhat at the intersection of e-bike and motorcycle. Powered by one or two large ground-engineered batteries, the District can be limited to Class 2 mode (meaning no license required) or taken up to over 70 MPH in performance mode.
(For the sake of transparency, I was actually looking into buying one of these things before I decided it was a bit too much of a bike for me. Having seen it in person at CES, I’m glad I went for something lighter, but I’ve recently been tempted.)
But like many EV makers, Land finds that there’s a lot of potential in having a massive battery in one’s home beyond just transportation. Just as some car manufacturers have flirted with the idea of having your electric car act as a battery at home, why not your electric bike itself, to a lesser extent?
Core batteries come in a few sizes, up to a nominal 5.5 kWh, which gives the bike a range of 80-100 miles. It’s also enough to charge your phone for a few months or run the coffee maker during a power outage, and they’re hoping to advance that use case with a new accessory called the Power Tap.
Recently up for pre-order, the device adds a 400W, three-prong socket and four USB-C plugs to the side of the bike — obviously not for when you’re riding, but for when you’re sitting in the woods or at that coffee shop you’ve been to.
Image Credits: Land Moto
But the new $3 million isn’t just to ship them – the plan is to invest more in battery manufacturing and design in general, making Core batteries more than just what fits this particular bike.
“Being able to produce electric batteries at home is a pivotal moment for the team. It allows us to ramp up battery production in 2024 and continue to innovate and improve intuitive battery design,” Evan Painter, Land’s chief design officer, said in a press release.
I spoke with Painter at CES, and he said the company has seen the electric ecosystem spread, not just to more specialized transportation (like high-end electric motorcycles), but to micro-mobility and off-grid purposes.
A newly redesigned battery with the same general shape but integrated next-generation and consumer-grade inputs and outputs was shown at CES. For now, that means USB-C, USB-A, an AC outlet, and solar input ports, but that could change as they continue to develop the device. I haven’t been able to get Painter to elaborate much further on the home use and integration capabilities.
As with other electric ecosystems, the new battery is designed to fit into the bike’s slot with minimal modification. And of course it can also power future vehicles of different sizes and types.
The $3 million funding round brings the company’s total to $10 million and was led by a special purpose vehicle called Nunc Coepi Ventures.
