Electric motorcycles are garnering a lot of attention right now. The upcoming TTXGP is one reason, all of the companies involved are touting their own efforts, plus outside the race, Zero is offering bikes through Amazon, Brammo is going with Best Buy, almost everywhere you look, electrics are getting noticed. One of the most fascinating parts of all this is the bet being made by the companies involved, will electrics make it in the market? Will technology advance fast enough to keep the movement going? Will demand be there?
Early adopters with disposable cash will jump on these quickly but beyond that, where do they fit? The builders are betting this is the future and have shown, by their actions and investments, they strongly believe we’re in the early stages of a new motorcycle market based on electric drive technology. Critics are not so sure. So, are we?
Strong opinions on both sides, quickly turn into parody when defined by the other.
As seen by the opposing side:
PRO:
Electric motorcycles are the path to cleaner air, less dependence on foreign oil, sustainable energy and a way to get past the old dirty internal combustion engine whose time is past. Give up your old engines, join the future. The technology is ready now. Let’s be clean and green, stop global warning, save the polar bears, plant flowers, hold hands and sing. Hmm …
CON:
Electric motorcycles? Don’t need ’em. We know the ICE, we’ve always known it, we’re comfortable with it, why change? Electrics will never work, can’t work, shouldn’t work, batteries are slow to charge, expensive and hard to dispose of, pedestrians wandering the streets will be slaughtered by this silent menace, besides electric powerplants are dirty so the bikes are no cleaner anyway. Fill er up, let’s ride. Hmm …
How about a third view anyone can be comfortable with? As technology advances engineers, inventors and entrepreneurs are placing bets on their vision of the future. Let’s see where it leads. Electric bikes have already come a long way and for some, they’re already useful, for others, not yet. If you like technology, watching new technology develop and advance is always interesting. The companies trying to gain traction in the field are going to be run by strong proponents, it would be silly to start a company otherwise, don’t mistake their confidence for arrogance because you’ll see the same attitude in practically any new field. If you don’t think electrics will succeed, watch those companies fail. If they do work, you’re watching something new grow before your eyes. No one can predict with assurance how this will turn out so relax and watch the show, unless of course, you want to jump in and take part. Step right up, place your bets.
Azzy says
I dont see the pro of electric vehicles of any sort as the part to energy independence, as energy flows from somewhere.
I do see it as a market that better batteries will be developed for, as well as other means of charging, and possibly better motors. Who here is going to build the first wind or solar power station for their new eBike?
Tim says
The way I look at it, electric vehicles are going to have to be more practical in order to get real market penetration. The current battery technology does not allow realistic distance and speed numbers to be attained. Add to that the long waits for batteries to recharge and all you have is a niche vehicle for urban areas.
Miles says
@ Azzy, in terms of energy and pollution produced I think that moving the energy production to a stationary location with much better efficiency and the option to trap any emissions from a single source it is smart.
@Tim, I agree, except for the fact that urban locales are spreading and filling up at an amazing rate, and could stand the most to benefit from reduced pollution and extra torque for stop and go driving, plus free idling with no engine and heat.
Personally I wish it was an answer for more people, and (sorry to say here), my family is opposed to motorcycles (in their defense my father did lose his foot and was comatose for 2 weeks, they sewed back on the foot, but that leg remained shorter.) It was a van that hit him, and there is nothing but SUV’s and poor drivers everywhere in California now.
I think I would love an electric vehicle with 20-40 mile range and 2-6 hour recharge times. I could easily run any errand around town, pick up and drop off my siblings to high and middle schools, journey to the town 5 miles away, or the town 7 miles away. Save wear and tear on the car and the ICE due to short trips.
The trouble is that the cost of entry is too high, I think that the manufacturers need to get together and somehow amortize the battery cost as a “fuel charge” of sorts, so you don’t own the battery, but pay as you charge and discharge it, thus dropping the cost of the battery (and EV) by half to start with, and then pay-as-you-go.
With cars and bikes now there are plenty of cheap ($200-$1000) runners around, and the electric car has to compete with that market.
I would love to do a conversion with a used electric forklift motor, and some used EV batteries and controller (Golf Cart, city car, etc), with a smallish budget of under $1000, $1500 at the outside, and no more than $300 at a time.
I think that it makes sense, and with the increasing urbanization of the populace it begins to make more and more sense. Do a little research on EV’s in London and see how providing incentive might make EV’s tolerable ( expensive passes required to enter london during the day, and to park, waived for EV’s, and charging stations for the EV parking spaces.)
I love the idea of massive torque and no shifting, perfect for city or stop and go driving. Many drive for pleasure in semi-deserted areas, and need more range, although the Zero motorcycle seems perfectly acceptable and even desired on hiking trails due to the lack of noise and ability to cover many miles on a charge, and even swap batteries.
I can see both sides of the discussion, but I can’t understand the hate from people who played with electric vehicles as children, there is a wealth of knowledge that we can learn from the R/C and hobbyist sectors about electric motor tuning, and electric doesn’t mean we have to stop modifying, just get smarter. Some lament the lack of carbs due to the perceived difficulty of tuning EFI. To them I say, children of today are growing up in a world where computers contained in a single package for $1 are commonplace (microcontrollers), programming and computer settings are as commonplace for them as jets and floats are to the last generation.
This jump to electric motors may in fact allow for more creativity in design and tuning than the heavily regulated ICE ever did (and at possibly lower noise penalty).
Making more torque, or power, or adding a larger motor has zero environmental impact from the vehicle, so it is impossible to regulate at the vehicle. You could have 300-500 ft lbs of torque from rest to a 9,000 RPM red-line with no attention from police or pedestrians and drivers (well, no negative attention at any rate.), for about the cost of a superbike.
I am all for any piece of equipment that can put a smile on your face, and butt-loads of torque have never been accused of making people frown.
Range is an issue, but humans are creative and intelligent, with a little planning and foresight it shouldn’t really be a problem 80% of the time.
rashomon says
Electric motorcycles are extremely interesting for short-burst racing applications, as it’s easy to get high power from batteries and electric motors, and almost impossible to get high energy density. The Killacycle is a great example of that, turning 8-second quarter-miles from an electric vehicle, and perhaps pushing down toward the 6s with its redesign and the next generation of A123 batteries. Electric motocross is also interesting, as long as you’re talking 15-20 minute motos with recharge time between. What you won’t see soon is an electric motorcycle that combines high-performance with substantial range; the Isle of Man race is really pushing the envelope with a 37-mile single-lap race distance. It’s quite conceivable you could build an electric motorcycle that turned a single lap of Daytona very competitively; it’s the 30 or more pit stops to replace battery packs in the 200 that would be the drag.
Tin Man 2 says
The idea of centralized power production to reduce pollution is sound, But remember there is a loss of efficiacy every time energy is converted and transported. The future has room for both the ICE and Electric power, In the urban enviroment Electric works today, Rural and Suburban use favors the ICE at this time, There is room for both, however the high subsidies for alternative energy sources must be factured in.
andy says
@Miles: Thank you. The oft-repeated sound byte that “electric vehicles aren’t any cleaner because their power comes from dirty power plants” is utterly false and should be dead and buried by now. It should be obvious that having the dirty stages of power generation localized to several stationary sites instead of millions of moving targets leads to greater efficiency and cleaner energy, not to mention SO many more options for energy sources.
I think an aspect of electric motorcycles that doesn’t get nearly enough attention is the simplicity and corollary lack of maintenance. How far can you go on a modern mx bike, for example, before rebuilding the top end? And oil changes after each ride, valve adjustments, etc?
Personally I’m a bit intrigued at the the idea of a bike with similar power vs. weight that will run FOREVER, not caring one bit how hard it’s revved, with maintenance only for the rolling chassis. (better dc motors don’t have brushes to replace).
SteveD says
ICEs running on biodiesel are essentially carbon neutral and use a well developed technology. How hard will it be to produce enough bidiesel? We still need some breakthroughs to make the stuff out of waste cellulose.
Kenny says
Umm….. andy , Your kinda right and kinda wrong on that statement, most current power plants, especially in america, use fossil fuels and achieve a efficiency of 30-45% with the upper efficiencies being restricted to uncommon supercritical designs, modern gas turbines can get about 50% of the energy out of natural gas. Not bad by anyones standard but still not a huge improvement on your average ICE and they fall down on the emissions stakes when compared to a catalytic converter equipped ICE.
But on the other hand ICE use only 33% percent of the energy supplied to them where as an electric network losses about 10% in distribution from EHT to normal AC voltage, Not sure what kind of losses you get from storing it in batteries but the dc motors get very high efficiencies when changing electric energy into mechanical, the japanese broke 96% a while back.
Dorzok says
Don’t care how green or un-green they are. they are just cool. if there turns out to be a market, let it be. and then invest in property and mineral rights in Virginia. the world will want your coal.
Les says
As a long time rider and super fan of bike racing I’m more excited about the ttxgp then i am about the MotoGP and WSBK.
It has a feel to it. Like the racing they did as soon as the second bike was made 🙂
The tech is young. It can only improve. Very few moving parts is a big plus as many bike riders love the simplicity of the device.
In the age when ‘prototype’ racing is more about restrictions then advancements (f1, motogp, motogp 250s turning in to the honda cup) this is something for me to get excited about.
I can’t say i have the bank to go and buy one, if i did i would in a heartbeat.
That said, if you want to take away my dinosaur drinking, crazy revving i4, it will be from my cold dead hands 🙂
frozen prairie says
The surest way to speed development of better batteries, motors, etc. is for electric bikes to go into production; think about the state of the ICE 100 years ago – not very clean or efficient and needed frequent rebuilds.
So let’s see electric bikes on the market and let buyers decide if they want ’em or not. If they start selling in sufficient numbers that the manufacturers turn a profit, I think we’ll start to see rapid improvements in the technology.
And who knows, they may attract people who would otherwise not ride a motorcycle. Can’t hurt if there are more of us.
Snow on the ground here this morning. It’s mid-May for Pete’s sake !
hoyt says
Azzy: “I dont see the pro of electric vehicles of any sort as the part to energy independence, as energy flows from somewhere.”
Transportation Energy is primarily coming from other countries if you are a US citizen, so the argument for electric transport in terms of energy Independence is sound.
I hope we have profound choices for the long-term. Choices will drive competition. I’d like to be able to fill up my ICE with a homegrown algae-derived fuel while also being able to run around on my electric. (there’s a lot of life to existing ICE-vehicles if the fuel source can be modified)
Not only do we need energy options, we need to change the energy provider paradigm in which so few have so many by the balls.
jeff fearnow says
Evolution Happens.
When the electrics are made to a standards that approach the flexibilty of ICE, it’ll be a no brainer, external power-generation also having evolved.
Would I buy one now, given the $$? in a hot second (i want the Supermoto Zero). But are they ready for superprimetime? Stay Tuned.
FREEMAN says
I believe that at this point in history, the new thing is anyone’s guess. I personally believe that there is huge potential in other energy powerplants such as air motors combined with onboard air pumps. But there’s not much news about those nowadays. The future, I’m sure, is not going to be just isolated to electric or ICE powered vehicles.
Koontz says
Guys-
I’m doing everything I can to “get off” the grid (now)…
Any you want me to get ALL my power “from them?”
No thanks, I want freedom. How about making fuel from chicken poop?
mk.
JC says
I tinkered around with a design of a hybrid motorcycle on paper ( I had no intention of making one) and it certainly seems like an interesting application for a hybrid.
An ICE bike is light and powerful, and gets ok mileage. (or it’s ok on power and gets good mileage
an electric bike is heavy, and either fast or has ok range but slow.
The two could meet and make a small ICE engined bike that gets an electric turbocharge from the electric motor, and you wouldn’t need much of a battery pack size if it’s only used for acceleration. Shut the ICE off at stoplights and restart.
It would weight more than the purely ICE bike, but could benefit by having your cake and eating it too.
pkw says
Kneeslider, you sound too rational…A middle way! Outrageous!
Emmet says
electric vehicles have been around for almost as long as ICE cars. Of course, battery technology was primitive back then and combustion engines saw a surge of improvement. Personally I believe hybrid vehicles are the manufacturers saying that they are reluctant to actually go forth and build an economic vehicle. (Why not couple the electric motor with a diesel?) The ICE brings the powerplant to the driver, as well as the consumable products necessary to maintain them. Vehicles in general are consumable products- they want you to buy the newest car and keep you tied to a leash in maintenance fees and will go as far as promising false wealth leasing by banks to ensure that. Fully electric vehicles have their limitations, yes, but why not have more efficient internal combustion engines? Go to Europe and almost half the cars there are diesel.
Electric power shows promise and we can’t deny that. Research will provide answers to the shortcomings of battery power. Considering this new system of transportation is important-electric vehicles for having a distributed source of energy derived from a single powerplant that is more efficient. Keep an open mind when it comes to going green because if we spend the time studying a viable alternative energy as long as we did for the ICE, we’ll be better off.
Niki S says
The interesting thing about this debate is that we don’t have to take sides based on our personal faith in electric motorbikes. Reason is, they are here and they already work very well considering their short development life.
The future of electric bikes? We, the consumer get to decide how that plays out.
If we show interest and appetite for electric motorbikes then we will see more investment/development in them and in return the products will improve (like anything new).
As for the arguments for and against an electric bike meeting our needs. I think if we are truly honest about what most people use their bike for and how often, there is no reason an electric vehicle with its range and charging constraints should hinder the vast majority of motorbike users.
Ryde4ever says
Electrics…yawn…
Riding and driving should be experienced. Electrics are boring.
I would hate to see Rush’s Red Barchetta come true…
Twisted says
I don’t know how many of you have ridden one of the old Honda automatics, it felt odd not shifting other then out of neutral and into gear. I’d imagine an EV would feel the same way.
Schneegz says
There are few sure things in business or engineering.
The only thing of which I’m sure concerning electric motorcycles is that I don’t want to own one right now. They’re too expensive and don’t offer enough performance or practicality for the price. I can buy an ICE bike that’ll meet my needs more closely and put a big smile on my face for 1/4 the cost of many of the electrics being developed right now. However, I believe that’ll change, and when electric bikes come “down” to my level, I’ll be happy to buy one.
OMMAG says
If it can go 80mph and do it for 50 miles.
If it weighs less than 300lb and looks good.
If it is comfortable and handle the way a good bike should.
If it charges in 6 hours or less.
If it costs less than a used car.
If the batteries last more than two years and I can exchange them for new ones without paying a surcharge to the parasites in government.
Then I’m in ….. until then …. it’s ducati time.
pabs says
sure thing
Tim says
Electric batteries, electric motors and the internal combustion engine all came into their own at about the same time – the early 1800s. All have progressed since then. They can only get better. We are just not there yet.
BICHO says
LOTUS is developing a new generation ICE 2 stroker called “THE OMNIVORe” it runs on almost eny liquid fuel available today!!!!!!!!LOTUS have the gutts to develop and build what they believe in and they are very green oriented for the near future(self sufficient wind powered factory,100% recyclable materials) so 2 strokes can still be clean ,if you have the will to develop something everyone else thinks is obsoleet!!!!(the tech that will prevail in the next decade will not be made to pleas us(riders) but the big players(energy suppliers)
Sen says
Technoogy transfer works both ways. Electric motors are used in dozens of applications, from everyday lifts and escalators to robotic arms and bridges. Better motors in electric automobiles also equals better motors in a lot of mundane equipment.
Better energy densities in batteries also means a longer life-span for that mobile phone and laptop. Better delivery of power between battery to motor also means a more efficient delivery system for power stations to homes.
Quality of life as a whole will go up. At the same time, lifestyles change accordingly with concurrent technology, but that doesn’t mean the ancient is thrown away. Just look at the number of vintage car collectors and restorers. There is no need to fear or ridicule the new and the unknown.
Jim says
It depends upon the purpose of the bike. For someone who uses a MC for commuting, an e-bike makes a tremendous amount of sense. But for me a short ride is about 50 miles and a nice mind clearing day on the motorcycle is usually over 200 with a nice lunch, so an EV won’t cut it.
For around town, a small electric pickup would make a lot of sense or simply an electric bicycle. Several times I’ve considered getting one of those GEM’s with a flatbed for odd hauling, but the cost is too high.
Azzy says
hoyt- Very correct, if those processes can match the energy density that we get from ground source hydrocarbon fuel. (there is new debate if it is fossil fuel at all, and not a byproduct of the internal workings and methane from the mantle of Earth.). Plus, we can drill for more, as well as process coal to oil and harvest from other sources… but at that point you get into international and DC polotics… where they all win, and make us feel happy about the particular animal mascot that you voted for and got urinated on by.
Right now, electric vehicles if accepted en masse, would strain our grid, causing us to burn more coal and oil (and put up more useless resource black holes that are wind turbines), and have more occurrence of brownout in the summer.
I’m hoping to see these companies take off. Good products driven by a need, giving folks jobs are what we need. That and people here building and designing, not to mention fixing.
Hawk says
There is a point that nobody seems to have covered. Let me tell you about a fellow up here in Canada who converted his four vehicles to burn biodiesel. He had a regular run to various fast-food joints to pick up their waste cooking oils, took it home, filtered the crud out of it and happily poured it into his vehicles. I think he was producing the fuel for about 15 or 20 cents per liter …. the stuff at the corner diesel pump is at least a buck a liter, eh?
Well he got a call from the Canadian and Provincial governments wanting to know all about his operation. Thinking that they were genuinely interested in his innovations, he told them all about it …. including the quantities produced, the kilometers driven …. everything. Then he got a whacking great bill for the unpaid taxes on his “moonshine” diesel, which is about 60% of the retail cost of fuel here. Also, threats about “tax evasion” and stuff like that.
So while we’re getting all excited about our EVs knocking heck out of the ICEs, lets factor in where the various governments are going to grab you for Road Taxes and all the neat lost revenue. I’ll guarantee you’re not going to buy the power at today’s rates for very long ….
Jason says
I have an electric motorcycle and I love it! I’ve had it for less than a month and I already have more than 700 miles on it. I ride it everyday. There’s nothing easier than pulling into my garage and plugging it in. I’ll never have to change the oil, spark plugs, or adjust the valves. Its nearly maintenance free, except for the usual stuff, tires brakes, chain and sprockets. After a few years I’ll have to change the brushes in the motor (a $5 part and 15 minute job) and in five years I’ll have to change the batteries which by then will be half the size, half the price, and half the weight. It will be like a total performance upgrade.
Its not the fastest bike I’ve ever ridden, and if I’m planning on carving up the canyons I’ll take my Ducati in a heartbeat, but for getting around town its great! It keeps the mileage low on my Duc but keeps me out of my cage!
The bike cost me $8500 which may be more expensive than a comparable gas bike, but with the tax incentives (you get a 10% tax credit along with a sales tax deduction) along with the lack of maintenance costs, this bike is a bargain.
For all you naysayers, take one for a ride. I got mine here in Los Angeles from Hollywood Electrics. I’m sure they’d be happy to help you out.
todd says
The loss of tax revenue has the powers that be considering alternative measures. The most likely is to install tamper-proof GPS units on your motorcycle so big brother can track your mileage, location, and time of use. Of course they say it will only be gathered for tax purposes but I’m sure there are all sorts of other reasons to keep a track on your citizens. Whatcha gonna do?
-todd
steve says
They will be endorsed by many i’m sure if done correctly. Who would think Scion boxes or Honda Elements would sell with the Ugly written all over them but they do. If electrics are marketed with cool style(which might even mean funky style to some of us) and priced for most consumers with spirited performance then they will get a share of the market especially with the green people or the geeks. As for me I don’t like most new bikes, and find most showroom models boring now so I won’t be on board. I like to create and change and hate working with electric anything.
dimitri says
Why hasn’t anybody mentioned proper infrastructure. Without it electric vehicles have no real future. Especially in the crowded European cities with little space to park it would be a true nightmare to recharge your bike or car. Running around with over 100 meter extention electicity cables all the time.
WRXr says
Infrastructure is not as much a problem as you may think. It’s certainly easier to run electricty down a wire than to be continuously hauling gasoline/biodiesel etc over 100s of miles.
Another point not mentioned is that the draw to recharge electrical vehicles can be effectively ZERO. Let me explain.
1. Consider that most people will recharge at night. This is the lowest usage period for the power company.
2. Yet water doesn’t stop going over the dam, the fuel rods don’t leave the reactor and the coal fires don’t stop burning. This is electrical potential that is lost, which could instead be put to good use.
hoyt says
dimitri: “Running around with over 100 meter extention electicity cables all the time.” —
The batteries will be easily removable and brought inside wherever you live for re-charging. This will sustain longer lifespans since the battery may not be out in the cold. This type of design is already on the market for things like cordless, electric lawnmowers. One lever is all you move to remove the battery. Very slick and extremely simple.
Anyway, as the bikes become really light with smaller and lighter, removable batteries (making the bikes even more light while unattended), you’ll want to have a good security system on your bike (like a lock and chain). It will be interesting to see cities change the parking configurations so that electric bikes have posts to tie-up to….just like tying your horse to a post in the wild, wild, west 🙂
Nicolas says
Hoyt, in Europe you can’t find a good insurance if you don’t provide the evidence that you own a “certified” locking system, such as a “U” or heavy duty chain. But there is very few parkings who have a configuration specially designed for the rider to lock his ride. Almost none, to be honest. Unfortunately, I don’t think that electric bikes won’t make the infrastructure change in that way …
Now, a bike that doesn’t make much noise and looks eco-friendly may help to improve the image of the riders and have a better ear from the politician to suggest improvement in traffic rules and safety …
I love the idea of the electric bike, it’s technically very attractive, but just as said above I’ll always keep an old carbureted gas motorcycle in my garage.
B*A*M*F says
I think electrics make sense. Electricity is becoming our common energy currency these days. We have used water power, wind, steam and ICEs to power mechanical devices over the years (factories, vehicles, etc.). However, in that time, we have begun to use those things to create electricity instead. Why? because it is usable in so many types of appliances and devices. This is a big reason I see EVs of all types being the next evolution of motor vehicles. They will use a common energy currency that can be generated by any number of methods. The obsolescence of electricity is not on the horizon anytime soon. We’ll get it from coal, wind, water, solar, nuclear, fusion, human power or whatever we can scrounge up.
@ Todd:
That’s a really complicated scheme that could be done in much cheaper ways. For example, I live in a state with safety inspections done every other year. The inspector could then check the mileage, and forward that along with the inspection. You get taxed on your mileage, perhaps it could be used in a formula to base road tax on mileage and vehicle weight (one of the biggest causes of road maintenance).
Unless some company comes along to aid in the real time collection of GPS data, something like the red light camera companies do, I don’t see it happening. The investment is too large.
todd says
GPS and transmitters are cheap now. They’re in your disposable phone. Likely the government would utilize those technologies. Even (until recently for analogue users) older cars like my wife’s Saab already came stock with GPS and a transmitter – called “OnStar”. Now there are usage transmitters on my power and gas meters outside my house. They can charge me more for using electricity during peak hours, less at night. I’m learning to sleep through the washer/dryer/dishwasher cycles.
The government has put into regulation crash testing, air bags and seat belts, smog equipment, third brake lights, etc. In fact I’d wager that the cost of a car is probably made up of 2/3 regulatory compliance. What more is a little chip and antenna?
This will allow a city (like London for instance) to know exactly what time, how long, how many miles, and where you drove around and tax you accordingly. As soon as you leave the next town will get its fair share of your tax dollars (um, quid). Sounds very much like a simple / fair way to do it – as long as you’re ok with wearing tinfoil hats.
-todd
B*A*M*F says
It’s not so much the little pieces on the bikes and cars, it’s making them all talk to one system and then delivering that data into a usable form. That’s expensive. Not saying it won’t happen, and while our govts. like things like that, I don’t see it happening in the next 5-10 years.
FREEMAN says
@ todd:
I’m pretty sure your tinfoil hat’s a little too tight. Although off topic, the government would only check your odometer or a watt-hour meter, if power consumption is to be taxed on the electric motorcycle. I’m pretty sure consumers that find a government monitoring gps system on their vehicle would disable/block it by any means possible.
alec says
I think there is definitely a place for electric bikes. Imagine motocross tracks in inner urban areas without noise problems. they could be put next to skate bowls in city parks. Having ridden one of the new breed of light weight mountain bike versions I reckon they definitely have a place. The Stealth is a much more exciting prospect than a Vectrix scooter for example, it wheelies, jumps and powerslides before running up to a top speed approaching 90kph. Its almost a return to the original motorcycle concept. http://www.stealthelectricbikes.com.au
dimitri says
Everbody talks about possible future developments. I want to talk about here and now.
1. Infrastructure is still missing. Although this would not be rocket science to implement.
2. lighter batteries. They might become lighter but still this would be a lot of hassle taking it out and hooking it up.
Doug says
Electric cars/bikes don’t produce emissions while bing used, but where does the power come from? Coal plants?
And then those batteries that are garbage after a few years….
I mean how long does your laptop or cell battery last before it gets tossed?
hoyt says
Dimitri – “They might become lighter but still this would be a lot of hassle taking it out and hooking it up.”
What basis do you have to state that it would be “a lot of hassle” ? It probably will be equivalent to taking something out of a saddlebag, tail bag, or tank bag…open a hatch in the fairing (assuming it is a fully faired bike), then slide a lever or 2, then grab the handle and remove.
What resides between the wheels of an electric bike besides the battery and the electric motor that would make this removal a “hassle”?
Go to a department store and check out how easy it is to remove the battery from the Workx lawnmower. Or look here on the bottom right of the page: http://www.worxyardtools.com/garden-tools/lawn-mower-eco.html
A proper design will make the batteries removable because that is an integral piece to their sales success for various reasons.
dimitri says
@ hoyt
I understand the point you are making. I am not into lawnmowers (never used one) since I do not have a garden. You probably live in a different apart of the world. Overhere in urban Europe this would mean. Taking the battery out. Walk a block or so carrying the battery, taking a few stairs (3 floors or so) and then finally hooking it up to the charger. I find that a lot of hassle.
That’s why we need infrastructure to solve this. Plugging your scoot into a socket somewhere. Charge it for a few minutes and then ride it for over a 150 miles. That would be an ideal situation.
Jimmy says
the reason electric/ hybrid vehicles are not what they should be is because the people that design them have been taught to think within a box. thinking outside the box is the path to sucess. an electric design is already in use albeit without batteries. that would be the train engine. an electric motorcycle with the motor as the rear hub of the wheel powered by batteries for slow and cruise mode, with a small ice for generation to provide boost for acceleration and charging of the batteries would give you unlimited distance and no need for infrastructure.properly developed computer controls would provide regeneration from braking from the motor to assist in recharging the batteries as well as cruise control to save battery power on highway. this type of vehicle would require smaller battery packs, so if recharging from the grid less time on line would be required. there are the seeds, I presently don’t have the funds to build such a machine but don’t think for one munite that I won’t in the future.if you plan to build a machine to set new standards get with it.