A motorcycle major has launched a new model to compete in mid-segment motorcycles below 750cc.
Even as Electric two-wheeler and four-wheeler demands keep increasing, why would people still want some ICE engines?
How & why global net zero emissions and electrified vehicles cannot be achieved as simply as signing international agreements? Apart from few options to generate electricity, its not really developing nations’ vehicles that consume most fuel.
Sales of electric two-wheelers are booming and with manufacturers producing bikes like this one, it’s easy to see why.
It seems difficult to keep up with the number of new electric two-wheelers coming on to the market these days.
The trend was already under way and has only been accelerated by the pandemic, with commuters and others looking for alternatives to public transport.
Figures from the Motorcycle Industry Association show sales of electrics for June up 155% compared to the same month last year.
Sales for the year up until last month are also up 210% compared to the same period in 2020.
That is impressive growth, with the majority of bikes sold falling in the 50cc and 125cc equivalent categories.
Artisan Electric is a British company established in 2016 with a “mission to change the face of electric motorcycles and scooters with industry-leading innovation and product quality”.
The company offers a range of seven electric bikes and scooters – and the one I am testing here is the CR6.
This is a 125cc-equivalent machine, with a pretty cool retro-meets-futuristic look.
The air-cooled electric motor is powered by a 3.96kWh Panasonic lithium-ion battery.
Careful riding will produce a range of around 60 miles.
Haring around flat out – top speed is about 55mph – will cut your range to around 30 miles.
That may not sound much, but the CR6 is aimed at commuters and for jaunts into town, so it’s perfectly adequate.
A full charge from zero takes around four hours, but bear in mind you’ll hardly ever be charging from completely flat, so shorter times are more realistic.
Charging is via a standard three-pin socket and a socket in the side of the bike.
The battery comes with a reassuring three-year warranty.
On board, the ride position is relaxed and comfortable with a long and well-padded cafe-racer type seat.
There’s a round retro/modern, backlit, colour clock with a rather unnecessary rev counter across the top and a LCD panel with speed, charge level etc.
As with all electrics, the acceleration is instantaneous and impressive.
At just 134kg, this bike is light and it feels agile, manageable and nippy – perfect for the urban jungle.
With low-down weight, a decent aluminium chassis and an excellent turning circle, the CR6 handles extremely well.
The non-adjustable USD forks and preload-adjustable rear monoshock do a perfectly reasonable job.
And braking via a front 265mm disc and three-piston caliper and rear 220mm is plenty powerful enough.
The headlight is a nice bright LED and the “tank” is actually a lockable storage compartment, ideal for the charge cable, gloves etc.
It also contains a USB port – handy for charging your phone.
At five grand, the CR6 is obviously a bigger initial outlay than a petrol 125, but running costs work out at just a penny a mile.
Overall then, the Horwin is a solid little city commuter, easy to ride, with good looks and decent performance.
Specs:
Horwin CR6
Motor: Air-cooled electric
Max power: 8bhp
Max torque: 30ft lb
Colours: White; blue; green; black
Price: £4,992
Delfast Bikes Does the Unthinkable and Starts Breaking Away From PRC Production
There’s no doubt that e-bikes are what booming in the urban mobility game. One company carrying the torch and leading the way for e-bikes is Delfast Bikes.
It’s possible you’ve heard of Delfast Bike by now. In case you haven’t, know that this is one of the e-bike manufacturers you should be keeping an eye on. Between 2014 and 2017, this company was hard at work delivering a different sort of product, parcels or packages, but behind closed curtains, Delfast was hard at work developing their own machine able to withstand the treacherous roads of Kyiv, Ukraine.
In 2016, this company began selling its first e-bike, and just a year later, in 2017, set a Guiness World Record for the longest e-bike ride on a single battery charge, 367 km (228 mi). How? Well, I mentioned the team had been working on something behind closed curtains, mainly, it was a battery management system.
Let’s face it, the e-bikes this team creates have way more to do than just simple battery management. Another aspect of design that Delfast seems to be partaking in, is that of creating an overall rugged and capable bike. How rugged? If you’ve been following along with autoevolution, you’d know that even the Mexicali Police are now using products from Delfast to monitor crime. Imagine seeing police officers silently chasing down fugitives. The days of horseback riding are over.
Recently, this EV company ran a $3,000,000 crowdfunding campaign to help expand and ease company operations. Now, anytime a company asks investors to throw in some cash, you’d better be sure they deliver. Such a doubt has no place if we’re to be talking about Delfast. By the end of the campaign, this team had raised $400,000 more than they initial sum aimed for.
“We are delighted to raise such a record amount in three months. This funding will take us one step closer to our goal to build an industry-leading e-bike manufacture and support a climate-safe transportation community around the globe,” said Daniel Tonkopiy, co-Founder and CEO.
But why was this campaign needed in the first place? I thought you’d never ask. Think if it this way. Before this crew launched the campaign, they already had $100 million in pre-orders. $100 million! Give the people $3,000,000! I wonder what the investor portfolios are looking like.
With the newfound cash, Delfast has invested in a production center in their own backyard and not in the current PRC. It looks like, slowly but surely, this team wants to transfer their e-bike production out of China, something a lot of e-bike companies see as out of the question.
A few days ago, the e-bike manufacturer released an announcement stating they’ve signed an agreement with Kyiv-based tech company ELMIZ. If you’ve never heard of ELMIZ, not to worry, your future Delfast e-bike will be assembled with the help of a company that has been specializing in the production of space docking systems, laser navigation and radio communication systems, and even automated devices for space vehicles. And that’s just a part of the story, ELMIZ also produces charging stations for electric cars, mining equipment, and porous cast aluminum for mechanical engineering, not to mention lighting systems.
“The factory has a wide experience in producing complex electronics, space systems and charging stations for electric vehicles. Considering its resources, expertise and qualified engineers, we can be sure that our e-bikes will be produced in a high quality and in accordance with our requirements,” says Tonkopiy about the agreement.
Currently, the new facility will be able to manufacture five e-bikes per month, while the goal is to increase production to 50 units per month by the end of 2021. One major benefit that Delfast customers can now look forward to is an increased production capacity, meaning you’ll get your bike sooner than anticipated; shorter delivery times for U.S. and E.U. clients by up to three weeks.
In my opinion, keep your eyes peeled as this company is setting a new standard for how an e-bike should perform. If you feel you’ve missed out on the investment opportunities this company has offered in the past, don’t. They are on a clear growing curve and even now is a good time to hop on the fastest e-bike for 2021 according to Forbes.
Right now, an Earth Day campaign is running on the manufacturers website that drops $1,556 off the 3.0’s starting price of $6649. So, you can get the freshest menace form this team for $5,256. Honestly, for that price, you’re buying an electric motorcycle that just happens to include a pedal-assist function.
by Elena Gorgan from https://www.autoevolution.com
One of the main complaints lodged against the Harley-Davidson LiveWire is the short range offered on a single charge, of just 140 miles. That doesn’t mean it’s not made for touring, though.
Swiss rider Michel von Tell has just set a new world record for the longest tour in under 24 hours for an electric motorcycle, covering over 1,000 miles on a LiveWire. The bad news is that the record won’t be recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, as von Tell did not have Guinness officials present.
Electroauto-news reports (via Electrek) that von Tell started in Zurich, Switzerland and covered four countries and a total of 1,723 km (1,070 miles) on the LiveWire, in 23 hours and 48 minutes. He reached Stuttgart, Germany and then traveled to Singen, before heading to Ruggell, Lichtenstein, the final stop on his journey.
He used Level 3 DC Fast Charge for charging stops, which considerably cut down stop times. Level 1 on the LiveWire uses a regular wall outlet and takes an entire night for a full charge. Level 3 guarantees a faster charge: a nearly full battery in 40 minutes or so. According to the media outlet, von Tell would stop for charging on Level 3 for an average of 25 minutes whenever he needed to.
The previous 24-hour record for an electric motorcycle was set in 2018 on a Zero S fitted with optional Charge Tank and using a team of riders, on a test track. Von Tell traveled in traffic, on the highway and was all alone.
While he couldn’t afford the Guinness fee, which would have ensured officials were on hand to confirm the record, and didn’t have a method to do the electronic self-recording required for Guinness confirmation, von Tell did provide signed witness accounts as confirmation. This makes his LiveWire 24-hour tour the unofficial record holder for the longest on an electric motorcycle to date.
by Steve Dent from https://www.engadget.com
by Alex Perry from https://mashable.com
You can also charge the premium model in under an hour.
Like EV owners, electric motorcycle riders suffer from range anxiety. Zero Motorcycles is trying to alleviate that a bit with a new model, the SR/S. It can go up to 201 miles in the city and 103 miles on highways — better numbers than the last SR/F model all around. Best of all, Zero managed to keep the price just above the SR/F by keeping the same platform and introducing a full fairing to improve aerodynamics.
On top of the full fairing, the SR/S has a more relaxed riding position, but otherwise uses the same battery pack and engine as the last model. As more of a sport touring-type bike, it also weighs about 20 pounds more than the 485-pound SR/F. However, it still goes like heck thanks to a 100 horsepower, 140 foot pound motor, hitting speeds up to 124 mph.
The base SR/S can go 161 miles on a charge or 82 miles on the highway, so to get the extra range you’ll need to add the Power Tank option. It takes four hours to charge the base model with a regular charger, or 1.3 hours with the 6 KW rapid charge option. However, you can speed that up to two hours (regular charge) and one hour (fast charge) with the premium bike.
Other features include the Cypher III operating system that can handles traction control, braking and charging, along with connected capabilities that lets the owner monitor bike status, alerts, system upgrades and more. The SR/S is now available starting at $19,995 (compared to $19,495 for the SR/F), or $21,995 for the premium model. The 3.6 kWh Power Tank option runs an additional $2,895 and will be available starting March 1st.
Zero’s new SR/S electric motorcycle has a new design and increased range
If you want to roam cities and highways in style without relying on a single drop of gasoline, Zero’s newest electric motorcycle might be up your alley.
Zero invited members of the press to an unveiling of its new SR/S e-bike on Wednesday. It has a sleek new design compared to its SR/F counterpart, and was designed with aerodynamics in mind, according to Zero. This should allow 13 percent more range at highway speeds once riders are fully leaned in, the company says.
As far as more detailed specs are concerned, the SR/S boasts 140 ft-lbs of torque, 110 horsepower, and a top speed of 124 mph. Its city range by default is 161 miles, while its highway range is 82 miles. Those numbers are bumped up to 201 miles and 103 miles, respectively, with an optional power tank add-on.
The SR/S comes in both standard and premium configurations. The first, with a 3 kW charger, is $19,995, the second, with a 6 kW charger, is $21,995. That power tank we mentioned earlier is an additional $2,895, so expect to spend a good deal more money than the starting price if you want all the bells and whistles.
Oh, and there are two colors: Cerulean Blue and Skyline Silver. We saw the blue version at the press briefing and it looked, well, blue. One last thing to note is that the Zero SR/S is using level 2 electric charging. It seems level 3 charging is still just a little too prohibitive for Zero’s liking. The standard model takes four hours to go from zero to 95 percent battery, while the premium takes two hours. You can cut that down to merely an hour with the 6 kW charger.
It may cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $25,000 to get the SR/S with everything that makes it cool, but it seems like it might be cool nonetheless. Zero said it ships to dealers immediately, so anyone who wants one should look into their local options.
INDIA – As the country still grapples with providing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs), electric two-wheeler makers are turning to detachable batteries to make the charging process easier.
Recent launches such as Okinawa Autotech’s i-Praise scooter (₹1,15,990, ex-showroom) and Avan Motors’ Trend E (starting price ₹56,900, ex-showroom), come with such portable batteries. “We understood the need of the hour and developed detachable batteries,” said Jeetender Sharma, Founder and Managing Director, Okinawa Autotech; Avan Motors’ Business Development Head, Pankaj Tiwari, concurred.
Both Sharma and Tiwari stressed that this feature would benefit customers living in multi-storey apartments. “Charging time on our batteries is also not very high. It takes two to four hours,” Tiwari said.
Okinawa’s Ridge+ (₹76,499, ex-showroom), an upgraded model of its Ridge scooter, also comes with a detachable lithium ion battery. Indigenous e-scooter manufacturers are slowly moving away from lead acid batteries and adopting lithium ion batteries, with the government’s subsidy under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles (FAME) programme helping them.
“We always request that the subsidy on lithium ion batteries must continue. If the subsidy comes down, it is very difficult for the consumer to purchase the vehicle,” Tiwari said. However, he also stressed that charging infrastructure development is necessary to inspire confidence among EV consumers and adopters.
Localisation of parts
Local component sourcing is another area where manufacturers want support from the government. “The (government) support is required everywhere for localisation. Once the volumes go up, localisation can be done more easily. Right now, the volumes are not allowing local manufacturers and suppliers to give components,” said Tiwari.
However, for Okinawa, over 90 per cent parts are already localised, Sharma said. He also revealed that the company will launch a high-speed motorcycle in the second quarter of next year, which will be “100 per cent localised”. Currently, an important area of focus for manufacturers is growing their presence in the country. Okinawa, which currently has over 300 dealerships, plans to increase them to 500 next year. Avan, which has 33 dealerships and is present predominantly in Maharashtra and parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, plans to have over 100 dealers this year.
When it comes to volumes, the companies seem to be taking a steady approach. “Okinawa has sold close to a 1,000 i-Praise scooters since its launch,” Sharma added. While Tiwari did not comment on the number of scooters Avan Motors has sold, he said that the company is targeting total sales volume of 12,000 units this year and aims to double it next year.
Zero launched a new SR/F streetfighter in Amsterdam, which claims to deliver an attractive blend of “industry-leading power, control and connection.”
It is a tangible improvement in range capability and recharging time, along with new styling that brings its electric powertrain with sharp and conventional – naked streetfighter looks.
The Californian brand leaps forward making electric motorcycles look and perform in a way more appealing to both new and largely electric-phobic existing bikers.
Vice President of Product Development, Brian Wismann, said: “The bike was inspired and influenced by the same things that inspire designers that are working on internal combustion bikes. “I don’t want anybody to think that this was meant to look like an electric Ducati, or Triumph – it’s not a derivative design, but having an understanding of where this cultural reference for having beautiful machines comes from and then integrating some of those design elements into the SR/F are pertinent in describing why it looks as good as it does.”
New Zero SR/F specs
200-mile range potential
One-hour charge to 95%
Makes 110bhp / 140lbft
Two models available in May
Weight is 226kg
Zero’s new SR/F has the power and charm to attract regular street racers. The torque makes this a serious streetfighter.
The model uses Zero’s new ZF75-10 motor, coupled to a ZF14.4 lithium-ion battery. The powertrain uses air-cooling to improve longevity. It eliminates many routine maintenance jobs. A single charge is claimed to have the potential to deliver a 200-mile maximum range when ridden at town speeds, using Zero’s Power Tank, which arrives in Autumn 2019.
The innovative Rapid Charge System works on the large and growing network of Level 2 charge stations and provides a platform that allows for up to three independent charging modules. This means the SR/F can boast the fastest recharge capacity in Zero’s existing line up. It gives a maximum charging performance of empty to 95% charged in just one hour.
SR/F’s Cypher III operating system knits Zero’s next-gen app and dash to the well-proven Bosch Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC) system, ensuring the rider isn’t caught out by an over-eager right wrist or brake lever action. Zero SR/F has ABS and a host of electronic safety kit to ensure rider safety on the mean streets it is meant to race on.
The attractive dash can connect to a new app controlled by the rider. Rider modes on offer comprise Street, Sport, Eco, and Rain, and there are up to 10 programmable custom modes available.
Brembo’s electronic braking AI acts on JJuan calipers front and rear. The frame is a steel-trellis with concentric swingarm that’s claimed to help transfer the torque to the tarmac with the most mechanical grip possible. Both the battery and motor act as stressed members as well.
The new connected app also allows the rider to monitor their SR/F for: Bike Status & Alerts, Charging data, Ride Data Sharing, System Upgrades and Updates.
The first system of its kind on a production motorcycle, the status checker means owners can see information on charging interruptions, get unexpected motion notifications, and use the ‘Find my Bike’ function to see if their bike is where it should be.
The data captured on rides includes bike location, speed, lean angle, power, torque, charge and energy used/regenerated.
All the data is private unless the rider chooses to share it. The full suite of app functions are free at purchase, and for two years thereafter. Riders can opt out altogether if they so desire.
The two models will come in Seabright Blue and Boardwalk Red colourways, and are expected to be ready to plug in from May 2019.
Zero launched a new SR/F streetfighter in Amsterdam, which claims to deliver an attractive blend of “industry-leading power, control and connection.”
The attractive dash can connect to a new app controlled by the rider. Rider modes on offer comprise Street, Sport, Eco, and Rain, and there are up to 10 programmable custom modes available.
