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EV Moto for 2018

6K views 24 replies 11 participants last post by  SueH 
#1 ·
So how many EV Moto/bikes are out there available to buy in 2018?

American Zero seem well covered,
Zero Motorcycles Announces 2018 Model Line with 6X Faster Charging and 10% More Range || ZERO MOTORCYCLES

Will Honda make it`s big EV push on two wheels in 2018?
Honda confirms electric Cub for next year

KTM brings a new "Freeride" for 2018,
KTM Launches 2018 Freeride E-XC Electric Enduro Bike

Maybe BMW will up their game and commit to a bike rather than just E bikes and a Scooter,
C evolution Motorcycle



What have you spotted?
planning on building your own?

:)
 
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#2 ·
I’ll be watching that space as well Simon
I’m surprised we haven’t had more rumblings in the 2 wheeled EV department with Zero Motorcycles turning out a nice range of bikes I thought the big names would be making more noise (or less noise really)

I’ve started a build using a Kawasaki GPZ 500s as the donor, I’ll get a thread started soon as i get some spare time
It’s a perfect donor bike, it’s as if it was designed to be up cycled, space & existing mounting points are spot on
 
#6 ·
I'm off bikes at the moment thanks to ill health but as soon as the repairs are complete I would love one.
Problem for me has always been the price. It wouldn't be an only bike (I've not had less than a dozen bikes in one form or another for about 20 years) so I wouldn't miss the sound/etc - I just think it would be really cool.
Who doesn't want a lightning?
 
#10 ·
I've been a Zero SR owner since July 2017, it is a 2016 that I got from the Swanley in Kent Zero dealer at a rather good discount. The downside is that unlike the 2017 you cannot update the firmware via the Phone App, and having the skinnier toothed belt that needs to be tensioned much more than 2017+ 1inch belt. But otherwise it has the 13.0kWh battery (11kWh nominal) and does give a good range for that of between 80 and 100 miles.

I use my SR for the daily commute to London, an each way trip of 27 miles. Even in this winter's coldest days (not in the snow and ice of course) it has delivered me the 54 miles round trip total arriving back home with betweden 30% and 40% (in the Summer I was getting back with 45% easily).

But like y'all I am quite astonished that the other bike makers are not already out there. What are they waiting for? Perhaps batteries with 2 - 3 times the energy densities of today? That would be my bet. Although bikers are a conservative lot ... I'm not fussed about the lack of noise, prefer it even. A noisy bike has never proven "safer" to me ... but riding style as I've evolved (aka grown older) has changed muchly and to my benefit. But just about every biker pal I know takes focus on the silence of the Zero SR. :)

March 17th 2018 - wind power generation accounted for 37% of the total input to the national grid!

UK National Grid Logs New Wind Energy Record
 
#11 ·
@Hands0n I can't imagine they're waiting for battery densities to improve.....
When I worked in Shanghai back in 2012 everyone - and I mean hundreds of thousands - of chinese and a lot of the expats were driving electric mopeds with lead acid batteries because the Chinese govt had banned 2 stoke petrol/diesels mopeds to try to reduce smog.

A £300 electric moped with a lead acid battery could charge from a three pin plug (so no problems with waiting for expensive public charging infrastructure to be built)
It would travel 40mph for a range of 50miles.
Absolutely perfect for my daily commute. I loved it.

If I were Piaggio the only reason I'd be sitting on this technology and not promoting it, is the worry of cannibalising their current petrol/diesel sales/parts/maintenance ecosystem etc.

Piaggio are launching an electric vespa this year.....but I don't reckon they'll push it hard.

All-electric Vespa Elettrica glides towards 2018 launch
 
#12 ·
@ch477 - I'd say that those Chinese machines would be wholly unsuitable in Europe, certainly outside of an urban area. I think that Vespa you've linked to makes my point entirely. Although probably very suitable to someone living and working in London (or any city).

Back in 2007 I started a new job in London, City, and wanted a different hack for the daily 54 mile round trip commute. I came across Vectrix, a NiMh 3.7kWh powered large scooter like the Suzuki Burgman. It had a practical range of around 40 miles across a mix of suburban, dual carriageway and urban roads. I used to hold my dual carriageway speed to 50mph. And my employer used to allow me to recharge at work off a 3-pin mains outlet, which was really cool of them.

Fast forward 11 years and we have .... not very much at all, still. Certainly not much that catches the attention of "bikers". In particular recreational bikers the current EV Motorcycle ranges (and charge times) are inadequate.

But if the range equation is cracked (which is entirely dependent upon battery density) then I think we'll see a far greater interest.

Interesting your comment about "cannibalising". In the historical story of Vectrix, the founding engineers travelled the world to try to sell license to their tech. Not one single motorcycle/scooter manufacturer was interested because it would exactly cannibalise their entire ICE business. It will take legislation, such as the Chinese and the Dutch, to force makers into this particular corner.
 
#23 ·
@ch477 - I'd say that those Chinese machines would be wholly unsuitable in Europe, certainly outside of an urban area. .
Why is that, purely range?

I've never been a "biker" in the sense that at one stage my MZ250 was my only transport and I saw it as purely functional. 65/70 miles to visit friends in my old uni town in all weathers, and no posh leathers either! I tend to regard most bikers in the same way as Sunday drivers..

But if I were to get back on two wheels I'd need a bit more than the current offer and again it's range not speed. For local pottering I've considered an electric cycle but can't even justify that as my legs are fine if I ignore the sciatica twinges in the left!. Perhaps the real market is higher ranges for the urban/suburban market with 60/80 mile ranges?

Interesting what SicilySimon was saying. I saw a few in N Italy a few years ago, and I read an article in La Stampa about Vespa getting one this year. I'll go and try and find the link.
 
#15 ·
I don't see why electric motorbikes/mopeds haven't taken off more in places like Spain/Italy that have a strong culture of 2 wheelers and plenty of solar on their roofs!
There were quite a few around in Palermo when I was up that way last October. I was quite impressed and stopped into a shop to ask about them as I was interested for my commute. But the range is way too short, they only work for those who live and work in the same city. One reason, perhaps, that they haven't taken off more is that there are no incentives here so it is a lot more expensive to buy an electric scooter than a petrol one.

Off-topic, but what I see loads of around me are electric push-bikes, which I think are great for keeping people active who can't cycle long distances for whatever reason. I'm pretty sure I read that Italy is the biggest market in Europe for electric push-bikes.
 
#16 ·
One reason, perhaps, that they haven't taken off more is that there are no incentives here so it is a lot more expensive to buy an electric scooter than a petrol one.
.
Actually, there are. The OLEV grant is available for a select range of motorcycles and cars. The grant will pay for 20% of the purchase price for these vehicles, up to a maximum of £1,500. I got the £1,500 off the Zero SR :D

Low-emission vehicles eligible for a plug-in grant - GOV.UK

Worth keeping in mind for when you are seriously looking around in the UK
 
#17 ·
I would like to have an electric bike for my commute however the shortest route is 46 miles one way and the nearest charger that I use for my Ampera is around a mile away (folding ebike in the boot for the short trip from the charger to the office at lunchtime then back to head home). Once I know I can easily complete the round trip by bike I might consider one for the summer months. My commute used to be 17 miles and I would use my motorbike in all weathers but now I'm getting a bit older I don't like being on the bike if it is less than 10c.
 
#18 ·
@h8ten - Even the current Zero might not quite manage the 92 miles round trip unless you ride economically, which might imply keeping the motorways and dual carriageways to around 50 to 60 mph. Which is why I think the promise of solid state batteries with 3x the energy density of Lithium Ion is the next required step change to get EV totally mainstream.
 
#24 ·
@SueH - Yes, range is a big issue for extra-urban motorcycles. My Zero has a quoted urban range of 110 miles and a mixed suburban/urban (ie. commuter) range of around 85 miles which I can attest to.

The MZ250 was a bit of a classic in its own day. I never had one, by then I was on bigger machines, but I knew plenty who had them.

EV two-wheelers need to cater for all requirements, in the same way as their ICE counterparts do today. But the sheer variety of EV motorcycle/scooter just doesn't exist yet. One wonders if the bikes will be ages behind the cars, mostly because there's no pressure for the makers to switch. Yet.
 
#25 ·
Just been reading a report in La Stampa about Bosch supplying their technology to small manufacturers so they can develop their own bike versions. A couple of different manufacturers have produced their own implementations with different power outputs and ranges, with varying battery sizes. The batteries are those developed for four wheeled EVs.

It's my time for bed after a post footie training bath, but if anybody is interested I'll put up more tomorrow.
 
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