Low-cost electric motorcycle maker RYVID lands $20M to manufacture in California

There’s a growing number of affordably priced electric motorcycles hitting the US market, but many are still produced overseas. Thanks to a $20M California grant though, electric motorcycle manufacturer RYVID will be able to build its RYVID Anthem bikes in the Golden State and create hundreds of jobs in the process.

The company plans to use the $20M grant to set up its headquarters in Hawaiian Gardens, establish an electric motorcycle manufacturing facility in San Bernardino, and establish a separate lithium battery manufacturing facility in El Cajon.

RYVID expects to create more than 900 full-time jobs across the three facilities.

The company’s cofounder and CEO Dong Tran expressed his gratitude as well as his goal to create manufacturing jobs in California:

The RYVID team is very grateful to Governor Newsom and the California Competes Program for this grant. We welcome the opportunity to serve our California community, the nation, and the entire globe through sustainable electric vehicle production. The founders of RYVID are immigrants and children of immigrants who came to California for a better life, and we are committed to providing high-paying manufacturing jobs to our home state for years to come in one of the fastest growing sectors of electric mobility.

The new funding was part of a larger sum of $123 million in CalCompetes grants awarded to companies that will create local jobs in technology manufacturing and in the environmentally friendly energy industry.

The deputy director of CalCompetes Scott Dosick discussed how the grants will help both RYVID and California:

These are exactly the types of investments and jobs that were envisioned by the CalCompetes program. This grant will enable RYVID to not only establish business operations in California, but also cement its presence here for the long-term future. Once again, California will be the home for innovation and investment that will increase employment, create living-wage jobs and contribute towards the state’s world-leading climate goals.

The RYVID Anthem electric motorcycle was first unveiled earlier this summer before launching for pre-orders in August.

The $7,800 Anthem undercut the price by 2-3x compared to higher-performance flagship motorcycles like those made by LiveWire, Zero, and Energica.

Its commuter-level specs offered highway-capable speeds of over 75 mph (125 km/h) and ranges of up to 75 miles (120 km) in the city from a 4.3 kWh battery. The removable battery also enables apartment dwellers and others without street-level charging options to still own and charge an electric motorcycle.

The bike also hosts a number of interesting innovations, including a folded metal frame for a lightweight design and a seat height that can be adjusted by 4 inches (10 cm) even while in motion.

I had the chance to test ride a pair of early RYVID Anthem prototypes during a couple of test rides with Dong Tran. Together we cruised through southern LA with a mix of highway and surface street riding.

The bikes were a blast, offering quick and nimble performance that felt surprisingly lightweight and easy to handle. To see my test ride and learn even more, check out my full review article or watch the video below.