Most everyone has heard about the growing number of electric cars. But how many realize that there is also a two-wheeled electric revolution going on as well? From full-sized motorcycles to scooters of all shapes and sizes, two-wheeled transportation is changing just as fast as the four-wheeled kind.
There are a number of new companies such as Zero, Alta, and Enegica making and selling electric motorcycles today. Several of the traditional motorcycle manufacturers are also saying that they plan on getting into the field. Harley Davidson, Indian, and Victory all claim to be working on electric motorcycles. Some of the current and planned offerings are very competitive with traditional gas-powered motorcycles. The Lightning LS-218 is reported to have 200 brake horsepower and 168 lb/ft of torque. That is enough to give it a zero to 60 mph time of 2 seconds and a 218 mph top speed! There is even an offroad/motocross bike from Alta; the Redshift SM.
Electric scooters abound as well. Vespa, Bolt Mobility, and Gogoro (and many others) are selling street-legal electric scooters around the world. Again many are very competitive with their gas-powered counterparts, both in terms of price and performance. A company called Scutum is even making a model, marketed to police departments; that can carry up to 390 pounds. One California startup (genze) is developing both an electric scooter and an electric bicycle.
In a unique synthesis of electric transportation and ride-hailing, several companies are experimenting with basic electric scooters (think of a child’s foot-powered scooter with an electric motor and battery pack) that people can easily rent to go short distances in major urban areas. E-scooter rental is viewed by some as a “last mile” solution to get people from mass transit hubs to their ultimate destination, and by others as a lower polluting alternative to using Uber or Lyft to get around in the city.