Brammo Raises $10 Million for Kickass Enertia Electric Motorcycle
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada 
on 09.23.08
Enertia Electric Motorcycle
Brammo has just raised $10 million from investors that include Best Buy Capital (will we see electric motorcycles in Best Buy stores?) to move forward production on the Enertia electric motorcycle. It's a bit similar to the Zero X lithium-ion electric dirt bike, except that it's a road bike.
Read on for more technical details on the Enertia electric motorcycle.
Technical Details on the Enertia Electric Motorcycle
The Enertia gets 45 miles per charge, comes with GPS and is WiFi-enabled (?!), with the goal of helping you calculate your carbon savings. At 3.1 kWh, the Enertia's battery contains more than twice as much power as the NiMH battery pack in the Toyota Prius.
At it’s quickest setting, the Enertia will sprint from 0 to 30 mph in 3.8 seconds, and 0 to 40 mph in 5.8 seconds. Top speed is 50+ mph, and it takes about 3 hours to recharge the battery.
The cost is about $15k if you want the first batch of bikes (around Q3 2008), or $12k if you can wait until later. Around 100k people have already expressed interest via Brammo’s website, but who knows how many of those will actually buy. Some people will probably wait for Honda and Yamaha to make electric motorcycles in 2010-2011...
The above was on Brammo's website. It's a bit misleading since it calculates MPG based on cost and not on actual energy used, but even if they did that, the MPG figure would probably be very high.
Via PEHub, AutoblogGreen
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I like it. Not sure which I prefer between this one and the Zero x, though. Guess a road version of the Zero X might be a bit better.
Blah. I like the Zero bike. This bike is ooogly, heavy, and has useless gadgets. Not to mention that it is being priced for the economically elite. We need a solution for the masses, not toys for the wealthy!
But, can you shift?? I mean a motorcycle without shifting? Is that the future of electric is just automatic. I drive a standard so i pay attention to the road. I just hope we can have some 5speed and 6speed electric cars and bikes.
I have to agree with "dizil". Must have a manual.
dizil: there is no need for different gear ratios in an electric motor, since they provide (practically) full power and torque at low RPMs, unlike gas engines.
that's cool looking! I would buy one if I had $12K sitting around. I just wish it got a little better range, and could fit 2 people.
price is high
top end is low
acceleration is faster than necessary
range is pitiful.
Yes, these will sell in sufficient quantity to make it viable.
I also think that the price is a bit too high, but it will go down. As a technology, electric drive is far simpler and cheaper to build than an ICE. Batteries probably make up a large portion of the cost in this thing, so initial price tag is excuseable.
Still, EV screams of DIY conversions and kits. I think that market has far more potential than is currently offered
I hope it's going to have an artificial engine noise; if it runs silently I think we might see some accidents...
Might capture some wealthy university students, but no one who has ridden a motorcycle in the past 50 years would tolerate such miserable performance.
Call me when the bike can do 0-60 in about 3 seconds.
It's way too expensive, even at $12k, for what amounts to a child's toy. I'll take 3 Vespas for that price please!
I'd rather have the Zero. It cost less, weighs half as much, can go in the dirt, has better performance. Can't wait till the street legal version hits the street.
THat bike is fugly.
Not worth the money : try www.electroglidecalifornia.com for a 55mph 75 mpcharge $4000 /400lb moped-motorcycle
nerd carrier
have a harley sporty custom
hope add harley king street glide
endless road! crome! loud! women!
if harley comes out with a green machine it will meat the above requirements i will know about it.
ps. forgot to mention, that seat are you kidding?
The Enertia is a little odd looking, but growing on me. The spec are ok, I guess. Wi-Fi capable... ha, that's interesting. Hey, why not!