Founded in 1995, Voxan was originally a French motorcycle manufacturer based in Issoire, France. The brand was particularly known for its atypical design and its V-twin engine open at 72° of 996 cc. Initiated by Jacques Gardette, the project was to build the first French motorcycle company in the global market involving different partners. Alain Chevallier designed the chassis, while Sodemo Moteurs focused on the engine. The first prototype was shown in 1997, and the first production model released in 1999. On 2nd June 2010, the Monegasque company Venturi Automobiles announced the purchase of the brand which had been in compulsory liquidation since December 2009. Its president Gildo Pallanca Pastor led Voxan in the same direction as Venturi Automobiles by orienting it towards electric motorisation. In 2013, Wattman, the first electric motorcycle developed in Monaco, was born.
History
Founded by Jacques Gardette in 1995, and financially backed by the Dassault Group in 1996, Voxan set out to become the first French motorcycle manufacturer in the modern era. In 1999, the first model, the limited production Roadster, was delivered to dealerships and sold exactly 50 units. The company then launched the Café Racer model in 2000, and the Scrambler model a year later. Although Voxan had garnered support for its products within France, the company continued to struggle against the established Japanese and Italian brands. In June 2002, Didier Cazeaux and Société de Développement et de Participation bought Voxan to ensure its continuity, and production restarted on April 1, 2003. The Street Scrambler model was released in 2003, and the Scrambler and Black Magic models in 2004. Voxan opened its 23rd dealership, and its first in Luxembourg in May, 2005. In October, 2007, Voxan had an initial public offering on Euronext, with both Sodemo Moteurs, and Fortune Terres Luxembourg considering takeover bids. On December 22, 2009, Voxan was forced into liquidation, and is now a subsidiary of the Monaco-based Venturi Automobiles. Upon acquisition Voxan's manufacturing department ceased production, and its engineering staff were relocated to Venturi's headquarters in Fontvieille, Monaco. In June 2010, Venturi announced Voxan's new eco-friendly corporate plan, evolving the creation of an electric motorcycle by 2013.
Wattman electric motorcycle
The Wattman is the brand's first electric model, released in 2013. Designed by Sacha Lakic, this electric motorcycle delivers a power of 150 kW for an instantaneous torque of 200 Nm up to 10,500 rpm. At the time, it was the most powerful electric motorcycle ever built, capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 s. The Wattman is currently being developed in a high performance version by Voxan's engineering team in Monaco. This new version, also designed by Sacha Lakic, aims to beat the current world speed record for electric motorcycles, set at 329.085 km/h by Ryuji Tsuruta on a Mobitec EV-02A.
