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Electric motorcycles have less and less distance per charge as the battery wears out. The achievable trip per full charge degrades over time until it reaches a point where the battery must be replaced to achieve a pragmatic distance again.
In the USA, Internal Combustion cars, trucks, and tractors only completely displaced horses & mules in the 1940s, when the internal combustion vehicles finally became cheaper to buy and maintain than horses & mules, buggies & wagons. In the USA, Steam locomotives were replaced in the 1950s by Diesel-Electric locomotives, once the diesels became powerful enough and economical enough to replace the steam-powered locomotives.Those changes happened because the technology and economics made it happen. On their own. No subsidies.
Don't single out electric transportation for scorn.
Overall cost is a fuel vs battery thing. How much does the fuel cost over the ownership period vs how much does a battery pack replacement cost. Not there yet, IMHO.
What should be happening is a standardization of the battery pack voltage and physical dimensions/connections. Then you could buy a vehicle now and in 5 years get a "modern" pack to replace it. The 'bonus' to this might be a battery swap stations instead of charging stations. Stop at the station, swap discharged battery for charged one, pay small fee, and go. But, right now too many companies want to make themselves the "one to follow" instead of being compatible.
The 'bonus' to this might be a battery swap stations instead of charging stations. Stop at the station, swap discharged battery for charged one, pay small fee, and go.
At some point we'll have "flow" batteries, in which you drain the discharged battery fluid and top off with fully-charged fluid. Then recharging will be very much filling up with gasoline (except for the extra step of draining). That would dramatically affect the design of the bike, of course. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_battery
Zero might be the bike to buy for your average guy...But the Lightning LS-218... Dear God I want one of those. 200HP, 168 ft lbs of torque...Everyone who rides one nearly craps their pants when they go anywhere near the throttle, that would be worth every penny to blow away all the gas bikes and electric naysayers. It's interesting how much most people hate on electric bikes when most of them have never ridden one before. I'd like to see MotoGP let electric bikes compete directly against the gas bikes and see who comes out on top.
In fact when I worked five miles from home, when I didn't feel up to using the bicycle, I commuted on this: That's a 48-volt golf cart motor with lead acid batteries, in a Yamaha frame. It weighs a manageable 210 lb. It's still sitting in the garage and some day I might put lithium batteries in it, when they are cheaper.
Right now, I have the Guzzi for touring, the BMW for day trips into the mountains and pottering around town, and the scooter for grocery runs and popping over to the hardware store. A competent electric bike could easily replace the Beemer and the scoot. If I were still working, an electric bike would be my commuter. In fact when I worked five miles from home, when I didn't feel up to using the bicycle, I commuted on this: That's a 48-volt golf cart motor with lead acid batteries, in a Yamaha frame. It weighs a manageable 210 lb. It's still sitting in the garage and some day I might put lithium batteries in it, when they are cheaper.