Enertia e-bike wheeled into shops
Electric two-wheeler available to buy
Leccy Tech US firm Brammo has finally put its Enertia e-bike on general sale.
Brammo's Enertia: available to US buyers for $11,995
Although currently only available in Brammo’s native North America, the e-bike carries a price tag of $11,995 (£7,400/€8,600). US buyers will be able to deduct $1,199 (£740/€860) from the price, though, due to the 10 per cent Federal Plug-In Tax Credit.
As for the Enertia’s features, you’re looking at a clutchless twist-and-go e-bike with a 45 mile range and a top speed of over 55mph. The e-bike can also scoot to 40mph in just a fraction under six seconds, Brammo claimed.
The bike’s grunt comes from a 13kW (18bhp) electric motor connected to a 3.1kWh battery pack. A full re-charge from a domestic wall socket takes around three hours, added Brammo.
If the Enertia looks familiar it’s because Brammo entered two of the e-bikes into the recent Isle of Mann TTxGP. One of the pair ran with a customised race tune, but failed to finish.
The second Enertia – which ran with an 8.1kWh battery pack - came home third. It also covered the TT course at an average speed of 75.3mph, a speed that’s sadly well beyond the capabilities of the basic retail version now available to buy.
However, Brammo’s inked plans to launch a new bike partly based on the race technologies used in its two TTxGP Enertias. Although the firm has said relatively little about the configuration of either bike – aside from the 8.1kWh battery pack, the upcoming model will feature an uprated battery pack, electric motor and improved suspension. It’s due to be announced before the end of 2009. ®
COMMENTS
Ego Street Scooter
Looked at this, more sensible price, but, they can't even guarantee the battery for a year.
Battery guarantee is 8 months or 3000km which at their no doubt exaggerated range claim is about 50 charge/discharge cycles. Would you buy a vehicle where the most expensive component needs to be replaced 2 or 3 times more often than the oil in a conventional car?
Batteries are really expensive (financially and environmentally) low density energy containers which need frequent replacement. A tin can to hold chemical energy is vastly cheaper, lasts for ever and has much higher energy density. We have been developing and trying to make better batteries for decades, there are no revolutions just round the corner.
Leccy vehicles are doomed to niche markets which can put up with their limitations and benefit from irrational tax breaks.
Must be heavy as hell
A 2009 Honda CBF 125 (which I'd see as a competitor) will do 70mph with only 11bhp, plus get 100mpg if Honda can be believed. It's also available second hand for about £2k.
I agree that 'leccy vehicle designers have to get over the whole "bleep bleep, I'm an elcrical thing from the FUTURE" message and make bikes and vehicles that look like existing ones if they want this to go mass market. Tesla have the right idea with their Model S.
Badgers indeed.
Re: Sir Clive Sinclair
Well, he might be, except he's not dead.
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