In 2015, Victory bought out Brammo Motorcycles—a small yet advanced electric motorcycle company. The company subsequently released its Victory Empulse motorcycle, and promised some big advancements down the pipeline. Those promises became hollow when in January of this year Polaris announced that they were closing Victory Motorcycles for good. But don’t worry,the future is still bright for electric motorcycles.
Motorcycling Is Getting a New Spark!
In the past, electric motorcycles have struggled to catch on in the motorcycling industry. Their multiple advantages, no maintenance and tons of torque have been overshadowed by issues with range, but that is changing.
The 2017 line-up for Zero Motorcycles boasts a whopping 200-mile range thanks to advances in battery technology, and other manufacturers are starting to ramp up. Chinese start-up Evoke Motorcycles has just signed a contract with Foxconn—an Apple and Samsung supplier—to manufacture its new eBike, the UrbanS. It isn’t offering the range of Zero Motorcycles, just 124 city miles, but it will offer a sport bike style electric motorcycle at a cheaper price point.
Another electric motorcycle maker that is making waves is Alta. Its Redshift MX is the electric equivalent to a 250cc motocross racer, but it has a few advantages over a traditional bike. It doesn’t stall, it doesn’t require as much maintenance, and it can take a crash better than its gas-driven counterparts. The Redshift is about 50 lbs. heavier than most dirt bikes, but the electric motor is powerful, and it can ride for about 4 hours of spirited trail riding.
With more Chevy Bolt, Tesla, and Prius electric vehicles becoming more common, electric motorcycles might bean inevitability. However, will these vehicles meet the demands of everyday riders? Well, you can bet that the attorneys that ride at the Metier Law Firm will keep an eye on this developing segment of the industry to find out.