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This 'beginner' electric motorcycle costs $38,000, and the bill is difficult to pay

Lara Yoki

Novus One wants to mix electric bicycle, scooter and light motorcycle in a single urban vehicle. The problem is that the price places this proposal in a much more exclusive territory than “entry”.

When someone talks about a motorcycle for beginners, the most common image is simple: something light, easy to control, with moderate performance and a relatively affordable price. In the electrical world, values ​​tend to rise a little, but the logic remains similar. An entry-level urban motorcycle needs to make sense for those just starting out.

Novus One deviates significantly from this script.

The most expensive version of the bike appears in the European configurator for €31,951.50, something close to US$38,000 in direct conversion. Even the Founders Edition, announced from €25,347, already falls into a range that many people would associate more with premium vehicles than with a first motorcycle.

So the question is inevitable: what exactly justifies this price?

A vehicle that tries to create its own category

Novus does not present the One as a conventional electric motorcycle. The company prefers to position it as a kind of “lightbike”, something between a robust e-bike, an urban scooter and a light motorcycle.

The idea is clear: to deliver the lightness and simplicity of an electric bicycle, the agility of a scooter and a level of performance closer to a small motorcycle. On paper, the proposal is interesting, especially for urban use. In practice, the price makes this conversation much less simple.

The look is, without a doubt, the first point of impact. The Novus One has a hollow, minimalist and almost sculptural design. There are no traditional fairings, visible tank or that typical mechanical assembly of a combustion motorcycle. The center of the chassis appears “open”, creating a silhouette that immediately draws attention.

This aesthetic choice is not just decorative. The monocoque chassis, scales, front suspension and even the wheels use carbon fiber. The result is a very light bike by electrical standards: around 121 kg.

Carbon fiber everywhere

Much of the cost appears to be concentrated in construction. Novus bets on a carbon structure made to be light, rigid and visually different from practically any other urban motorcycle.

The manufacturer also works with limited production and assembly in Europe, which reinforces the nature of a niche product. It is not a motorcycle designed to compete in volume with cheap electric scooters or entry-level models produced on a large scale. It targets an audience that wants exclusivity, design and technology in a very specific package.

At this point, One starts to make more sense as a premium object than as a rational mobility solution.

Performance: fast enough for the city

The electric motor is integrated into the rear wheel hub. The strongest version delivers up to 25 kW of peak power and advertised torque of around 400 Nm. Acceleration from 0 to 50 km/h is around 1.9 seconds, an excellent number for urban sprints.

The maximum speed reaches 130 km/h, sufficient for urban use and short road sections. Still, we're not talking about a high-performance sports electric car. The Novus One is more about lightness, immediate response and ease of driving than about raw power.

This is one of the points that make the proposal curious: in absolute numbers, it does not deliver performance proportional to the price. The value is less in “how much it runs” and more in the construction, design, materials and exclusivity.

Autonomy and recharge

The battery is integrated into the chassis and non-removable, with a reported capacity of 6.2 kWh. Depending on configuration and use, urban autonomy is in the range of 110 to 135 km.

For the purpose of the bike, this is enough. The One was clearly designed for daily commuting, urban commutes and short or medium distance use. It's not an electric car for long trips, nor does it try to be.

Recharging from 0 to 80% can take around 1.5 hours with a more powerful charger or approximately 3.5 hours with a standard charger, according to data released in recent tests and technical information.

The important detail is that, as the battery does not leave the motorcycle, the user needs to have easy access to a socket where they park. For those who live in an apartment or don't have a garage with power, this can be a practical obstacle.

Two ideas in one bike

One of the most interesting points of the Novus One is the possibility of working with different software configurations, adapting the vehicle to European license categories and legal limits.

In practice, the platform can behave as a limited moped or as a light motorcycle equivalent to the 125 cc category, depending on the version and local regulations. This type of flexibility matches the brand's technological proposal and reinforces the idea that One is closer to a digital product on wheels than a traditional motorcycle.

There is smartphone integration, driving modes and remote updates. It's a typical approach for electric mobility startups.

Price is the critical point

The Novus One has interesting engineering, a striking look and an unusual finish. Still, it's hard to ignore the price.

For around US$38,000 in the most expensive configuration, the buyer enters the territory of premium motorcycles, high-end adventure models, larger electrics and even some very desirable used cars. For a light urban motorcycle, with limited range and moderate performance, the math is complicated.

This doesn't mean that Novus One is bad. It means it doesn't seem to compete in the same game as entry-level bikes.

It is light, easy to drive and friendly for those who don't have much experience. But the price doesn't match the average profile of a beginner. Those who buy a first motorcycle generally look for predictable costs, simple maintenance and low financial risk. The Novus One offers something else: exclusivity, design and a certain collector's feel.

Verdict

The Novus One is one of the most different urban electric motorcycles on the market. It has presence, uses noble materials, weighs little and delivers enough performance to make urban traffic much more fun.

But calling it a bike for beginners requires caution. In behavior, perhaps. In terms of price, definitely not.

The best way to understand it is as a boutique electric motorcycle: a product for those who value aesthetics, unusual engineering and rarity above cost-benefit ratio. Seen like this, the Novus One becomes more coherent. Still expensive, but coherent.

For those who just want to start in the world of electric two wheels, there are more logical options. For those who want a design piece on wheels, made in limited production and with a futuristic concept look, the Novus One could make sense.

Just don't expect it to be a rational choice.

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