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Pendleton-based Remy International Inc. has reached a deal to supply electric motors to a motorcycle maker developing an
electric-drive system for automobiles.
Terms of the contract with MotoCzysz LLC, of Portland, Ore., were not disclosed. Remy subsidiary Remy Electric Motors LLC
will handle the contract.
In June, an electric motorcycle built by MotoCzysz, using a Remy motor, won a competition among electric motorcycles at the
Isle of Man race in the United Kingdom. The motorcycle, capable of speeds above 130 mph, was powered by lithium polymer batteries.
MotoCzysz said it sees the potential of using the compact, lightweight electric motorcycle drive for automobiles. Its system
includes an oil-based cooling system for the electric drive line, which is said to improve efficiency and extend range.
“Remy and MotoCzysz have the experience and technology to make this remarkable propulsion system the new industry standard
for electric automobiles,” Remy CEO John Weber said in a prepared statement.
It’s not clear whether MotoCzysz has garnered automaker interest in its electric drive system, however.
Remy, a former division of General Motors, makes alternators, starter motors and motors for hybrid vehicles, including the
Cadillac Escalade. Its motors also are used in hybrid bus powertrains developed by Indianapolis-based Allison Transmission.
The Pendleton company has been expanding its customer base. In January, it announced a contract to supply electric motors
for Daimler AG’s Mercedes ML-450. And, earlier this month, it announced a motor-supply contract with Cincinnati-based Advanced
Mechanical Products Inc., for an all-electric version of the Chevrolet Equinox.
Weber has said that hybrid components could make up as much as one-third of Remy sales within five years.
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