Firstly, thank you Charles for your report on Brammos offering.
I do agree with Randy that there is a place for this product both at present and in the future with issues such as fuel prices, global warming and sustainability being held high by a large portion of potential customer throughout the world.
However I believe Mark (Q to his friends at MIB) raised a valid point in one of his condemning posts. Not that of the cheapness of petrol powered motorbikes, because they emit CO2. But the fact that once the larger corporates enter the market a company like Brammo has to, like Ariel, have something very very special.
What's more is US manufactures will have to compete against Indian and Chinese produced products.
There are already 100s of electric motorcycles and scooters available from China. To see some click
HEREHere's an example of an existing Japanese prototype that claims a top speed of 93mph and a range of 112 miles.
The picture links to a YouTube video of the bike.
The accompanying blurb with the video says:
A Japanese vehicle manufacturer unveiled the prototype of a new electric motorbike carrying a hybrid magnetic motor, which can run almost noiselessly up to 180 kilometres (112 miles) on one charge. Tokyo-based Axle Corporation says that the battery of the next-generation electric vehicle motorbike can be charged at home, in the same way as a cellular phone. It takes a little over 6 hours to fully charge the battery, and the vehicle's maximum speed is capable of reaching 150 kilometres per hour (93 miles per hour).
The company says the futuristic motorbike enjoys high energy efficiency thanks to a state-of-the-art magnetic motor which is a hybrid between a electromagnet and a permanent magnet. The new motor, called SUMO, short for "super motor," is housed inside the bike's rear wheel. The manufacture says the new motor is seven-times more cost efficient than gas-powered scooters.
Daisuke Ito, a professional racer who test rode the EV-X7 prototype, said it could potentially replace machines we now see in motor races. "I just feel that in the near future, we'll be seeing these kinds of electric motorbikes running all around town. And when that happens, conventional vehicles could disappear from motor racing, too, and well be competing only in electric vehicles."
