Green Options » motorcycle

Brammo Cuts Price On Enertia Electric Motorcycle By 33%

Christopher DeMorro — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:22:03 +0000

One hangup for a lot of folks unsure of electric drivetrains is the cost. Most electric cars are out of the price range a majority of the population can afford, at least right now. Costs will go down as the technology spreads.

Brammo is getting a head start though, dropping the sales price of their Enertia Electric Motorcycle from $11,995 to $7,995, a 33% cut in price on a motorcycle that has only just hit the scene.

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e-Motive Launches Range of Affordable Electric Scooters

Andrew Williams — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:43:26 +0000

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British company e-Motive has launched a range of electric scooters in the UK and, at prices starting from just £1399 ($2300), is hoping to kickstart a zero-emission revolution.

The e1, e3 and e5 debut models are powered by the latest electric motor and battery technology, are road tax exempt, and cost as little as one pence per mile to run.

Speaking about the launch, e-Motive Managing Director, Paul Williams, gushed, “The reliability, rideability and all-round consumer package that comes with these scooters finally makes owning and running a zero-emissions vehicle affordable, supremely practical and desirable.”

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California to Get First US Zero Carbon Motorcycle Race

Andrew Williams — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:22:45 +0000

Spectators at next years Sonoma Showdown at California’s Infineon Raceway will be treated to something they’ve never seen before - the nation’s first ever zero-carbon motorcycle race.

The Sonoma County event, known as the Time Trial eXtreme Grand Prix, will form part of the AMA Motorcycle Sonoma Showdown weekend, May 14-16.

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Mavizen Launches TTX02 - World’s First Electric Superbike

Andrew Williams — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:25:37 +0000

British company Mavizen, the outfit behind the eGrandPrix, has launched the world’s first production electric supersport bike, - the TTX02, available as a limited edition from April 2010.

The bike, unveiled on Tuesday at the SEMA Show 2009 in Las Vegas, has been called a “laptop on wheels” and is the first motorsport vehicle in the world to ship with integrated IP connectivity. It also boasts a USB based system bus that allows a “virtually unlimited” number of peripherals to extend the capabilities of the machine with plug’n’play.

According to the man behind the outfit, Azhar Hussain, “This is about giving everybody access to the best tools so they can go racing and have a stab at making history.” (More pics after the jump).

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Yamaha HV-X Hybrid Motorcycle Debuts in Tokyo

Jo Borras — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:57:33 +0000

Yamaha didn’t pull any punches at last week’s 2009 Tokyo AutoMotoShow, bringing no less than five (5!) innovative new eco-conscious motorcycle concepts to a predominantly car-centric show in a bid to monopolize 2-wheeled press coverage and establish Yamaha as the leader in 2-wheeled hybrid technology.

Did it work? Maybe!

More about the seemingly production-ready HV-X hybrid concept—including video—after the jump…

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Honda Debuts Electric Version of World’s Best Selling Motorcycle

Andrew Williams — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:39:30 +0000

Take a look at the first picture of what Honda hopes will become the future of motorbikes. The Honda EV-Cub is an all-electric version of the company’s top selling Super-Cub, and could be on sale as early as next year.

Details are scant about the new machine, but sources say that the retro looking EV-Cub will be two-wheel drive to offer riders more stability and traction.

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BMW’s Hybrid Trike Gets 120 MPG

Jerry James Stone — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:09:26 +0000

BMW’s Simple concept–which kinda looks like a Stealth Bomber with training wheels–is a hybrid trike that gets around 120 mpg.

The Simple (which stands for Sustainable and Innovative Mobility Product for Low Energy consumption) does 60 mph in just under ten seconds and has a top speed of 125 mph. The car weighs just over 900 lbs and has a super low drag coefficient of 0.18.

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Welcome to Klug City, or: How to Deliver Shrubbery by Motorcycle

Jo Borras — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:32:25 +0000

If artist and designer Jameson Klug has his way, his “City” concept might be coming to a city near you. Klug’s City starts life as a fun and exciting motorcycle, before transforming into the highly responsible and space-efficient, rickshaw-style vehicle above.

Is this a case of having your cake and eating it too? Find out more, after the jump.

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Green Speed Air-Powered Motorbike Aims to Break Land Speed Record

Andrew Williams — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:04:00 +0000

Australian engineers have designed a concept air-fueled motorbike that they claim could remove all obstacles associated with air-fueled vehicles, and smash the land speed record in the process.

The motorcycle, known as Green Speed Air Powered Motorcycle, is based on a 1970 Suzuki GP100 with pretty much everything removed apart from the frame, wheels and brakes. A compact yet powerful rotary air engine, invented by Melbourne engineer Angelo Di Pietro, runs on compressed air and is capable of revving up to an incredible 10,000 RPM, meaning the bike only needs one gear! (More Photo’s after the jump).

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Guy Builds Electric Motorcycle From Junk

Jerry James Stone — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:36:55 +0000

Tony Parker Has Built An Electric Bike Made From Junk. He Also Made A Solar And Wind-Powered Charging Station For The Bike.

Tony Parker has built an electric motorbike completely from found junk.

Why? The laid-off worker found himself with a lot of time and just began tinkering around the house.

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Ford Engineer Builds 125 MPG 3-Wheeler, Puts It On Ebay

Jerry James Stone — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:42:19 +0000

A Ford Motor Company engineer has built a 3-wheel motorbike capable of getting 125 mpg.

The fuel economy expert crafted the vehicle at his home shop in Belleville, MI. It’s a street legal, two-passenger, 3-wheel motorbike that is made from aircraft materials. Oh, and it is capable of a top speed of over 100 mph.

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Brammo Plans to Build Brand Around Enertia Electric Bike

Christopher DeMorro — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:36:20 +0000

Motorcycles are probably the softest challenge for anyone considering electric propulsion. Most bikers don’t stray too far from home, bikes are by nature lightweight, and unless you’re talking about a pumped-up crotch rocket, they don’t need to go stupid fast. The real challenge lies in marketing a bike with limited range and top speed with a high price tag, as battery technology still has a way to go in terms of affordability. But to that end Brammo, who soon plans to release the Enertia electric motorcycle to the market, has been beefing up their brand-building and marketing team by adding veteran players to their company.

Their new Director of Marketing is John Farris, who was GM’s Brand Marketing Director for the Chevy Silverado pickup truck and founder of Hardcard Holdings, a marketing consultancy who has worked with Toyota, Harley Davidson, and Red Bull among others.

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EVA Announces 2WD Diesel Motorcycle - Next Stop: Baja!

Jo Borras — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:10:12 +0000

Despite the latest advancements in automotive hybrid and flex-fuel technologies, motorcycles and scooters remain one of the most efficient ways for energy-conscious commuters to get around town. Unfortunately, there haven’t been any real “alt fuel” options open to motorcyclists. As such, despite the incredible efficiency of some 2-wheelers (my own Honda Ruckus gets over 100 mpg), motorcycles remain petroleum-dependent gas addicts. They may be sippers - rather than guzzlers - but still.

Enter Europe’s EVA, manufacturers of the Track T800CDI diesel motorcycle - a bike so full of exotic features and new technology that I’m almost at a loss for words … almost.

Specs and pictures of this amazing machine available after the jump.

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Mission Motors Intros The World’s Fastest Production Electric Motorcycle

Nick Chambers — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:31:41 +0000

Mission Motors, an electric vehicle start-up from San Francisco, has chosen TED 2009 “The Great Unveiling,” as the venue to introduce itself, and it’s first production vehicle, to the world.

The all-electric Mission One sportbike promises a top speed of 150 mph and a 150 mile range — rivaling the stats of gasoline powered sportbikes. Additionally, the bike features a recharge time of less than 2 hours using a 240v outlet. It’s currently scheduled for delivery in 2010.

Aimed at the high-end/luxury market, the company states it is the “first production electric sportbike that features uncompromised performance and an iconic new design.” With a design by the legendary Yves Béhar of fuseproject, indeed, the Mission One is a gorgeous beast.

More images after the break…

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College Students Build Hydrogen Fuel Cell Motorcycle

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:13:37 +0000

Lots of college students complete a thesis or final project, but few can claim to have finished something as impressive as the hydrogen fuel cell motorcycle built by Swarthmore College seniors Alex Bell and Andres Pacheco. The enterprising duo built the motorcycle in an attempt to evaluate the viability of a hydrogen economy by studying real-world data— specifically, by testing the efficacy of hydrogen fuel cells, internal combustion, and battery propulsion.

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Vectrix Vx-1 Electric Vehicle Unveiled at International Motorcycle Show Long Beach

Derek Markham — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:01:37 +0000

Not everyone attending the motorcycle show this weekend is looking for a Harley or a fast sport bike. They’re not all looking for powerful bikes with lots of flash. Some of them are commuters looking for ways to save money and maybe even lessen the environmental impact of their driving.

And they’re in luck.

At this year’s Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach, scooters get their own section, the Scooter Pavilion.

One electric vehicle company, Vectrix, is debuting their 2009 model of the Vx-1 this weekend, a highway-capable scooter with tons of style. The Vx-1 has a top speed of 62 mph, and a 35 to 55 mile range.

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KTM Producing Off-Road Electric Motorcycle

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 20:06:33 +0000

While this week’s news of an upcoming self-balancing electric unicycle was certainly exciting (and strange), KTM’s announcement today about its electric off-road motorcycle may be even better. The company claims that it has produced a quiet motorcycle prototype with up to 35 horsepower and the ability to run for 40 minutes on a lithium ion battery without recharging.

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UK University Demonstrates ENV, World’s First Hydrogen Powered Motorbike

Andrew Williams — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:11:40 +0000

Earlier this week, a team of scientists at Loughborough University demonstrated the ENV, the world’s first ever hydrogen-powered motorbike (video).

Instead of a standard fuel tank, the ENV (short for Emissions Neutral Vehicle) contains an onboard fuel cell that can be filled with hydrogen in just three minutes. The cell then converts the hydrogen to electricity, enabling speeds of over 50 mph, and a range of 100 miles, with no emissions except warm air and water.

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Prometheus Demonstrates Solar-Powered Electric Motorcycle

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:33:10 +0000

This past weekend, Prometheus Solar founder Jim Corning demonstrated his proof-of-concept electric motorcycle at the Santa Monica AltCar Expo. The motorcycle is a reconstructed Ninja 250 that uses four solar panels which provide 800 watts of power.

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340 mph Bullet “Car”

Max Lindberg — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:09:11 +0000

Well, it could be a car, or a motorcycle, but its designers have decided to call it a Road Streamliner.

The vehicle, tagged the Acabion GTBO has the power-to-weight ratio of a Formula One car, and can reach 300mph in 30 seconds. The Swiss maker says it could be in production and on the road in three years.

I wonder whose roads he’s talking about.

There’ll also be an electric version of this bomb, expected to reach a top speed of 300mph, the epitome of high-speed, low-emission transport, according to the designer.

It won’t be cheap, right around £1.5 million.

Source

Press Release

Electric Motorcycle Readies For Launch; Brammo Adds Industry Leaders to Executive team

Ashland, Oregon, May 1, 2009 –Brammo, a start-up manufacturer of electric vehicles, set to launch the Enertia, the first motorcycle in their lineup has added three industry leaders to its executive team. These staff additions bring deep knowledge and experience in brand building, channel development, operations and electric propulsion from the transportation and technology industries.

Brammo has hired John Farris as the Director of Marketing. Farris, a passionate motorcycle enthusiast, was a Brand Marketing Manager for GM’s Chevrolet Silverado, the Vice President of Commercial Development for AMA Pro Racing and a Founder of the leading motorsports marketing consultancy, Hardcard Holdings, whose clients included Toyota, Harley-Davidson, BMW, Vespa, Red Bull and may others. At Brammo, Farris will lead marketing, brand development and communications.

Adrian Stewart, who joins Brammo as the Director of Channel Development, will lead the organizations retail strategy and manage the business relationships necessary to grow the Brammo brand. Stewart brings extensive global management and leadership experience in high technology, finance and startup internet organizations including IBM, Kleinwort Benson and Dresdner Bank.

Roger Gerson joins Brammo as the Electrical Engineering Manager and will head up the electrical engineering function on the Enertia as well as future Brammo products. Gerson comes to Brammo from Vectrix Electrics where he was instrumental in launching production of the Vectrix Maxiscooter, one of the early entries to the electric vehicle market. Roger’s past associations include; iRobot, Brooks Automation, Avidyne, and Safe Flight Instrument Corporation. Roger earned a BS-Engineering from Northwestern University, and an MS-Engineering from Boston University. Roger is a bicycle and motorsport enthusiast who enjoys 2-wheeling, 4-wheeling, and sledding.

“The expertise of these new team members positions Brammo for industry leadership and will help us to accomplish our goals of helping create a new transportation segment that is both environment friendly and fun,” said Craig Bramscher, CEO of Brammo. “We’re looking forward to the opportunities ahead for the EV market and to driving sustainable innovation with this team.”

Brammo is actively hiring to further grow its team. Please see www.brammo.com for more information.

About Brammo

Brammo (www.brammo.com) is a premier specialty vehicle manufacturer developing sustainable performance products for the next generation of transportation. Through integration of digital engineering and high impact design, Brammo transforms ideas into compelling products. Located in Ashland, Oregon the company was founded in 2002 and is a privately held.