Electric Motorcycles - Saying Goodbye to Potato-Potato

[linabu]

Electric motorcycle are coming sooner than later, and so will the rumble be replaced by a soulless sound???
http://rumbum.com/1552-saying-goodbye-to-potato-potato

[eye.surgeon]

I think the time frame during which electrics will replace the internal combustion engine in motorcycles will be measured in decades. So I'm not worried about it. Besides my Wee engine sounds more like an angry sewing machine than potato-potato

[shaklee909]

I say Bring'm on!
I don't ride to make noise. I know some do, but I like the fact that when I pulled up to the house, yesterday my wife wasn't sure if she heard me.
I like exploring our parks in a quiet mode. I like being able to sit in the quiet and not have it disturbed by Patato-Patato.
I like the idea of cleaner air and as solar panels become more efficient and affordable this will be a reality.

But that's just me.

Steve....

[Old Surf Dog]

You can always clothespin a baseball card to the spokes!

[bosozoku]

Originally Posted by eye.surgeon

I think the time frame during which electrics will replace the internal combustion engine in motorcycles will be measured in decades. So I'm not worried about it. Besides my Wee engine sounds more like an angry sewing machine than potato-potato

Yuppers...

Consider this: there's no way with any real-world hardware that an electric bike would be able to participate in a Pashnit tour: it'd be parked on the sag-wagon before lunch on the first day.

In the right situation, the electrics will have their uses, but there's a lot of life to be had in the ICE.

[CRASH]

This comment is made in the article and gets brought up a lot:

"How about standards that determine the shape and size of easily swappable batteries. A network of swap stations is built--perhaps gas stations start offering this service--and you pull in and an attendant removes your current battery and drops in a another that is fully charged."

Unfortunately most of what sets an electric vehicle apart from others is Intellectual Property surrounding the battery and storage solution. THAT is what will determine range ultimately (and the next set of billionaires). Tesla's battery solution is very unique - and patented - don't expect that they will give up that advantage anytime soon. Something has to be standardized to resolve the "refuel" issue, but at least in the foreseeable future - where the best storage solution makes the most money for the investment firm - it will not be standardization of batteries.

Electric vehicles will first dominate the cities where short drives and limited mileage is the norm. Take note that the US is far behind many other countries in that arena already.

[Darth Lefty]

The battery pack swap thing is what they're doing in Israel. http://www.betterplace.com/

[CRASH]

Originally Posted by Darth Lefty

The battery pack swap thing is what they're doing in Israel. http://www.betterplace.com/

Darth,
That is a good read. I have heard of A Better Place before and they are working on a variety of charging solutions.

I see on that site shows it opens first electric vehicle demonstration center in February of this year in Israel, but actually "doing it?".

I do see where it is in the middle of a Taxi trail in Tokyo (an excellent application and the data they post is pretty impressive). That to me is more impressive than a demo station and shows how they are vetting their design. They have a pretty decent list of "partners" and investors too.

I have been working around start ups for about 10 years now and have to say that I don't believe more than half of what one puts into the media. That being said, if these guys can deliver half of what they claim it woudl be pretty impressive.

We are still decades from acceptance and infrastucture that will accept the EV as the sole means fo transportation for anyone that expects to leave an urban area. But, you have to start someplace, right?

[Darth Lefty]

Israel seems like a good location for Better Place because it is small, affluent and isolated. (Where is your average Israeli citizen going to drive outside of Israel?) The whole place is about two hundred miles long and in places only a dozen wide. A station at every major highway node and a GPS in the car that can find them linked to a system that tells you when you need them is plenty sufficient. If it's successful you can do it in places like Taiwan, Singapore, etc...

But I don't see it catching on in the USA. Too far to drive, too many stations needed, no competition to force improvement and prices.

[jdgretz]

Somehow I don't see it happening in Los Angeles where my drive from the Valley to LAX (25 miles) can take as much as 2 hours during "drive time", and a quick trip to Santa Barbara and back is beyond the capacity of any EV currently available, and let's not even talk about taking a trip to Solvang, Pismo, or San Francisco in the EV.

When they can make it work around here, I'll sign up. However, I suspect it will be my children or grandchildren who will get that opportunity.

jdg