Electric Motorbikes Lead the Way
Cary de Wit
Cars are the transport option many of us think of when hydrogen fuel cells or electric vehicles are mentioned in the media. However motorbikes are likely to precede cars in this technology.
In many areas motorbikes have led car technology by years. Now new age motorbike manufacturers are again pushing the technology lead. Although progress is being made with cars too, motorbikes are moving much faster.
There are now several electric rechargeable motorbikes for sale in the US and by 2005/06 we will have many more varied products including fuel cell motorbikes in Australia.
One of the best advantages of electric motorbikes over electric cars is the power. Being heavier, the cars need to conserve limited battery power and often have slow acceleration and small ranges. In contrast, some of the latest electric motorbikes accelerate faster than their petrol counterparts. This makes a strong case for someone considering a new bike as everybody wants more power lately.
Electric motorbikes also have lower running costs: some estimate around 25 per cent lower, and this could get higher as electric technology improves. Maintenance costs for electric technology are generally around 70 per cent lower.
Another benefit is the range per charge which is up around 100km. This means the daily commute to work and back can now be made on a single charge. Recharging your electric motorbike is as simple as plugging it into a power point. A large non portable charger will charge your motorbike in under two hours, portable chargers take an hour or two longer. The idea of never having to stop to fill up with petrol is another huge incentive as time wasting has often been associated with electric powered vehicles.
It is not commonly known, but petrol powered motorbikes typically produce three times the carbon monoxide pollution of a diesel truck and 10 times the hydrocarbon emissions of a normal car. So every time an electric motorbike is sold instead of a petrol one, the pollution of 10 cars is off the road.
For the rider, ease of parking, no gears and regen stopping power (generating instead of using power to brake) all enhance the experience of riding an electric motorbike. In the future electric motorbikes and fuel cell motorbikes may lead the way in clean transport.
