How mid-power electric motorcycles are a game changer for new riders
The motorcycle industry has long stood at the crossroads of tradition and innovation. While roaring engines and iconic designs have been the pride of the past, the future holds the hum of electric powertrains. Until recently, the electric revolution largely focused on creating the fastest, most powerful electric bikes, often sporting equally hefty price tags. However, the emergence of medium-power electric motorcycles has ignited a new spark in the two-wheeler universe, one that promises to bring more new riders into the fold.
Electric motorcycles offer several benefits that are hard to ignore. They are clean, efficient, and feature significantly fewer moving parts, which helps them require less maintenance than their gas-powered counterparts. However, the eye-watering prices of high-power electric models have long kept them out of reach for many potential motorcyclists. Energica makes amazing machines, for example, but few are ready to part with $25,000 for a motorcycle that likely won’t be their primary vehicle.
Enter the medium-power segment – bikes that prioritize practicality over sheer power, offering an ideal blend of performance and affordability. Many of these middle-weight electric motorcycles eschew the triple-digit mile per hour limit, instead focusing on top speeds in the 70-85 mph (112-137 km/h) range, sufficient for highway travel while not requiring the same massive motors and batteries as flagship e-motos.
Price is a significant deterrent for many when considering a shift to electric vehicles, whether four-wheeled or two. While the dream of owning an electric car remains elusive for many due to their premium cost, medium-power electric motorcycles present an enticing, cost-effective alternative. With advancements in battery technology and production efficiency, these bikes offer the thrill of electric riding without burning a hole in one’s pocket.
Flagship electric motorcycles still lead the pack, but their price tags have priced out much of the younger market full of new riders. Zero recently dropped its premier models’ prices to just below US $20k ahead of its 2024 model year release, while LiveWire and Energica both offer flagship rides starting just above that US $20k mark.
A new wave of mid-power electric motorcycles, such as the $8.5k CSC RX1E, the $9k Ryvid Anthem, and the $7.3k Kawasaki Z e-1, are bringing never-before-seen accessibility to the electric motorcycle market. Models that bridge the gap, such as the more powerful $12k Zero FXE and $15.5k LiveWire S2 Del Mar put riders closer to flagship performance while still significantly undercutting the price tags of flagship high-power electric motorcycles.
From e-bikes to e-motorcycles
The market for mid-power electric motorcycles is expanding as more people discover the world of electric two-wheelers. A surge in electric bicycle ridership has put more Americans on two-wheels than ever before. A unique segment of that market in the US includes larger, heavier, and more powerful electric bicycles that have begun to blur the lines between bicycles, mopeds, and light motorcycles.
While traditional modest power electric bicycles are potent transportation alternatives in their own right, many riders have become bike-curious about motorcycles after getting their first taste of powered two-wheelers from e-bikes. Light and mid-power electric motorcycles allow riders to upgrade to higher speeds and power levels that get them out of the bike lane and onto major roads, enjoying similar benefits of efficient electric bicycle transportation while adding the higher speed advantages of car travel on major roads and highways.
Widespread benefits of mid-power electric motorcycles
But the benefits of the new wave of lighter electric motorcycles go far beyond riders’ wallets. The broader implications of a surge in medium-power electric motorcycle adoption are immense.
Urban centers around the US, and in fact around the world, grapple with the chokehold of increasing traffic congestion. It’s a problem exacerbated by an increasing number of cars on the road, making inefficient use of public space.
Motorcycles, given their compact size, have always been a solution to this issue. They can wiggle through traffic, require less parking space, and can ride two or three vehicles wide in slow-moving traffic to make better use of crowded urban street space. By opting for electric two-wheelers, new riders not only reduce their own carbon footprint as well as eliminate harmful emissions that would be breathed in by those living in cities around them, but also contribute to easing urban traffic gridlock.
Furthermore, there’s the overarching theme of environmental responsibility. As the world races to limit its carbon emissions, transportation remains a critical sector to address.
For those unable to afford an expensive new electric car, medium-power electric motorcycles present a tangible way to participate in the green revolution. New riders can take pride in their reduced environmental impact, all while enjoying the unique sense of freedom that only a motorcycle can offer.
Sure, a brand new electric car would be nice, but many young adults can’t afford a $30-$50k purchase. An $8k electric motorcycle gets them rolling in a more efficient electric vehicle that urban residents will likely find more enjoyable.
While the allure of high-powered electric motorcycles is undeniable, it’s the medium-power segment that may hold the key to widespread adoption.
By offering an affordable, eco-friendly alternative to both traditional bikes and cars, they have the potential to reshape urban landscapes. If we genuinely hope to nudge more people towards sustainable transport options, then championing the rise of medium-power electric motorcycles is not just preferable – it’s essential.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
In a joint statement, French and German economists have called on governments to adopt “a common approach” to decarbonize European trucking fleets – and they’re calling for a focus on fully electric trucks, not hydrogen.
France and Germany are the two largest economies in the EU, and they share similar challenges when it comes to freight decarbonization. The two countries also share a border, and the traffic between the two nations generates major cross-border flows that create common externalities between the two countries.
At the same time, the EU’s transport sector has struggled to reduce emissions at the same rate as other industries – and road freight in particular is a major contributor to harmful carbon emissions issue due to that industry’s heavy reliance on diesel-powered trucks.
And for once, it seems like rail isn’t a viable option:
While rail remains competitive mainly for heavy, homogeneous goods over long distances. Most freight in Europe is indeed transported over distances of less than 200 km and involves consignment weights of up to 30 tonnes (GCEE, 2024) In most such cases, transportation by rail instead of truck is not possible or not competitive. Moreover, taking into account the goods currently transported in intermodal transport units over distances of more than 300 km, the modal shift potential from road to rail would be only 6% in Germany and less than 2% in France.
That leaves trucks – and, while numerous government incentives currently exist to promote the parallel development of both hydrogen and battery electric vehicle infrastructures, the study is clear in picking a winner.
“Policies should focus on battery-electric trucks (BET) as these represent the most mature and market-ready technology for road freight transport,” reads the the FGCEE statement. “Hence, to ramp-up usage of BET public funding should be used to accelerate the roll-out of fast-charging networks along major corridors and in private depots.”
The appeal was signed by the co-chair of the advisory body on the German side is the chairwoman of the German Council of Economic Experts, Monika Schnitzer. Camille Landais co-chairs the French side. On the German side, the appeal was signed by four of the five experts; Nuremberg-based energy economist Veronika Grimm (who also sits on the National Hydrogen Council, which is committed to promoting H2 trucks and filling stations) did not sign.
You can read an English version of the CAE FGCEE joint statement here.
Electrek’s Take
MAN Trucks’ CEO famously said that it was “impossible” for hydrogen to compete with BEVs, and even committed to building 200 hydrogen-powered semi truck to prove out that hypothesis.
He’s not alone. MAN’s board member for research and development, Frederik Zohm, said that the company is the one saying hydrogen still has years to go. “(MAN) continues to research fuel cell technology based on battery electrics,” he said, in a statement quoted by Hydrogen Insight, before another board member added that, “we (MAN) expect that, in the future, we will be able to best serve the vast majority of our customers’ transport applications with battery-electric trucks.”
With companies like Volvo and Renault and now Mercedes racking up millions of miles on their respective battery electric semi truck fleets, it’s no longer even close. EV is the way.
SOURCE | IMAGES: CAE FGCEE; via Electrive.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
GE Vernova has produced over half the turbines needed for SunZia Wind, which will be the largest wind farm in the Western Hemisphere when it comes online in 2026.
GE Vernova has manufactured enough turbines at its Pensacola, Florida, factory to supply over 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of the turbines needed for the $5 billion, 2.4 GW SunZia Wind, a project milestone. The wind farm will be sited in Lincoln, Torrance, and San Miguel counties in New Mexico.
At a ribbon-cutting event for Pensacola’s new customer experience center, GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik noted that since 2023, the company has invested around $70 million in the Pensacola factory.
The Pensacola investments are part of the announcement GE Vernova made in January that it will invest nearly $600 million in its US factories and facilities over the next two years to help meet the surging electricity demands globally. GE Vernova says it’s expecting its investments to create more than 1,500 new US jobs.
Vic Abate, CEO of GE Vernova Wind, said, “Our dedicated employees in Pensacola are working to address increasing energy demands for the US. The workhorse turbines manufactured at this world-class factory are engineered for reliability and scalability, ensuring our customers can meet growing energy demand.”
SunZia Wind and Transmission will create US history’s largest clean energy infrastructure project.
Read more: The largest clean energy project in US history closes $11B, starts full construction
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports12 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway