electric

Polaris Announces Partnership with Zero Motorcycles to Co-Develop Electric Vehicles

General Posts / By

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Zero Motorcycles Taps Polaris to Make Electric Off-Road Vehicles and Snowmobiles The electric motorcycle industry is far from being as lucrative as the automobile one. Despite the efforts made by startups to make electric two-wheelers popular, established bike makers are still a long way from joining the fun, with Harley-Davidson being so far the only one risking to go down this path. Zero Motorcycles is one of the startups we mentioned, one of the oldest and arguably the most successful. On the market since 2006, Zero made a name for itself by selling affordable (when compared to what else is out there in this segment), high-performance electric motorcycles – yet the 9 or so models currently available are just the beginning. How would you feel about some incredible machines, powersports-destined ones, that could make use of electricity? Starting 2021, that’s exactly what we’ll get – Zero is joining the electric off-road vehicles and snowmobiles game. It won’t do it alone, but together with Polaris, after the two announced the signing of a 10-year agreement. More to the point, Zero will develop the powertrain technology (hardware and the electronic software), while Polaris will handle the development and manufacture of the rest of the vehicles. “This revolutionary partnership is bringing together two incredibly talented teams aimed at dramatically expanding the electric options in powersports,” said in a statement Zero Motorcycles CEO Sam Paschel. “Our EV expertise and millions of miles of real-world, rubber-meets-the-road EV experience, coupled with Polaris’ broad product portfolio, scale, supply chain and market leadership, makes this a game-changer for every powersports enthusiast.” For now, there are virtually no details on how many vehicles we’re talking about here, let alone their capabilities. We do know the first jointly-developed product should surface by the end of […]

Polaris Announces Partnership with Zero Motorcycles to Co-Develop Electric Vehicles Read More »

Indian Motorcycle Goes Electric with the eFTR Jr.

General Posts / By

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE ENCOURAGES RIDERS TO HAND DOWN THE LOVE OF RIDING WITH THE eFTR® Jr – AN ELECTRIC MINI REPLICA OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP-WINNING FTR750 FLAT TRACKER All-New Electric Mini-Bike Provides an Approachable, Affordable & Safe Way to Share the Love of Riding with Young Aspiring Riders MINNEAPOLIS (September 28, 2020) – Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, today announced its first electric youth offering – the eFTR Jr. A mini-replica of Indian Motorcycle’s American Flat Track championship-winning FTR750, the all-new electric mini-bike allows motorcycle lovers to hand down their passion for two wheels to aspiring young riders. The all-new electric mini-bike is unique in its dynamic styling, allowing young riders to feel like a member of the iconic Indian Motorcycle Wrecking Crew that dominated flat track in the 1950’s and have won every championship since their return to the sport in 2017. Featuring two ride modes, low and high, a seat height of 23.5 inches, and a maximum weight of 175 pounds, the eFTR Jr can accommodate riders eight years and older when in low mode, and 13 and over in high mode. The bike’s telescopic front forks and mono-shock rear suspension provide a smooth, comfortable ride, while the bike’s rugged steel frame provides a durable structure for beginning riders. The eFTR Jr’s dual-disc brakes offer premium stopping power for increased control and rider confidence. “Whether it was a father, mother, uncle or family friend, most motorcyclists have fond memories of the person that introduced them to riding, and that’s the spirit behind the eFTR Jr,” said Ross Clifford, Vice President of Parts, Garments, and Accessories at Indian Motorcycle. “We wanted our first youth offering to be electric to provide a safe, simplistic and clean form of motorcycling for children, all wrapped up in the signature look of the FTR750.

Indian Motorcycle Goes Electric with the eFTR Jr. Read More »

Harley-Davidson Continues LiveWire Offensive, Joins National Drive Electric Week

General Posts / By

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Starting Saturday, September 26, and through the next week, America is celebrating the National Drive Electric Week. It’s a little known even at this point, meant to “raise awareness of the many benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, trucks, motorcycles,” but as more and more companies are joining the fun, it might become something major in the not so distant future. As the only established bike maker to already have an electric motorcycle on the market, Harley-Davidson it taking all to opportunities it gets to advertise it. Already a star (in heavily modified form) of the Long Way Up Apple TV+ show, the LiveWIre is getting bumped to celebrity status as part of the National Drive Electric Week as well. “Harley-Davidson stands for the timeless pursuit of adventure,” said in a statement Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO, Harley-Davidson. “We build machines that unlock adventure to find freedom for the soul. Harley-Davidson’s first electric motorcycle, LiveWire, is a shining example of how we innovate to inspire this mission and how we are leading the electrification of motorcycling. It’s a premier experience that can only be truly understood after riding it.” The Milwaukee company says that to support the event it will extend opportunities to ride, charge and experience LiveWire, but it fails to go into specifics, so you’ll probably have to head over to your local Harley dealer to get more info on this. Heralded as being the first of a whole new breed of bikes, and backed by things like free charging for two years, the LiveWire failed so far to deliver. Maybe it’s the public’s reluctance to embrace electric motorcycles, or the fact that the price of the bike ($30,000) is significantly above what startups competing in this segment, like Zero, have

Harley-Davidson Continues LiveWire Offensive, Joins National Drive Electric Week Read More »

Harley-Davidson pushes EV Technology with 2020 LiveWire Motorcycle

General Posts / By

HARLEY-DAVIDSON PUSHES EV TECHNOLOGY TO THE EDGES OF THE EARTH WITH THE 2020 LIVEWIRE® MOTORCYCLE HOW THE LIVEWIRE MOTORCYCLE TOOK ON THE WORLD MILWAUKEE (September 24, 2020) – The Harley-Davidson LiveWire® model is an exhilarating electric motorcycle that pushes the boundaries of performance, technology and design in the two-wheel world. When an opportunity presented itself to Harley-Davidson to showcase the LiveWire motorcycle’s capabilities and performance in the most extreme conditions, H-D seized the challenge for the unheralded 13,000 mile off-road trek. The process to accomplish this journey is documented through Harley-Davidson’s podcast series. Listen to the H-D Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and subscribe to get new episodes of the show automatically each week. This six-part series documents how near-production LiveWire models were modified to shred dirt roads, single track, and desert trails over 13,000 miles of extreme off-road conditions. “Harley-Davidson stands for the timeless pursuit of adventure,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO, Harley-Davidson. This podcast series is a premier showcase for how Harley-Davidson’s talented staff of engineers and designers go above and beyond in their mission to create motorcycles that unlock adventures wherever they may lead. These efforts can be experienced in the 2020 LiveWire – a shining example of how Harley-Davidson innovates to lead in the electrification of motorcycling. It’s an experience that can only be truly understood after riding it.” Utilizing the same talented Harley-Davidson engineers and designers that developed the LiveWire motorcycle, a select group was assembled from the broader development team to modify near-production LiveWire models to complete the journey. Together, this team designed, modified, and assembled a motorcycle in under 30 days. After initial testing, the team incorporated feedback to finalize ergonomic and storage systems on the bikes. In 60 days, the motorcycles were headed to the southern tip of Argentina.

Harley-Davidson pushes EV Technology with 2020 LiveWire Motorcycle Read More »

Hero Ultra Sport electric motorcycle under development in Germany

General Posts / By

by Nithyanandh Karuppaswamy from https://www.rushlane.com The Hero e-US is expected to be unveiled at one of the high-profile events in foreseeable future Hero Electric and Hero MotoCorp are two different companies. Both are into manufacturing and selling of two wheelers in India. The former has only focused in electric vehicles, while the latter, which is India’s largest two wheeler brand, is yet to launch an electric vehicle. With electric vehicles the future, Hero Motocorp’s Technology Center in Germany (HTCG) is currently collaborating with the two wheeler giant’s Jaipur R&D HQ to develop a new premium electric motorcycle concept in addition to working on mainstream, cost-effective EV solutions. Hero e-US or Hero Ultra Sport Eectric According to a recent report by Moneycontrol, the powerful electric motorcycle concept which is currently under development by Munich-based HTCG is called the e-US (electric Ultra Sport). No additional information is available at this point but it is likely to be a design study to gather public opinion about a potential electric high-performance flagship. If we were to hazard a guess, the Hero e-US could be an edgy street fighter with performance levels equivalent to a conventional quarter liter motorcycle. Or it could even be offering higher levels of performance to match something like the Ultroviolette F77. The concept is expected to be showcased at a high-profile event when it is ready. The timeline is not clear as of now. Branding challenge for electric portfolio Speaking at the latest Annual General Meeting, Hero Motocorp’s chairman Pawan Munjal stated that the company is well on course with its plans to enter the promising electric two wheeler market in the country. He also added that the pure electric products that are being developed by Hero Motocorp are independent of its subsidiary Ather Energy’s products. It is to be

Hero Ultra Sport electric motorcycle under development in Germany Read More »

Harley-Davidson LiveWire Drag Races at NHRA U.S. Nationals, Who Was Impressed?

General Posts / By

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com There’s only one mainstream bike maker with an electric motorcycle on the market: Harley-Davidson. The Americans launched the LiveWire last year, hit a few snags along the way, and now the entire thing looks like a lost bet. Maybe it’s the fact that the world is not yet ready for electric motorcycles – we lost track of how many startups came and went while promising a revolution in the industry – or it could be that Harley really messed up the LiveWire, but the reality is riders do not really flock to dealers to order one. Truth be told, the bike maker itself didn’t make a big fuss about the electric two-wheeler, and kind of left it fending for itself because, well, it really has no competition. That approach is about to change as of this month. Harley is finally putting some big names and some more dollars behind promoting the bike, in the hopes its fortunes would change. Starting September 18, people with an Apple TV+ subscription will have the chance to see what the LiveWire is really capable of. After all, it did travel over 13,000 miles (21,000 km) from the city of Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego to America’s West Coast, ridden by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they were shooting their Long Way Up show. And also from September, expect to see it more on the drag strip, just like it happened this past weekend in Indianapolis, where the NHRA U.S. Nationals took place. Three Harley riders – Andrew Hines, Eddie Krawiec, and Angelle Sampey – enjoyed themselves between races by taking the LiveWire down the strip in exhibition runs, trying to convince people an investment in the LiveWire would not be a bad idea. Don’t expect anything spectacular to

Harley-Davidson LiveWire Drag Races at NHRA U.S. Nationals, Who Was Impressed? Read More »

Here’s a First Look at Putin’s Aurus Escort, the New Russian Electric Motorcycle

General Posts / By

by Elena Gorgan from https://www.autoevolution.com Russian President Vladimir Putin is not the kind of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve, to put it lightly, so it’s hardly surprising that the state-backed Aurus luxury carmaker has been working on an e-bike for the Presidential convoy. Putin has been on a mission to replace most vehicles on the Presidential convoy with newer, Russia-made models, and he’s doing it with help from Aurus. So far, the luxury carmaker has delivered a van, the Presidential Senat limo and the Komendant SUV. They’re all armored and tech-packed, as befits any prez, but more so since we’re talking about the Russian tsar. The Escort, which is the dubbing currently attached to the Aurus electric motorcycle, will join the rest of the Aurus Presidential fleet sometime in 2022 as the first (and only) EV. There is no official information on it and only a few minor details are available, but that’s the timeline a recent report in Moto Station gives. According to the same media outlet, the Escort will be used primarily in the Presidential motorcade, which explains its massive size and touring bike appearance. With an aluminum frame, the Escort comes with a large and adjustable windscreen, hard side panniers (that could carry anything from emergency supplies to weaponry) and a monoshock on the rear swing arm. The front fork has been replaced with a monoshock similar to that on some BMW bikes. The Escort is bulky, but it’s also very fast. Power comes from an 112 kW (150 hp) electric motor that will take the bike to speeds of up to 240 kph (150 mph), which is incredibly fast for a bike that’s supposed to be used mostly as part of larger convoys. As noted above, the Escort is supposedly coming out two

Here’s a First Look at Putin’s Aurus Escort, the New Russian Electric Motorcycle Read More »

BMW Electric Bike Based on the DC Roadster Could Be in the Cards for Production

General Posts / By

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com It’s a time of complete transformation over at BMW Motorrad. The Bavarian bike maker, a steady and powerful presence in markets around the world, just expanded its lineup with the introduction of its brand new cruiser, the R 18 Big Boxer that should give Harley a bit of a hard time. And electrifications efforts are being made as well, as the motorcycle industry is beginning to slowly shift to this type of propulsion. Back in the summer of 2019, during the #NEXTGen event in Munich, BMW unwrapped the crazy-looking Vision DC Roadster. The two-wheeler was shown as a preview of a possible future when BMW would drop the use of the nearly century-old boxer engine in favor of a battery and electric motor, all wrapped in the (almost) classic body of BMW bikes. At the time, BMW did not say anything about the future of the DC Roadster, but recent filings with the German Patent and Trademark Office uncovered by Electrek could suggest a production version is being considered. This assumption is based on the fact that in the list of desired trademarks, nine of them include DC as relating to motorcycles. Securing the trademark for certain ideas is not something unheard of in the industry, and it doesn’t necessarily mean something is going to get made. In this case, however, chances are the Germans are indeed working on an electric bike. Unlike electric cars, electric motorcycles are still taking their first shy steps. Lost in a flood of failing startups that promised to revolutionize the industry, Harley-Davidson is the only major bike maker to have released a bike powered by electricity. And even if the LiveWire is not exactly the sales hit Milwaukee was hoping for, its capabilities are undoubtedly incredible. And we will

BMW Electric Bike Based on the DC Roadster Could Be in the Cards for Production Read More »

Ed Motorcycles Launches the Concept Z, Flaunting Incredible EV Stats and Design

General Posts / By

by Cristian Curmei from https://www.autoevolution.com Electric vehicles are probably going to be the way of the future. Everyone seems to be getting in on the action, no matter what history of manufacturing they may have had. From automobile to motorcycle manufacturers, companies like GM, Lamborghini, Honda, and even Harley-Davidson are starting to apply their accumulative knowledge of mechanics, design, and production into EVs. But this one isn’t about those big brand guys. This one’s about a little shop down south in Aussie land named Ed Motorcycles. Before we go any further, allow me to explain why it’s always best to work with a small production shop. Limitless. Yup just one word. Because production isn’t large, these shops can push the limits on their vehicles in terms of road regulations, and attention to detail remains quite high. With this in mind, continue reading. She’s been named Concept Z. I know, a bit uninspired, but don’t fold your hand just yet, she’s a beast! This might undoubtably be the strongest electric motorcycles from a mom and pop shop. Look. I’m just gonna lay it out flat. She has a top speed of 93 miles per hour (150kph). Even the new Kuberg hits half that. How she does it, we’ll get into in a minute. As with most other EVs, her acceleration and torque curves are near linear and give it an undisclosed 0-60 time that’s considered one of the fastest in the world. How she does this is due to a motor and controller that regulates how power is distributed and when. The motor is an air-cooled, radial flux, interior magnet brushless motor that comes with minimal maintenance level. The brain behind the power is operated by a Sevcon Gen 4 775amp controller. This little device offers the rear axle a power

Ed Motorcycles Launches the Concept Z, Flaunting Incredible EV Stats and Design Read More »

ALYI Expects To See Orders For ReVolt Electric Motorcycles Double Next Month

General Posts / By

from https://www.prnewswire.com DALLAS, Aug. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Alternet Systems, Inc. (USOTC: ALYI) today announced that it expects a new fleet order for its ReVolt Electric Motorcycle to double the company’s current production outlook. Earlier this month the company announced entering into discussions regarding additional fleet orders. Management now expects to sign an order resulting from those discussions by the end of September. ALYI currently has already entered into an initial $20 million electric motorcycle order and an additional letter of intent for a $30 million contract. Both agreements cover six-year durations resulting in an overall $300 million revenue opportunity for ALYI. The new order expected to be signed next month would edge ALYI toward a $500 million revenue opportunity. Over two years ago, ALYI piloted an electric motorcycle that in its first rendition was a BMW R71 clone retrofitted with an electric motor. The BMW R71 is a breathtaking iconic image popularized through decades of frequent Hollywood screen appearances in addition to the real engineering breakthroughs that maintain the bike’s relevance. Still drawing on the BMW R71 original design and look, after several design iterations, the ReVolt Electric Motorcycle today is an innovation feat. When ALYI unveils the production version of the ReVolt Electric Motorcycle, it will be an industry changing event. The ReVolt Electric Motorcycle is a connected, state of the art electric motorcycle, ergonomically optimized for its target market while still maintaining an iconic look. ALYI expects to be in production later this year.

ALYI Expects To See Orders For ReVolt Electric Motorcycles Double Next Month Read More »

Scroll to Top