electric

All-electric Indian FTR 1200 might be called EFTR

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by Pradeep Shah from https://www.financialexpress.com Indian Motorcycle’s parent company Polaris used to own Victory Motorcycles and one interesting product under the collaboration was Empulse TT electric motorcycle. However, after the demise of the Victory in 2017, the Empulse saw the path to the graveyard too. As of now, it is not clear if the company would exploit the same platform as the Empulse for the EFTR. Yes, you read that absolutely right! Indian Motorcycle might be working on an all-electric version of its street tracker FTR 1200. The company has recently filed a trademark for the name ‘EFTR’ that suggests an electric motorcycle could well be under development. The trademark application doesn’t spill much information about the ‘silent’ FTR, however, it does mention ‘Electric motorcycles and structural parts.’ The FTR 1200 is a brawny and handsome looking motorcycle and hence, the EFTR is expected to follow the same philosophy as well. At present, it would be too early to comment on the specifications and performance of the upcoming Indian EFTR. Nonetheless, you can expect the bike to come with some mind-boggling numbers including astonishing acceleration time and a decent top speed too. Moreover, the bike should come with a fast-charging feature as well to offer better convenience to the buyers. In terms of features, one can expect bits like coloured TFT instrument cluster with smartphone connectivity along with multiple riding modes, dual-channel ABS and more. The Indian EFTR can be seen as a potential rival to the likes of the Harley-Davidson LiveWire. Indian Motorcycle’s parent company Polaris used to own Victory Motorcycles and one product under the collaboration was Empulse TT electric motorcycle. However, after the demise of the Victory in the year 2017, the Empulse saw the road to the graveyard too. As of now, it is not clear […]

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Lightning Motorcycles Is Working on a Fully-Enclosed Bike, Presumably

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by Elena Gorgan from https://www.autoevolution.com Californian electric motorcycle maker Lightning Motorcycles is presumably (hopefully) working on a new project, one that would considerably improve the range and overall comfort of an electric motorcycle. The project doesn’t have a name and, for that matter, hasn’t even been confirmed yet. Renderings of it have emerged with a patent filing in China, obtained by Cycle World. It’s not that uncommon for U.S.-based companies to file patents in China even before they do back home, in a bid to prevent cheap imitations. The renderings show a tear-shaped framing on what could be an electric motorcycle. They are included with the patent filed under the name of Lightning Motorcycle, with CEO Richard Hatfield named as designer. It wouldn’t be uncommon for a company (be it a car or a motorcycle maker) to file a patent for a possible product or tech they’re studying but might never release, but since Lightning has a reputation for thinking outside the box, it is assumed they’re really planning on releasing a fully-enclosed motorcycle. Cycle World notes that, in addition to the direct link to Lightning in the patent, this… thing comes in the electric blue already seen on the Strike (aka the affordable sport e-bike still pending delivery) and the LS-218 (aka the world’s fastest e-bike, now in very limited production). The slanted headlight design is another common element between the three. The shape of the enclosed e-bike suggests a driving position similar to cars, while the tear-shaped framing would improve range. As for how this thing would be able to not topple over at low speeds or when stationary, the renderings don’t offer a single clue. Extendable outrigger wheels or self-balancing technology could be used in this instance. As of the moment of writing, Lightning Motorcycles would not

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Future Of Connected, Autonomous, Shared, And Electric Performance Motor Bikes – The BMW Motorrad Way

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by Sarwant Singh from https://www.forbes.com In 2023, BMW Motorrad will be celebrating a landmark event: its centenary as a motorcycle manufacturer. But it wasn’t really the past that interested me in my interview with BMW Motorrad CEO, Dr. Markus Schramm. It was more about understanding how this venerated German brand is engaging with the future. How is it approaching the connected, autonomous, shared and electric (CASE) revolution? What plans does this standard-bearer of all things innovative have in store to negotiate the next 100 years? While the experiments of four wheeler manufacturers with CASE technologies have been well documented, there’s not been as much buzz about the progress made by their two wheeler counterparts. It was quite revealing, therefore, to get a perspective on how CASE is making motorcycles smarter, safer and (dare I say it?) sexier. In essence, we are talking of a whole new generation of bikes that weld performance, comfort and safety to take driving experiences to a completely different level. To shed light on all this and much more, I turned to the consummate industry insider: Dr. Schramm, a BMW veteran of almost three decades standing whose passion for motorbikes is evident in the way he speaks (and the number of bikes he owns!). Here are some highlights from the interview: Staying Connected “The aim of our intelligent connected motorbikes is to make motorcycling more experience-oriented, more comfortable and also safer.” Connected technologies have exploded among passenger and commercial four wheelers, enabling undreamed of new services, novel ways of engaging with the customer, hyper personalized experiences and lucrative monetization opportunities. But how are they playing out among two wheelers? “Connectivity, assistance systems and the digital services are becoming increasingly important in motorcycling,” said Dr. Schramm. “Features like emergency call (e-Call) or our other connectivity offers are

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The eRockit Hybrid Is an Electric Motorcycle You Have to Pedal for Speed

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by Elena Gorgan from https://www.autoevolution.com Who said you have to choose between an electric bicycle and a motorcycle? A German startup is offering a solid and very fun compromise they like to call “the human hybrid:” eRockit. The eRockit is part bicycle, part motorcycle and all fun. It’s an electric motorcycle that promises good performance and decent range but also uses the pedals found on the regular bicycle instead of throttle. To put in much simpler terms, this bike requires some leg work in order to move around: the more the faster you want to go. Falling under the 125cc motorcycles classification, the eRockit has already been tested on the Autobahn by stunt rider Sebastian “Satu” Kopke, and he says the fun of having to do light exercise while overtaking cars is something he’s never experienced before. “I have never experienced such a mixture of physical activity similar to cycling and this incredibly good acceleration. It’s doubling the fun!” he says. The makers are equally generous in showering this little thing with praise: “the most extraordinary electric motorcycle of today” is able to deliver an “indescribable, magical driving experience” and, at the same time, top German quality in terms of the materials used, performance and safety. It’s almost enough to make you want to go out and buy one right away. Speaking strictly numbers, though, the eRockit is basically a faster commuter electric bicycle at a much higher price. It has a top speed of 90 kph (56 mph) and a range of 120 kilometers (75 miles), with the latter largely dependent on weight of the rider and weather / road conditions. Peak power is at 22 HP from a permanent magnet synchronous motor, while the 6,6 kWh Lithium-Ion battery achieves a full charge in 5 hours. The eRockit may

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How Hamba motorcycles are empowering women in Zimbabwe

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by Faith Ikade from http://venturesafrica.com/ Mobility for Africa is empowering women in rural Zimbabwe with new electric powered motorcycles that can be used as a source of income generation. The electric motorbikes known as “Hamba” gives women the opportunity to transport and sell their goods, while saving time and effort usually spent walking to pick up household goods for their families around the district of Wedza. Shantha Bloemen, Mobility for Africa Director said the initiative is centred on women, following research done by the organization which shows that men always get priority on transport. “These are women that never thought they would drive anything. The whole intent was to focus on where the burden is greatest, but also the lowest rural women are on the lowest peg of the pyramid,” she said. Assembled in Zimbabwe’s capital city of Harare with parts made in China, Hamba is powered by a solar-charged lithium-ion battery and can travel up to around 60 miles per ride. Mobility for Africa is now in the second phase of the pilot project before it can go commercial. The project was an adaptation to a similar bike used in China and was an important tool used to reduce poverty in the country. Several households and women could use the bike to transport items from their farm to a local market. Hamba will be sold for $1,500 USD and changing the batteries at a solar-powered station costs between 50 cents and $1. However, Mobility for Africa is currently leasing the bikes to groups of up to five women for the equivalent of $15 a month, thereby making it affordable for poor women in Zimbabwe. Women in Zimbabwe can now carry farm produce to markets further away from home, offer transportation services to villagers and use the motorcycle for domestic

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Electric motorcycles made and designed in Singapore set to rev up Southeast Asia

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by Zhaki Abdullah from https://www.channelnewsasia.com SINGAPORE: Although the COVID-19 pandemic had affected their initial plans, two Singapore-based start-ups are still set on revving up efforts to produce their own electric motorbikes. This comes as Singapore relaxed its rules on electric motorcycles in April, allowing high-powered motorbikes with power ratings of more than 10kW to be on the roads as part of efforts to encourage the adoption of cleaner vehicles. The coronavirus outbreak has caused “little hiccups” in its supply chain, said Scorpio Electric’s acting head of operations Muhammad Taureza. But the brand remains on track to roll out its zero-emission, fully electric smart motorcycles, with no “appreciable delay”, he said, adding that it aims to do so by the middle of this year, or as soon as the COVID-19 situation stabilises. Scorpio Electric is a brand under Singapore-based EuroSports Technologies, which is backed by SGX-listed EuroSports Global. Since March, Scorpio Electric has expanded its premises at Teban Gardens to 7,000 sq m. The space includes offices and showrooms, as well as 4,000 sq m dedicated to a factory and warehouse. This facility is expected to produce about 8,000 electric motorcycles a year, said Dr Taureza. Although the components will be manufactured elsewhere, Scorpio Electric’s bikes will be assembled at its Singapore location, he added. Scorpio Electric chief technology officer Tham Kwang Sheun noted that making its motorcycles “smart”, with the use of artificial intelligence and data analytics, will allow them to be even more energy efficient. “That means that when you get on, the bike will actually have the intelligence to tell you how can you better plan your trips, and how much fuel consumption you’re going to use, accounting for operating conditions,” he explained. The aim is also for Scorpio Electric to extend this environmental sustainability to its production

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Hubless Verge TS Electric Motorcycle Is Here to Finnish Off Harley’s LiveWire

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Despite the increasing interest of the customers in electric motorcycles, established bike makers are still reluctant to jump on this new mobility train. Only one of them, arguably the world’s most famous, announced a mass-production electric motorcycle. That’s the LiveWire, shown by Harley-Davidson in 2019, should have been a game changer for this segment, but various issues and then a global health crisis have kind of put a dent into Harley’s plans. While the behemoth is still wrapping its head around how to move forward, start-ups are wasting no time in coming up with increasingly appealing designs. As one of the leaders when it comes to electric mobility in general, Finland is the perfect place to be for up and coming talents in the industry these days. And from Finland comes this bike here, called TS, and manufactured by a start-up called Verge. Shown for the first time last year, the TS comes to the world as a hubless rear-wheel electric bike with capabilities that should dwarf those of the LiveWire. Whereas the American machine is good for 98 miles city (158 km), the TS brings a range close to double that: 186 miles (300 km). The Finnish-build offers a 0-60 mph (97 kph) acceleration time of under four seconds (LiveWire does it in 3.5), 107 hp of power and 1,000 Nm of torque. The top speed is limited to 180 kph (112 mph). The Verge TS has a starting price of €24,990, which is the equivalent today of close to $27,000. That’s a tad cheaper than the LiveWire, which Harley sells for $29,799. For a number of reasons, the comparison between the TS and the LiveWire may not be fair game, but it goes to show that established bike makers are not really making

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Curtiss Hades Electric Motorcycle Looks Amazing

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by Mihnea Radu from https://www.autoevolution.com We hate regular concept art sometimes – here’s a nice rendering we did and a press release, now give us some money. However, Curtiss Motorcycle Co. has just built a prototype for its electric bike and it’s even more amazing than its sketches. Seriously, just look at this thing! Look at it, and then scroll to the end of the photo gallery to see the 3D model. The final destination is obviously building a bike that hasn’t existed before, purely electric and looking cool. Curtiss used to be known as Confederate Motorcycles but in 2017 decided to go all-electric and re-brand itself. Since then, they’ve basically just shown prototypes and concepts. The Hades promises to be different. It’s being introduced with some amazing specs. The electric motor is supposed to produce something like 215 horsepower and 147 lb-ft of torque (200 Nm). It’s mounted coaxially with the rear swingarm and drives the rear wheel via a belt. The battery itself is mounted in that weird rocket-like enclosure under the frame. The rose gold coating is what really sets this apart from other bikes. The battery is a 399 VDC pack with capacity having been quoted at 16.8 kWh, which would give it a higher capacity than the largest standard battery offering in the Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire (15.5 kWh). The “prototype” part of what we see here is probably the frame. Based on the concept, it’s probably going to get a carbon fiber chassis for lightness. Sounds exotic, but then this is supposed to be a $75,000+ bike. That sounds like a lot of money compared to the LiveWire, but plenty of people are willing to pay extra for custom fabrication. To their credit, Curtis are reportedly also working on a cheaper version. If it were our

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Whatever Happened to the Kawasaki J Shape-Shifting Electric Motorcycle?

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com In the very near future, electric motorcycles will become just as common as electric cars. There are countless startups working on such projects, and even giant Harley-Davidson has joined the party with the launch of the LiveWire. But there is one company that saw the potential of electric motorcycles years before all others. Back in 2013, at a time when electric cars were just beginning their ascension, Kawasaki introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show the J concept, a bike the likes of which the world had never seen before. Half a decade before Yamaha introduced the strangely shaped Niken, Kawasaki envisioned a motorcycle with two front wheels and also the ability to shorten and rise itself to suit a particular riding style. Moreover, the motorcycle was designed to be powered by an electric powertrain, something few thought about back then. The main trait of the motorcycle was that it could provide either a low riding position for high-speed motoring, or a more upright one just for cruising. It could do that by modifying the length and height of the wheelbase at a moment’s notice. The bike lacked handlebars in the traditional sense, and they were replaced by two controllers, governing each of the two front wheels. The concept looked fantastic, as you can see in the gallery above. It was of course too far fetched to actually spawn a production motorcycle anytime soon, but we would have expected at least some of the technologies previewed on it to actually make it into production. The two front wheel layout did, not at Kawasaki but over at Yamaha. The electric powertrain never made it into production at Kawasaki either – there is an electric version loosely based on the Ninja that was shown at EICMA 2019, but

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Royal Enfield Photon Electric Motorcycle Launch Price £20,000 approx.

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by Abhinand Venugopal from https://www.rushlane.com This one-off Royal Enfield electric motorcycle was made by Newtown-based Electric Classic Cars Global automotive industries have termed EVs as the future of mobility and many environmentalists (actual and keyboard warriors) are glad about it. However, an ideal balance between electric vehicles and petrol hybrids would be the best scenario if the world really wishes to cut down emissions drastically. The reason for this is that many countries still depend on coal power plants to generate electricity. Hence, a world of only electric vehicles could only accelerate emissions, indirectly. On the bright side, the push towards electric mobility has introduced an array of interesting products. This ranges from the cost-effective Tata Nexon EV we have here to high-end performance cars such as Porsche’s Taycan Turbo S. Newtown-based (in Wales) Electric Classic Cars have done something similar at a smaller yet equally interesting scale. Dubbed as the Royal Enfield Photon, the project is essentially a Royal Enfield Bullet with an electric powertrain. It’s a one-off product like most other commissioned Porsche, Land Rover or Volkswagen projects from Electric Classic Cars. Attention to detail seems to have been one of the top priorities in the EV since it does not look like a half-baked design. The uber-retro electric motorcycle is finished in a beautiful shade of British Racing Green with neat-looking Gold pinstripes against gloss black. The quilted leather seat is done in tan. Purists may argue that it has ditched the original ‘Royal Enfield charm’, but it’s often forgotten that the current line of Bullet products employs an archaic architecture — especially in terms of output-to-displacement ratio. The story could take a twist when the next-gen ‘350’ models hit the market. The Royal Enfield Photon is powered by a 12kW (almost 16bhp) hub motor coupled to

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