Tag Archives: energica

Motorcycle News, News

Energica Really Wants Americans to Purchase Their Bikes

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A Formal Partnership With Westlake Financial Services to Offer Dealer Financing Options

I’m just going to come out and say it… For me, Energica is close to being the MV Agusta of the EV motorcycle world. Their designs are insanely beautiful and also pretty darn expensive, but until EV motorcycle tech comes standard from most OEM manufacturers, it’s up to smaller companies like Zero and Energica to blaze the trail that leads these torque-monsters into our home garages.

How can Energica make it easier for someone like me – without $25,000 – to get an Ego into my garage? Dealer financing. 

Not only is this going to make it easier for potential buyers to bring one home, but the deal also offers a break for dealerships which will help them brunt the burden of keeping current stock on hand during all of these troubling times with Covid-19 stunting many in-store sales at their current 11 US dealers.

It took the company the first 8 weeks of 2020 to match their 2019 sales, meaning the brand should be gearing up for trench-warfare level sales for 2021 if things go according to plan.

Energica is reportedly expecting major demand next year for these motorcycles projected by their successful pre-order numbers in January, but strong sales continued to solider onwards through February leading them to the impression of these motorcycles being a big deal in a (hopefully) post-COVID 2021.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Recharge electric motorbike in 5 minutes

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A Canadian company is working on battery technology that will recharge an electric motorcycle in about five minutes without reducing battery life.

The discovery by GBatteries is a potential boost for electric motorcycles and other vehicles as recharging time, not range anxiety, is the biggest hurdle.

Harley-Davidson claims its LiveWire electric motorcycle can be recharged to 80% in about 30minutes using DC fast chargers.

Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycleHarley-Davidson's electric LiveWire short circuit minutes
LIveWires on DC fast chargers

Recharge in minutes

However, this process degrades the battery, shortening its life.

Now GBatteries has discovered a process where micro pulses of power will charge batteries quickly without any degradation.

They have filed for 45 patent applications, with 10 patents granted and 28 pending. 

“Our mission is to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, by eliminating the final barrier of charge time and enabling electric vehicles to charge as fast as it takes to fill a tank of gas,” the company says.

“One hour isn’t what we call fast. We’re pioneering technology that will enable electric vehicles to charge as fast as it takes to fill a tank of gas.”

How it works

GBatteries isn’t developing new materials or changing battery chemistry. Instead it is working on new software and hardware.

Their ChargeSense software uses artificial intelligence to create a complex series of small charging pulses and learn about the state of the battery as it charges to avoid degeneration and overheating.

electric garage fire energica
Fast charger causes a fire in the Energica garage housing MotoE race bikes

This also prevents overheating which recently caused Harley-Davidson to temporarily suspend production of its electric LiveWire and sparked a fire which destroyed all the Energica MotoE racing bikes earlier this year.

It is not the same as recent Deakin University research which makes lithium-ion batteries smaller, lighter and less likely to burst into flame.

GBatteries’ hardware consists of off-the-shelf components with their own “architecture” to generate exact engineered pulses at high frequency.

But don’t get too excited just yet.

GBatteries say it could take up to seven years for their technology to become commercially available.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Energica eases electric range anxiety

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If range anxiety is the biggest hurdle for electric motorcycles, Italian company Energica, who supplies the bikes for MotoE, may have the answer.

Their new Ego and Eva have a larger battery with up 400km (250 miles) of range.

Now that’s a substantial amount and it should ease any range anxiety you might feel about electric motorcycles.

As far as we can see it’s the best on the market beating Zero motorcycles with 360km if you use their optional Charge Tank which costs an extra $US2295.

2020 Energica Eva Ribelle
2020 Energica Eva Ribelle in the city

Range anxiety

However, Energica’s quoted 400km range is for city riding only.

As we know, regenerative braking helps replenish a battery, so stopping and starting actually provides more range than a steady throttle. It’s the opposite of petrol-powered vehicles.

Read all about the electric vehicle range hoax here!

Out on the highway, Energica’s range drops to 230km (143 miles) which is still pretty good, but may not ease some people’s range anxiety.

However, they don’t say at what speed that is. You certainly won’t get that far if you are doing their rated top speed of 200km/h!

If you buy or have access to a DC Fast Charger, it will charge to 80% in 40 minutes, which is fairly standard across most electric vehicles.

On fire!

electric garage fire energica
Energica garage explodes in flame

Meanwhile, Energica is still reeling from the fire earlier this year that destroyed their entire fleet of MotoE race bikes.

The fault was found to be in an overheating charger that wasn’t even plugged in.

Harley-Davidson last month embarrassingly, but temporarily, pulled the plug on its electric LiveWire production over the same issue after one charger overheated.

Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycleHarley-Davidson's electric LiveWire short circuit
LIveWires on DC fast chargers

Energica models

Despite the issues with chargers, these Energica electric bikes certainly look fantastic.

They’re not yet available in Australia, but they would cost more than $A30,000.

That’s still about $14,000 less than Harley’s LiveWire is expected to cost when it goes on the market here late next year.

It comes with a mix of Marzocchi forks and Bitubo shock, with Bosch brakes and full-colour TFT instruments.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

MotoGP, Motorcycle News, News

Fire destroys electric race bikes

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A fire that destroyed 18 Energica electric motorcycles for the upcoming MotoE series at five MotoGP events this year has inflamed concerns about electric vehicle fires.

The cause of the Energica blaze has not yet been determine. It could be a fault with the vehicles, an accident, or even arson.

However, electric car company Tesla has been plagued by instances of their cars bursting into flame.

Some have caught on fire in a crash, while others have ignited while being driven or being charged.

Electric fire Tesla
Tesla goes up in flames

Electric fires

Electric vehicles fires can be caused by impact, short-circuits, power surge, excessive discharge or heat.

They also cause special concerns for fire fighters.

Lithium batteries are obviously made with lithium which is highly flammable and stored in mineral oil.

While it is not toxic, it can cause nausea, diarrhoea, dizziness, muscle weakness, fatigue and a dazed feeling.

Electric vehicle and battery fires can also release sulphuric acid, carbon monoxide, copper and cobalt.

Fire fighters can’t douse the flames with water as the high voltage can cause an electric shock or electrocution.

Instead, they have to disconnect the power supply (usually an orange plug) and contain the fire to let it burn itself out.

Energica fire

Energica Ego race bike for electric MotoE World Cup adventure slicker electric bike race
Energica Ego electric race bike for the MotoE World Cup

It is now suspected the MotoE series, which was to start in May, will be delayed.

The incident occurred at the Jerez Circuit in Spain during the second full test for the Energica Ego bikes ahead of the season starter at the circuit in May.

No one was injured in the blaze, but a lot of gear, tools and computers were also destroyed.

MotoE is known as the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup and has 11 teams with 18 riders.

(Fire images from electrek.co)

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com