Electric motorcycles were once a rarity in the two-wheeler industry. But these days there are so many new models from a wide range of manufacturers that you’d have to go out of your way to avoid them. Fortunately for those in favor of progress, we actively seek them out. And these are the electric motorcycle news stories that you guys liked the most. You voted with your clicks, and these five stories became the biggest of 2022.
Harley-Davidson selling out its newest electric motorcycle in 18 minutes highlights pent-up demand
The bike is expected to begin making deliveries early next year, though I got an early test ride on the bike this Autumn to see how the S2 Del Mar performs.
I was shocked to see that instead of being a toned down LiveWire One, it had nearly the same acceleration as its big brother. With a 0-60 mph time of around 3.1 seconds, it was ferocious off the line.
Cruising around New York with a mixture of city and highway riding gave me a feel for the bike’s handling in various scenarios, and I’m more pumped than ever for its upcoming release.
TS Bravo is the latest low-cost electric motorcycle with the specs and price to upend the industry
There’s a chance you haven’t heard of this electric motorcycle, which would be fair since it is only starting to spread around Europe now.
The TS Bravo from Alrendo is a Chinese electric motorcycle built for the Western market. Its Eastern assembly means it can undercut the pricing of many major name-brand bikes, yet may actually offer better specs than many of the middleweight electric motorcycles you’re familiar with.
The European price is €11,200 (approximately US $12,300) including 20% European VAT, meaning the price may vary slightly from country to country depending on local VAT tax rates. The TS Bravo is available across the EU, as well as in Switzerland, Russia, Norway, and Israel. But Alrendo isn’t stopping there. As the head of Europe Connor McRae explained to Electrek:
There are several South East Asian countries we are entering at the moment, and we are in final talks for the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
On the specs side, you may be surprised by what the TS Bravo is packing. For example, the bike has a massive 17.4 kWh battery. That’s enough for 438 km (272 miles) of range at city speeds of 50 km/h (31 mph). At mixed city/highway riding averaging 80 km/h (50 mph), the TS Bravo has a reported range of 278 km (172 miles). And at faster 120 km/h (75 mph) highway blasting, the bike can still achieve an impressive 160 km (100 miles) of range.
As a commuter-level electric motorcycle, the top speed of 135 km/h (84 mph) won’t be the sportiest on the road. Daily commuters should find it to be plenty though since few riders require higher speeds on their way to work.
The TS Bravo is powered by a mid-mounted motor rated for 11 kW continuous and 20 kW peak. The water-cooled motor uses a Gates carbon belt drive and is capable of operating more efficiently at higher-power levels due to its improved cooling, which is part of the reason it can better maintain its peak power levels compared to air-cooled motors.
This is definitely one to keep your eye on.
Exclusive: Ryvid Anthem unveiled as revolutionary new affordable electric motorcycle in the US
Ryvid’s electric motorcycle is novel in a number of ways, from a striking new look to an innovative folded metal frame and even a seat that can be raised and lowered while riding by up to 4 inches (100 mm).
The light electric motorcycle is commuter-ready with a top speed of around 75 mph (120 km/h), meaning this is more of a getting around town type of bike than a canyon carver. It can still reach highway speeds though, making it ideal for everyday riding.
The low mounting point of the 7.5 kW continuous-rated and 13.5 kW peak-rated motor keeps the weight lower on the bike, as does the low-slung 4.3 kWh battery pack. The entire bike weighs around 240 lb (108 kg), which is already quite light for an electric motorcycle, but the low center of mass makes the bike feel even nimbler. And with 250 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheel, the Anthem takes full advantage of that electric motor.
Much of the Anthem’s weight comes from the 65 lb (29.5 kg) battery pack, which is removable for charging off of the bike when necessary. The battery removal process is quite ingenious, as unlocking it from the bike causes the battery to lower down onto a set of built-in wheels for easily rolling into an apartment or office building.
When returning the battery to the bike, the case of the battery locks into a fulcrum in the bike’s housing to lever up into place. That means the rider never supports the full weight of the battery.
Charging the battery on a typical home outlet will take 3 hours on 220V or 6 hours on 110V. An optional on-board charger instead of a separate brick charger is currently in the works but won’t be available at launch. If you have a ground-level outlet, such as in a garage, you’ll likely never need to remove the battery. But for anyone that lives in an apartment or lacks access to an outlet, the ability to roll the battery indoors, up and elevator and into your apartment or office to charge is a nice feature to have.
The Ryvid Anthem claims a range of 75 miles (120 km) in Eco mode or 40-50 mile range (64-80 km) in Sport Mode without the regenerative braking turned on. Mixed riding is likely to fall somewhere in the middle of those two figures.
I had the chance to test ride a Ryvid Anthem prototype a few months ago, which you can see in the video below. The experience was incredible and showed me just what a potent urban assault bike the Anthem truly is. From cruising PCH to slicing through the streets of Irvine, the Ryvid Anthem took me on a tour of LA to show off both the city and the bike’s abilities.
SUPER73 unveils new 75 mph light electric motorcycle
SUPER73 is best known as an electric bicycle brand that builds moped-inspired e-bikes. They may have functional pedals, but these aren’t your ordinary, everyday e-bikes. SUPER73 has a fiercely loyal community of riders that take bike culture (and customizations) to the next level.
This light electric motorcycle is designed to fill the gap between high-power electric bicycles and larger electric motorcycles. CEO LeGrand Crewse described it at the launch as the “natural evolution of a SUPER73.”
The smallish size and 31″ seat height puts it closer to a Honda Grom than a full-sized street bike, and the lower diameter 15″ wheels should keep it fairly nimble.
The bike will also be lighter than full-size electric motorcycles as well, as the company says it has a “target weight of under 300 lb.”
The C1X features a mid-mounted motor, though the company has not yet released a power figure for the motor. SUPER73 did say that it should get riders up to a max speed of “over 75 mph,” or at least 120 km/h for anyone keeping track across the pond.
SUPER73 opted for a chain drive on the C1X, so don’t expect this to be a silent electric motorcycle. Unlike most e-motos that use belt drives, chain-driven electric motorcycles tend to have a bit more chainsaw sound than motor whirr.
There’s no word yet on how large the battery pack on the SUPER73-C1X is, but the company claims it can eke out a maximum city range of 100 miles (160 km).
We also don’t know exactly when the bike will come to market, but it’s already begun low-speed testing ahead of an anticipated “late 2023” production commencement.
Yamaha reveals fresh-looking new design for an electric moped, plus new e-bikes and scooters
Yamaha hosted a large unveiling event as part of the brand’s new “Switch ON” campaign to showcase its electric vehicles, surprising many in the industry with the number of vehicles that Yamaha ultimately rolled on stage.
The eye-catching truss frame creates a step-through bike that fits nicely in the electric moped category with its large street tires and mid-mounted electric motor tied to a pedal drivetrain.
In fact, the bike looks so good that it even conjures up memories of another recently revealed electric bike, the Fantic Issimo.
As it turns out, Yamaha appears to have partnered with Fantic, resulting in the Issimo finding its way onto Yamaha’s stage adorned with a new Yamaha badge.
Whatever it’s called, the bike certainly embodies a fresh new electric moped design to challenge many of the same old recycled moped designs we’ve seen over the years.
Yamaha floated specs of up to 45 km/h (28 mph), making this a speed pedelec in Europe (similar to a Class 3 electric bike in the US).
It definitely sounds like Yamaha plans to bring the B01 concept to life. As President of Yamaha Motors Europe Eric De Seynes explained:
“Its future will become true sooner. We will start the production of this vehicle within one year, beginning in 2023.”
It’s hard to say what motor and battery Yamaha plans to put in the B01.
The Fantic Issimo came with a Bafang M500 mid-drive motor in the urban version of the bike, and the company paired it with a 630Wh battery. Yamaha very well may want to use its own brand of motor instead of opting for a Chinese alternative like Bafang, but that remains to be seen as the B01 works its way towards production.
What’s coming next in 2023?
You can tell by the most popular electric motorcycle stories of the year that there was a huge amount of variety in this year’s major electric motorcycle unveilings.
At the rate the industry is moving, who’s to say what we could see in 2023? There’s only one thing for sure: Electrek will be there to cover the news first as the premier EV website, bringing you all of the latest stories on the most interesting new electric two-wheelers.
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Tesla and Rivian have been embroiled in a lawsuit in which the former accused the latter of having stolen battery technology by poaching Tesla employees.
It sounds like the two automakers are finally about to settle the lawsuit, which has been going on for 4 years.
When Tesla filed the lawsuit, it wasn’t clear what trade secrets Tesla was claiming Rivian had stolen. However, we noted that the employees listed in the lawsuits were two recruiters, an EHS manager, and a manager of Tesla’s charging networks.
The automaker claimed that these employees brought “documents consisting of highly sensitive trade secret, confidential, and proprietary engineering information” when they went to work for Rivian.
Over a year later, we now learn that Tesla had notified the court that it expects to file to get the lawsuit dismissed after reaching a conditional agreement with Rivian. The company didn’t disclose the details of the settlement (via Bloomberg):
Tesla didn’t disclose specifics about the agreement in a court filing, but told a California state judge that it expects to seek dismissal of the case by Dec. 24 upon satisfactory completion of the terms.
Neither Tesla nor Rivian have commented on the reported settlement.
While Tesla has claimed that it somewhat open-sourced its patents, we have previously noted that it’s not exactly the case. Tesla claims to let other companies use its patented technology as long as they themselves don’t sue them over patent rights.
And in this specific case, Tesla alleges that Rivian has specifically hired employees to steal technologies. Again, Rivian has denied the allegation.
Electrek’s Take
The terms are unknown, but in similar cases, it often involves things like some level of access to make sure that no proprietary technology is being used or has been used.
The lawsuit is not exactly clear, but based on the timeline and the allegations of “next-gen batteries”, Tesla could have been talking about its 4680 battery cells, although those are cells. It could also be the structural battery pack.
French infrastructure specialists Proviridis have partnered with EVSE manufacturer Kempower to deliver a novel, underground charging solution for electric semi trucks designed to easily integrate into existing truck depots.
By installing its high-powered charging cabinets underground and integrating the charging cables into a solid metal pipe, Kempower and Proviridis have been able to make room for high-powered charging points in an existing truck depot that didn’t have enough space to install either conventional EVSE or overhead “drop lines.”
For the pilot, the metal pipe is painted in a striking yellow color to make it easier to see while maneuvering the lot, and keeping the dispensers themselves more protected than conventional concrete bollards. The 600 kW power cabinet is positioned a few yards away – a typical space-saving Kempower solution – and connected to the charge points by underground cable.
Proviridis believes their solution provides enough of a competitive advantage that fleet buyers looking to electrify will be eager to give it a try.
“The product is durable across a wide spectrum of temperatures and conditions, requires minimal ventilation, and can cater for a wide range of customer needs,” explains Olivier Verdu, Technical Director at Proviridis. “These are features which perfectly place the Kempower solution for this type of charging configuration in a logistics environment.”
In honor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, eBike specialist Buzz Bicycles is offering an exclusive discount for Electrek readers on its Centris Class 2 Folding Bike.
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Buzz Bicycles is back with an exclusive new deal
Buzz Bicycles has been a mainstay on Electrek for a few years now, as we have covered several of its electric bikes, which suit riders of all skill levels and help them “Buzz through life.” Buzz is an omnichannel eBike brand that prioritizes direct-to-consumerism and has found success in its mission to deliver ultimate transportation solutions at an excellent value for its growing base of eBike enthusiasts.
The company strives to deliver riders a “Wow moment,” which is usually brought on as they feel the pedal assist function kick in. This feature delivers all you need to conquer hills and longer rides while enjoying new adventures with friends.
The Buzz team has utilized decades of industry experience into its portfolio of eBikes, all conceived and designed in Dayton, Ohio. The company, which operates under the United Wheels umbrella alongside brands like Huffy Bicycles, Niner Bikes, and Batch Bicycles, has adopted an ethos that the freedom of riding should be fun and accessible for everyone, no matter what adventure lies ahead.
By leveraging the global presence of its parent company, Buzz Bicycles can make good on its promise to deliver affordable eBikes that are comfortable, powerful, and safe, much like the Centris Folding eBike, which is as versatile and compact as it is fun. The exclusive deal Buzz Bicycles is offering on the Centris makes it even more fun. You can take advantage of it below.
But first, you’ll want to learn about the capabilities of this foldable eBike to truly understand its value, as well as what accessories are available to level up your purchase.
The Buzz Centris is an easy to ride foldable eBike for all
The Buzz Centris is a Class 2 Folding eBike built for comfort and convenience no matter where you take it. At full size, the Centris’ step-through frame offers a low step-over height of just 16 inches, perfect for riders of all sizes, enabling easy transitions from ground to saddle for its riders.
When you’re not riding, the Centris from Buzz Bicycles folds neatly to 34 inches in length and 22 inches in height, making it easy to store at home or to carry in a vehicle on the way to your next ride. Furthermore, the assembled bike only weighs 68 pounds, making it easy to transport.
You can easily navigate tougher terrain on the Centris thanks to the eBike’s 20″ x 4″ knobby tires and front suspension. The bike is powered by a 48V, 500-watt-hour (Wh) battery pack that can propel it to a top speed of 20 mph for an all-electric range of up to 40 miles on a single charge.
Additionally, this folding model from Buzz Bicycles comes equipped with both a front and rear rack, offering versatile cargo-carrying options so you can customize your ride with a variety of Buzz accessories.
Like all Buzz eBikes, the Centris is tested and deemed compliant with the UL2849 standard. This standard covers the entire electric bicycle system, including the motor, battery, controller, and charger, offering the highest safety standards for added peace of mind.
The Centris Class 2 folding bike from Buzz is available in two colors: Gloss White or Matte Black. This $1,199 eBike is currently reduced to $899 – and you can score an additional $200 off with this exclusive promo, but only for a limited time.
With the purchase of any Buzz eBike, including the Centris, you are guaranteed the following:
10-year limited warranty (lightweight aluminum frame protected for full 10 years)
2-year limited warranty (electrical components covered by 2-year warranty for peace of mind)
6-month limited warranty (additional bike components protected by a 6-month warranty)
Are you interested in the Centris from Buzz Bicycles? You’ve come to the right place. Starting today, while supplies last, you can take advantage of an additional $200 off the sale price by using promo code “ELECTREK200.“ That’s a $500 discount in total!
We highly recommend perusing Buzz’s entire lineup of products. They are designed for commuters and casual riders, with technology and features that help you quickly feel comfortable riding. If you are new to the world of E-transportation, Buzz Bicycles is the brand for you.
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