“European cities must commit to sustainable mobility in urban areas, together with electric vehicles and pay-to-use systems rather than private transport to reduce congestion”, explained Carlos Sotelo, founder, and CEO of Silence, at the latest Matins Esade session entitled “The challenges of zero-emission urban mobility.” During this session, the CEO addressed the main challenges facing cities and the upsurge in demand for electric vehicles such as motorcycles due to the pandemic. “They help reduce air pollution, a very serious problem in all European cities. In addition, this type of two-wheeled vehicle improves traffic flow because of its size and reduces city noise,” emphasized Sotelo.

 The challenges of electric vehicles

Silence, Europe’s No. 1 brand in electric mobility for the 4th year running, closed 2021 with almost a 30% share in the market of zero emission motorcycles (L3E). The company’s fast growth is due partly to the Acciona Group, formerly the start-up’s main customer and now its main partner, and Silence’s collaboration with motorcycle sharing companies (Acciona Mobility and Scoot) which use the Silence model. In addition, several last-mile distribution companies, and local authorities such as Barcelona City Hall rely on Silence electric vehicles for their services.

As part of its commitment to encouraging the use of electric vehicles, this manufacturer of electric motorcycles has developed two new services that it aims to promote this year. “In response to one of the main issues of electric vehicles, i.e., their price, we will offer motorcycle batteries as a subscription service instead of selling them with the motorcycle. This will enable us to compete with the price of petrol-driven motorcycles, which number 800,000 in Europe,” explained Sotelo. Another challenge at present is the long battery charging time. “We’ve designed a battery exchange system that will be available 24/7 in strategic city center locations,” he said. The company’s batteries could also power users’ homes. “Our patented removable batteries system can power a four-person household for a whole day thanks to its 5.6 kWh capacity”, added the Silence CEO.

 Reindustrialize Spain and Europe

“In the coming months, we aim to manufacture a new model, the nano car, a small, four-wheeled smart vehicle. Because of its size, it combines the comfort and functionalities of a motorcycle with the safety of a car,” explained Sotelo. Its popularity might be crucial for reducing the congestion of metropolitan areas. In keeping with the presentation of this new product, Sotelo said, “Here at Silence, our mission is to reindustrialize Spain and Europe by using the latest technology, particularly after the pandemic, a lot of whose manufacturing has been relocated and where the number of factories seems to be falling steadily.” To meet their motorcycle manufacturing targets, the company needs industrial premises of between 6,000 to 7,000 sq.m., and even larger premises for the new sort of four-wheeled vehicle. “In 2025, Silence aims to sell 50,000 units and have a 20% market share,” emphasized Carlos Sotelo. Ten years after its inception, Silence now has more than 180 points of sale in Europe and more than 170 employees and hopes to double this number next year.

During the session, the Silence CEO and former Dakar rally driver outlined the company’s history and its close links to his own track record. “Motorbikes have always been my great passion, in fact I used to be a professional rider,” he admitted. Now aged 56, the director recalled that when he was 20, he won the Spanish enduro championship and also took part in the Dakar Rally eight times. In the Dakar rally he holds third place overall and has won several stages.

Matins Esade are meeting points where the heads of companies and institutions can address their challenges, obstacles, and careers.