Top five electric motorbikes of 2019
Could now be the time to make a noise about electric motorbikes? Trusted names like Harley-Davidson has invested $825m in them, Triumph has announced its partnership with British brands for an electric project, while brand-new manufacturers have entered the motorbike scene for the first time with battery-powered two-wheelers. We discuss whether this could power a new revolution on two wheels.
Electric bikes come in various forms, from scooters to off-roaders, tourers and road bikes. The Footman James team look at the current crop launched in 2019, with their performance, prices and most importantly, expected mileage range and specifications.
Harley-Davidson LiveWire
Harley-Davidson’s getting ready for late-summer deliveries of the LiveWire, presumably putting its electric bike investment into action. In true Harley fashion, the team has made the most of the electric powertrain and its instant output, so it’ll go from 0-60 mph in 3 seconds. It has also used a clever battery storage system of lithium-ion batteries surrounded by a finned, cast-aluminium housing, which helps give the LiveWire a 140-mile city range and it can be fully charged in an hour.
£28,995
Energica Ego
The brand say it’s building the first Italian street-legal electric motorcycle. Like the Harley-Davidson, which this bike is in direct competition with, it’ll do 0-60 mph in 3 seconds but doesn’t have the Harley’s 1-hour charge time, instead taking 3.5 hours to complete a full charge. Its 107 kw (145 hp approx.) motor will propel the bike and rider to a top speed of 150 mph and it comes with two options of lithium-ion batteries.
£24,999
Zero SR/F
Zero’s a ‘new’ brand (compared to competitors) looking to revolutionise the way we get around on two wheels, both on the open road and in congested cities. Its invested heavily and has been working on bikes and their development for the past 13 years, using over £193 million in funding.
The new 2019 Zero SR/F will go for 200 miles (with a power tank upgrade, available as a cost option from Q3 2019), will charge fully in 1 hour 20 minutes (Premium 1 hour) and produce 110 hp from its ZF75-10 motor and lightweight lithium-ion battery. It has cutting-edge Bosch stability control, can reach 124 mph and has connected comms on and off the bike. It looks like a great option and the brand said it expects to sell more electric bikes per year than any of their competitors combined. Bold words.
£18,490
Vespa Elettrica
View this post on Instagram#VespaElettrica obviously joins the light side ?? #Vespa #Maythefourth #StarWars
There’s no doubt that the Vespa brand is iconic. The quintessential Italian scooter is famous on street corners, on screen and can be found in every major European city. So, the decision to produce an electric version is one that’s sparked debate. The brand says it’s a new way to get around the city and it has a range of 100 km (62 miles) from its 4 kw-powered engine, but takes up to four hours to charge. Journalists have already driven it, with reviews now online, but you can only pre-order online or with dealers, it’s not available for immediate delivery yet.
£6,499
Super Soco TC-Max
Yes, it has one of the longest names on our list, but don’t let that put you off. It’s styled to look like a modern café racer, it can do 62 mph and has a 60-mile range. While you can use most of those 60 miles in an hour, the Super Soco TC-Max is designed to be a little like the Vespa and used around the city. The brand makes a point of saying it can be used in water – we think to bust myths about electric bikes being used in the rain – and is also dust proof. It’s got three modes to use its electric reserves properly, whether you’re conserving power or using the bike for performance.
£3,999
If this is the future, we’re glad there’s the same amount of choice with petrol-powered motorcycles as there is with ones running on electricity. It does make us think that if there’s a rise in manufacturers offering bikes powered by electricity, could it mean that we also see a trend of converting internal combustion engine bikes to alternative fuels, a bit like classic cars?
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