“Electric bikes will definitely replace fuel-powered bikes”

Gang Jun ‘Jack’ Cai is gearing up for an electric debut at Dakar 2024, in more ways than one. The 46-year-old is the CEO of Arctic Leopard, a Chinese manufacturer specialising in high-performance electric offroad motorcycles. When it was announced that the Dakar Future Mission 1000 challenge would be introduced this year, French veteran Willy Jobard -who has long been an advocate of greener energies- approached Arctic Leopard about a possible collaboration. Jack was so inspired by the project that he decided not only to support Willy, but to enter Mission 1000 himself with compatriot Wenmin Su, who did two editions of the Dakar in South America. Jack used to own and run a 4S car dealership but has long dreamed of making an electric bike that can go the distance. Once he realised he couldn’t source what he needed on the open market, he decided to set up Arctic Leopard in 2021 so he could make it himself. The company now provides a range of electric bikes for road, trials, motocross and enduro lovers. Jack himself has a background in enduro and figures the best way to test a bike is to ride it yourself. He, Willy and Wenmin will all be doing the Dakar on the Cheetah E-XE880, an enduro bike which has been adapted to the demands of rally-raid. Their short-term goal is to reach the finish line of Mission 1000, but in the longer term, Jack is hoping to revolutionise the industry and help bring about a zero-emissions Dakar Future.

“I wanted to make an offroad bike that’s lightweight, powerful, easy to operate, low noise and low emission. Most of these requirements can be met, but what’s available on the market comes with too many exhaust fumes. Since motorcycle factories weren’t making what I wanted, I decided to make it myself. I set up the Arctic Leopard Company to build my ideal offroad motorcycle. And the best way to test a high-performance bike is to race it, because only a good racing vehicle can achieve good results. The Dakar is the greatest event in motorsport. For a company that was only established two years ago, taking part in the Dakar’s inaugural Mission 1000 challenge is a great opportunity. It’s also exciting for Chinese companies to be participating in this amazing event. The objective for Dakar 2024 is hopefully to see the Arctic Leopard team successfully complete the rally. Electric bikes will definitely replace fuel-powered bikes in the future, but there’s still a long way to go. However, I believe electric offroad bikes will be the quickest and earliest kind to replace their fuel counterparts. That’s because electric bikes have greater torque and power, faster response, lower noise, no pollution, and there aren’t high requirements to reach cruising range.”