Piotr Krzyczkowski is a designer who was inspired by mopeds in Milan to develop an economical, eco-friendly motorbike for city dwellers in Poland to use. As a result, Falectra is the first Polish electric motorbike brand.
To get to this point, Krzyczkowski relied on 3D printing to develop a prototype and convince investors to fund his brand.

He explains: “Alone, a ‘virtual project’ is no longer enough for partners and investors. We had to show a fully functioning prototype. Yet simply creating the laminate panels that form the vehicle’s bodywork would have cost PLN 150,000-200,000 (39,000 – 52,000 USD) – way beyond our budget. That’s when we started thinking about 3D printing.”

Instead of paying this huge amount of money, he approached 3D printer manufacturer Zortrax. With the help of Zortrax, Krzyczkowski was able to produce parts which cost seven times less than traditionally made parts. On top of that, this way he was able to show off a functioning motorcycle.

Firstly, Krzyczkowski created a final version of the motorbike and patented the design. During this time, he also found funding for his work and received feedback. This process took two years.

The next stage was to build the fully-functional 3D-printed prototype of his motorbike in just half a year. Such a prototype enables companies to determine the cost of mass production. This part is key to planning a budget and end-use price.

The resulting motorbike is lightweight, thanks to modern materials, and is continually being improved to make sure it’s easy to ride. Krzyczkowski hopes that his motorbike will help cities reduce traffic congestion and pollution.

Falectra motorbikes can also cover 100 km (62 mi) for less than 0.25 USD. Furthermore, it’s a much quieter alternative than a car yet it can still travel up to 60 km (32 mi)/h.

Next year, ten motorbikes will hit the road to test their use. You can expect to pay PLN 15,000 (4000 USD) for a motorbike.