The HPC Story
From a college dorm room experiment to America's premier high-performance e-bike brand — here's how it all started.
The Spark
Chris Hunt, a student at UC Davis, got tired of arriving to class sweaty and exhausted. He modified a Currie E-Ride MTB from 24V to 36V, hitting 25 MPH and blowing past standard cyclists. Classmates couldn't stop asking where to buy one.
Proof of Concept
At Occidental College, Chris was chosen to build a solar-powered dual-motor surrey bike for the physics department. His professor saw something special and told Chris to make it a career. Chris called his brother Derek, who started writing a business plan at UC Santa Barbara.
HPC is Born
Hi-Power Cycles, LLC was officially incorporated. Their very first bike — a converted Schwinn Mountain Bike — sold on eBay to Officer James Hill of the Seabrook Police Department. That bike would go on to save lives during Hurricane Ike.
Outgrowing the Garage
Sales boomed and the brothers outgrew their garage. They moved into a warehouse for more build space — and within a year, moved again to a building three times the size. The demand for high-performance e-bikes was undeniable.
Building the Brand
HPC hired their first employees and began heavily investing in proprietary frame designs and custom battery systems. The transition from conversion kits to fully branded, ground-up builds was underway.
Revolution Frame Concept Launch
HPC invested in two full-time engineers to turn their vision into reality. The Revolution frame concept was born — an ambitious project to build the most powerful and fastest electric bike the world had ever seen.
Revolution Finalized
After four revisions, the final Revolution hub model was born. At the time, it was the most powerful and fastest e-bike in the world — a milestone that put HPC on the map as the undisputed leader in high-performance electric bikes.
Trusted by US Special Forces
HPC began supplying high-performance e-bikes to US Special Forces, including the Navy and Army. The same engineering and durability built for extreme off-road riding proved mission-ready for the most demanding operators in the world.
GSA Schedule Approved
HPC officially arrived on the GSA Schedule, unlocking streamlined purchasing for government agencies nationwide. Find us on GSA Contract #47QSMS24D005F — making it easier than ever for federal, state, and local agencies to acquire HPC bikes.
The Trailblazer AT is Born
The world's first true high-performance fat electric bike arrives — packing a massive 185Nm of torque and 2,000W of power. The Trailblazer AT redefined what a fat e-bike could be, bringing HPC's signature performance to the most demanding all-terrain riding.
Industry Leaders
HPC offers some of the highest-performing e-bikes in the industry, with 20,000+ happy customers worldwide and a rapidly growing community. The team continues to invest heavily in R&D, pushing the boundaries of motors, batteries, and frame technology.
