Alta Motor Electric Redshift Wins Geneva Supercross Pro Riders

And it’s another win for electric motorcycles with Alta Motors and Josh Hill winning the Geneva Supercross on the company’s Redshift MX.

This is the first time an electric motorcycle competes and wins a race in the Supercross format. This means Alta also secures another young racing talent, Ty Tremaine for the Supercross championship on an electric motorcycle.

You’re probably aware of the incredible foray into the motorcycle motocross world Alta Motors has been pushing for. You can read our CleanTechnica special interview with Marc Fenigstein here. Hailed as one of the leaders in global lightweight electric vehicles, the company made two-wheel history when Josh Hill on its Redshift MX electric motorcycle snatched the Geneva Supercross championship on a Redshift. Alta Motors also announced that it secured Ty Tremaine to ride for Alta on its Redshift EX.

The company has much to celebrate. High from a record sales year, as well as national expansion, Alta is now gearing up for a big year of racing for 2018. Unlike Formula 1 and Formula E, which are two separate races with two separate drivetrains, Alta is still fighting gas-powered motorcycles with the electric Redshift electric motorcycle — and winning! Part of that success has been Josh Hill who is joined by Ty Tremaine as of next year, when the company is set to continue to bother gasoline-powered motorcycle racing by proving an electric motor on a motorcycle is superior in short races.

When Electric Motorcycles Displace Gas-Powered Motorcycles

The Geneva Supercross is an international competition with one of the largest tracks in Europe. Alta rider Josh Hill proved that an electric bike can not only compete, but win.

What most might not know was that a shipping snafu led Josh to locate a stock-year-old Redshift MX in Europe from another Alta customer. After swapping in his own suspension, he raced against motocross-legend Ricky Carmichael, aka G.O.A.T—the Greatest Of All Time.

Although all bets and eyes were on G.O.A.T., Josh came up from behind with a borrowed bike and edged out Carmichael 3-2 overall. This is a momentum event and represents the first time an electric motorcycle has not only competed and won on a supercross track. Add celebration to cheers, this was Alta’s first appearance in Europe where the company who knows what the future of motorcycle racing looks like, with electric motors.

An excited Ty Tremaine was quoted saying: “After seeing pros like Josh Hill and Kurt Nicoll race Alta’s bikes, I was intrigued but skeptical… It wasn’t until testing the bike that I became truly impressed with how well it handled and the potential for racing. Like many riders, I want to win, so the decision to sign with Alta was easy. Looking ahead to 2018, I’m excited to put the Redshift EX to the test.”

Ty Tremaine is considered to be one of the top three professional riders in Supercross and was raised in South Lake Tahoe, California. He sharpened his skills riding in high-speed desert races before claiming two X Games Finals, as well as being named the FIM Junior SuperEnduro World Champion in 2015 when he was 18.

Tremaine will compete riding Alta’s Redshift EX in the 2018 Supercross series, the Kenda AMA Tennessee Knockout, and a number of sprint enduro events across North America to further cement Alta’s lead in the field. Tremaine and Hill racing with Alta’s Redshift means they will both be a force to be reckoned with on the track next year. The show is about to get hotter.

An ecstatic Marc Fenigstein, Alta Motors CEO, said: “We designed, manufactured and raced a bike we thought could challenge the best incumbents, and are so grateful to have Josh Hill as an early adopter make electric bike history and prove us right. We’re also very excited to share the Redshift platform with Ty Tremaine to see what we can do together in 2018, competing for the Endurocross championship.”

Alta Motors Electric Redshift Platform Spells A New Beginning for Motorcycle Races

We saw the writing on the wall at the 2013 Pikes Peak Hillclimb International Race when Richard Hatfield’s LS-218 out over 20 seconds in front of the best Ducati at the time. Today’s Geneva Supercross on the company’s Redshift MX is another clear indication that an electric motor far surpasses that of a gasoline engine.

Congratulations Alta Motors with your electric Redshift platform. You are changing the face of the world of racing.