A new land speed record for electric motorcycles was set over the weekend with a vehicle from Lightning Motorcycles, the leading pioneer in electric motorsports. The Lightning SuperBike, the world's fastest electric motorcycle, was powered by a DC Solar Solutions Solar Eclipse mobile power unit featuring Sunny Island inverters. It reached a speed of 189 mph to break the previous record set at El Mirage Lake bed in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino, Calif.

“We are passionate about promoting alternative energy and are excited about having this opportunity working with SMA,” said Richard Hatfield, owner of Lightning Motorcycle. “We believe people interested in electric vehicles are also attracted to powering them with clean solar power.”

Although Lightning Motorcycle has won multiple international racing competitions, this is the first time the organization has raced at El Mirage to set a new world record. The previous world record speed set at El Mirage was just over 170 mph.

“This event is a testament to how far electric vehicle and solar technology has come,” said Henry Dziuba, president and general manager of SMA America. “It is a thrill to see solar energy powering record-breaking vehicles, and it was a pleasure working with Lightning Motorcycle and DC Solar Solutions to achieve this great goal.”

SMA partnered with DC Solar Solutions to power the Lightning SuperBike. DC Solar Solutions designs, manufactures and deploys mobile solar generators to provide clean, alternative power. One of its mobile solar generators was on site, using two Sunny Islands to charge the Lightning Motorcycle vehicle prior to its record attempt. DC Solar Solutions’ mobile solar generators require no fuel, are noise and emissions free and reduce harmful carbon emissions.

“DC Solar is committed to innovation in renewable energy and providing the best solutions to its customers,” said Paulette Carpoff, vice president and owner of DC Solar Solutions. “We know SMA shares that same commitment to quality and reliability, which is why we chose to use SMA inverters in our mobile solar generators.”

The Sunny Island is SMA’s battery-based inverter for off-grid and backup power applications, offering exceptional efficiency and reliability.

About SMA
The SMA Group generated sales of €1.7 billion in 2011 and is the global market leader for solar inverters, a key component of all PV plants. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 21 countries on six continents. The Group employs more than 5,500 people worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees that varies on a seasonal basis. SMA’s broad product portfolio includes a compatible inverter for every type of module on the market and for all PV plant sizes. The product range includes inverters both for grid-connected PV plants and for off-grid systems. SMA can therefore provide an ideal inverter solution for all plant sizes and types. Since 2008, the Group’s parent company, SMA Solar Technology AG, has been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (S92) and also in the TecDAX index. In recent years, SMA has received numerous awards for excellence as an employer and in 2011 and 2012 achieved first place in Germany’s nationwide Great Place to Work® competition. www.SMA-America.com

About Lightning Motorcycle
Lightning Motorcycles is the brainchild of Richard Hatfield and a group of Silicon Valley engineers dedicated to the belief that world class performance is compatible with clean tech transportation. At Lightning Motorcycles we believe that choosing to ride an electric motorcycle should not be a compromise. We have honed our understanding of vehicle development as lifetime racers. We seek out competition to refine our technology. The Lightning SuperBike is equally suited to track days, weekend rides on your favorite back roads, or record runs at Bonneville or El Mirage.

With Lightning innovated technology, Lightning Motorcycles has established its dominance competing and winning in multiple internationally recognized superbike races. In 2011, Lightning set the land speed record 215.960 mph (top speed of 218.637 mph) and became the world fastest electric production bike. The company’s mission is to develop the most innovative competition race bike and use that technology to produce and distribute affordable two wheel electric vehicles to commuter markets worldwide. www.lightningmotorcycle.com