Lightning Motorcycles Corporation, an American manufacturer of electric motorcycles incorporated in 2007, produces advanced and high-performing electric motorcycles. The company is on a mission to develop two-wheeler electric vehicles with superior efficiency, performance, and affordability in comparison to existing petroleum alternatives.

Currently holding the land speed record for electric motorcycles, exceeding 215 mph, Lightning Motorcycles is headquartered in San Carlos, California. The company is a few blocks away from another electric vehicle innovator, Tesla. The speed record, which had stood for 35 years, was broken at the Bonneville Salt Flats, where the electric motorbike reached a speed of 215.962 mph, in addition to the 211.7 mph previously achieved at the El Mirage dry lakebed.

Because of the increasing complexity of Lightning’s bikes, the onboard electronics have required an increase in power without a corresponding increase in weight. Keeping electrical noise under control in a vehicle that is both small and lightweight is always a challenge.

Lightning decided to power its 12 V control electronics, lighting system, dash instrumentation, and sensors with Vicor Corporation’s DCM4623 DC-DC converters, and the company decided to adopt this converter for use in all of its products. The use of Vicor’s power modules was decided due to their high levels of dependability, low levels of background noise, power density, and improved thermal management. The highest models of Lightning’s electric motorcycles now have a range of more than 170 miles and can recharge to 80 percent in just ten minutes.

Click here to learn more about DCM4623TD2H15E0T00