Case Study: Alta Motors achieves lighter, stronger, higher-performing electric motorcycles with SOLIDWORKS

Innovating Better-performing Electric Motorcycles With Solidworks Solutions

Alta Motors, a California startup founded by motorcycle enthusiasts to build better-performing electric motorcycles, faced the challenge of delivering smooth, on-demand torque and a mainstream-ready bike without a gearbox. To develop a working prototype quickly and cost-effectively, Alta relied on SolidWorks product development solutions—including SolidWorks Professional, SolidWorks Premium, SolidWorks Simulation Premium, SolidWorks Flow Simulation and SolidWorks Enterprise PDM—for integrated design, analysis, CFD and data management.

Using SolidWorks simulation and CAD tools, Alta iterated virtually to optimize structures and cooling, cutting motorcycle mass by one-third, increasing chassis strength by about 10%, and eliminating hundreds of physical prototype iterations while improving manufacturability and thermal management of the battery pack. SolidWorks’ integrated toolset helped Alta deliver a lighter, stronger, and higher-performing electric motorcycle ready for production and market expansion.

Alta Motors

Jeff Sand

Chief Design Officer