NOVUS ONE Finally Leaves Prototype Territory
- Buck City Biker
- May 9
- 2 min read
Updated: May 10
NOVUS has started handing over the first production units of its ONE Founders Edition, marking the point where a long-running concept finally steps out of prototype territory and into customer garages.
The ONE is a limited-run, carbon monocoque machine with a centreless rear wheel that’s been through multiple concept cycles, refinements, and limited public showings since its CES 2019 debut in Las Vegas.
With roots tracing back to a university bachelor’s thesis around 2010, the ONE is defined as much by its design language as its drivetrain. The Founders Edition is aimed at early backers and collectors who committed before the bike reached full production reality.
Inside the NOVUS ONE
Underneath, power comes from a rear hub motor tucked into the wheel assembly, producing up to 25 kW and around 400 Nm of torque. NOVUS claims 0–50 km/h (31 mph) in 1.9 seconds, with a top speed of up to 130 km/h (80 mph) depending on configuration. With this setup it should deliver strong low-speed response and immediate urban punch, rather than chasing sustained high-speed performance.
The chassis is a carbon fibre monocoque, meaning the structure and body are integrated into a single load-bearing shell. That’s paired with the signature open-centre wheel design, which remains one of the defining visual and engineering features of the bike.
Weight sits just over 100 kg (220 lbs) depending on configuration, and range is quoted at around 150 km (93 miles) in urban use. Everything else is managed through ride modes and app integration, with keyless operation and digital control replacing traditional switchgear-heavy setups.
Pricing for the Founders Edition started at around €21,300 before tax, placing it firmly in boutique e-moto territory. The current rollout is heavily focused on Germany, with availability also extending into selected European lifestyle markets including Spain.
There’s no clear Founders-versus-standard pricing structure publicly visible yet, with figures historically ranging from the low €20k bracket up to €40k+ depending on specification.
The BCB Take
The NOVUS ONE isn't trying to be a universal motorcycle, that’s important to understand before from the get go. This is a design-first engineering push, with a brief to remove everything that doesn’t absolutely need to exist. The result is visually striking, technically interesting, and deliberately niche.
But niche is the point. At this level, it’s not competing with mainstream electric motorcycles. It’s operating in a space closer to industrial design, where ownership is as much about what the machine represents, as how it performs day to day.
Here, the usual questions around practicality or long-haul usefulness almost feel beside the point. But no matter how design-led a machine is, it still has to survive contact with real riders, real roads, and real use patterns. Because once the curiosity fades, that’s the only thing that matters.
Ride safe, folks.
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