Unless you ride in a Maybach with full aural isolation, you've likely noticed that electric motorcycles are far from eclipsing combustion bikes. For now, brands like Zero have made tremendous progress in making electricity a realistic alternative to fuel for two wheels, but the technology is far from ubiquity. Five Norwegian design students from the University of Life Sciences in Oslo are attempting to solve what has kept electric bikes from going mainstream.

Roskva, named after the Norse mythology figure, is the marque that will be launching their first prototype bike later this year, and the key to its success is one thing: light weight.

Instead of a steel or aluminum frame, Roskva uses a carbon-fiber monocoque weighing about 55 pounds, along with carbon fiber wheels, single-sided swingarm, and an enclosed driveshaft. The battery inside is made of 414 individual lithium iron phosphate cells with a 6 kWh capacity. The batteries power two Lynch D135RAGS electric motors that deliver 59 pound-feet of torque and 96.6 horsepower. They hope to achieve a drag coefficient "lower than 0.30" by incorporating a chunky tail section that, unlike the aesthetically driven design of modern bikes, will reduce turbulence.

An on-board Kelly controller on each of the two motors manages up to 120 volts and 600 amps at peak power. The claimed top speed is 110 mph, with a 0-to-60 run under four seconds, and an estimated range of 62 miles on a full charge with regenerative rear braking engaged. The current prototype isn’t street legal yet, but the students are intent on designing their bike with the full intention of commercial production later on.