Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle now available
By Laura June 
posted Jul 7th 2009 9:41PM
posted Jul 7th 2009 9:41PM
The Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle -- which we took for a joyride around the streets of New York City last month -- can now be yours, as it's officially on sale. The eco-friendly bike has a horsepower rating of 13.7, with torque at 31 ft/lbs, and weighs about 280 pounds. With a top speed of about 50 miles an hour, the bike's got a 45 mile range before needing a 3 hour recharge. It's not the most powerful of motorcycles to be sure, but it's got plenty of style, and it can be yours for about $12,000.
[Via Coolest Gadgets]
[Via Coolest Gadgets]
45 mile range? Rly? I'll stick w/ my 45mpg honda that i can actually take places
I doubt you are even considering a motorcycle in the first place, but how about a 80mpg motorcycle that has a decent range... like a Ninja 250?
I just picked up a Suzuki Bandit 600S for 1/6th the price of this, and it gets three times the distance per tank of gas.
Which only costs me $10 to fill.
Oh, and the top speed of my Bandit? Well, I've never opened 'er up, per se, but the previous owner took it up to 115mph without any strain on the engine.
50mph? That's not even highway legal. I pity the person who shells out that kind of money for something like this.
It may not be suitable for everyone, but 45 miles is enough for my entire weekly commute.
@Galley
you, sir, should just walk and spend the $12g on things like a good pair of shoes and a hat.
The cool hunting article says 55mph, and the Enertia site says 50+. Chances are, it is highway legal. I personally wouldn't take it on a highway, but that's besides the point.
It'd be nice if it was some sort of hybrid so I can gas it up in places I can't charge.
It is nice, it's excite bike
Even if it had a 300mile range before a charge the 3 hours wouldn't be worth it. I have a naked bike that will get 70-90mpg.
If you're getting a 20mpg fluctuation, you may want to get that checked out. Just sayin'.
May be only 10 but it doesn't matter, depends on how you ride your bike or car. My Northstar Fiero will get 19-35 mpg.
What kind/year is your naked?
twelve grand is ridiculous
50mph top speed, 45 mile range and a $12,000 price tag......PASS!
At under $3,000, I could see it being worthwhile, but they're selling small Vespa scooters around here for less than that, and they are don't have the range limitation.
I may be trolling, but that engine (in an STS) gets a max fuel efficiency of 26mpg. I'd love to know how you get 35mpg out of it in your Fiero. I don't care if you put a Northstar on a bicycle, it won't get 35mpg. It's a V8.
Regardless, this is worthless chatter without pictures. Let's see this beast.
(@"Anticrawl")
It's a heavily modified Fiero with a northstar pulled out of a new wrecked caddy. People with less knowledge of the car and computer won't be able to squeeze out the fuel economy I have out of my engine. The Northstar engine can easily be rated at 35mpg+ highway my friend. Ed Price and I built my car together on a trip to visit him, ya know before he went all crazy these last few years. He's an old man.
I have three Fiero's right now, a floor model 1986 GT Black I got from an old man in Minnisota with only 20k original miles (going to my sister when she gets a driver's license), a 1986 SE Red Fiero with a Northstar mod that needs interior work (mine) and a 3.4L DOHC V6 Fiero 1988 Formula Fiero (which is now my fathers, a birthday gift.) Out of the three the Northstar easily has the best fuel economy, but the 3.4L DOHC has a new exhaust system and really makes the ground crack when it cranks. Thinking of swapping the stock floor model's 2.8L stock with a 3.4L pushrod engine from a Camero (it is a straight conversion with only minor mods, a weakend job). To the point, Fiero's are my thing and I know them as good as anyone.
That does sound like a very interesting technical/mechanical feat - but dude, it's a Fiero. Quite possibly one of the worst cars of the 80's and of all time. No amount of upgrades will negate that fact.
wonder what that engine would be like in a car thats actually cool
Wouldn't it make more sense to style it like a scooter/moped? Why make it look like a real motorcycle that can actually go if it can only to 50 mph?
The license plate holder/rear fender set up looks horrible. It looks like an afterthought. You cant even use it as a place to hold a bag. Anything placed on that shelf would block the tail light completely.
They all come like that from the factory. What they should've done is photograph the bike without the license plate holder. The first mod people usually do to their bikes is remove that PoS.
Brammo's site says "up to 45 mile range" and "top speed of 50mph". My question is what is the actual range at 50mph? at 30mph? When these companies fail to list the speed at which it gets listed range, you can be SURE it isn't anywhere near the top speed.
If I could get 45 miles at 45mph, I might be interested. Vectrix let me down, sounds like Brammo did too.
You would be interested? Really? Why? How about a BMW 650 GS, same price, 45+MPG? Range of about 200 miles. Why anyone would consider this at this price, is beyond me, unless you just want to 'stand out' from the crowd.
If it was around 1500 bucks, maybe then, but not at 12K.
if these guys even sell 4 of these godforsaken hunks of wasted r&d and marketing dollars at $12,000 a pop plus tax, i'll go buy a hat and eat the whole thing.
Jezoos... what's with all negativity?.. It's a new tech, so yea, there will be very few first adapters. Anyone remember what the plasma TVs cost when they first came out or if they could do full HD res?.. It's great that there's an effort to change things around, so I think these guys at least deserve a pat on the back.
A pat on the back saying it was a nice try.
Unfortunately they need to go back to the drawing board, $12k is far too much for far too little, somebody just needs to build a modal t of electric cars/motorcycles...
For the power and range I'd pay about $3000. It's first gen tech so it is what it is. Looking forward to more in this field though.
Sweet looking bike. Too bad it's completely impractical. I think I'll wait a couple years when there's one that will get me more than to the liquor store and back.
The majority of america doesn't travel more than 45 miles on their daily commute.
This could reduce your transportation costs quite significantly. It's also one of the first consumer electric bikes. It's a first step people, it's sad to see you guys being so negative. It will take time, but eventually we will get electric motorcycles that get 300+ mile range, that will have the acceleration and performance of 600cc and 1000cc super bikes, that charge in under a minute. These things will come with the advancement of the electric bike tech and the advancement of battery technology. Even the big boys are jumping on board, Honda and I think Yamaha are releasing their first consumer electric bikes in 2010.
Yes, but again, it's 12 grand, there's no way that makes sense. And the majority of people travel on the highway where the bike can't go. (with out being run over)
motorcycle / moped what ever they call l this thing.
This has got to be the poster child for the futileness of electric vehicles today. Everything is right about the design pertaining to the engineering and you can see the result. no power, no range, long charge time, for a large amount of money. People batteries need to be at least 4X better than the are right now in either speed, range, or price. I'd like to see a break down of the actual emissions from a power plant to power this thing compared to $3k-$4k 100mpg scooter. If you get one of these thinking you are saving the human race some how you are a complete idiot.
say you buy your power from a renewable energy source. then your emissions go to zero.
The energy to pollution ratio of electric powered vehicles powered by fossil fuel powerplants is much much lower than scooters and motorcycles, especially since motorcycles and scooters don't have catalytic converters. And even if they did, the power plant energy would still produce less emissions. Great job with your poor assessment though.
First of all, motorcycles already get incredible gas mileage compared to cars so if you're gonna make an eco-friendly or economical motorcycle, it'd have to be really impressive to be worth it. Which this is not. And I don't know if people realize that $12,000 is how much you spend on a bike if you're going to get a brand new 1000cc sports bike like an R1. So however much money you might save on fuel by using this bike isn't going to cover how much this thing costs considering if you use a bike for economical reasons then you're probably riding a $4,000-$6,000 bike or bought a used one for $1,200 like me. And this bike can neither go fast enough to be on the highways I take to work or actually make the distance to work and back for me.
I'd consider getting a hybrid motorcycle but electric doesn't really make sense. Besides the limited speed and range, 80% of electricity in this country is generated from coal so you're basically going from burning gas to burning coal. If it had solar panels that flipped out while it was parked that'd be pretty cool.
Well if your looking at "eco-friendly", motorcycles really aren't a great choice anyway because despite having a 2-3x fuel economy improvement, they also have 10x more NOx emissions than cars.
I think what many people are overlooking is the fact that this thing does not ever need to visit a gas station. Imagine being able to refuel at home - never needing to stop by the station on the way home from work. This bike looks like a great solution for someone who has a short commute or that lives in the city. Economically it is hard to justify dropping 12k on something that that will only save most avg joes a little over $2k a year, but the convenience is well worth it for me.
"This bike doesn't help me so it sucks." Chah.
If you want to compare this bike to a petrol bike, you might as well compare it to the first bikes that used petrol engines. Of corse after years of development those engines are faster and have better range. This is one of the first electric production bikes and as such is a stepping stone towards better models. So to pay it out and say its crap cause you can getter cheaper better petrol engine is just stupid. How fast can a petrol bike go with no petrol? And how many harmful emissions do they produce?
I for one can't wait until a few versions down the track when these bikes will kick there outdated counterparts in performance and power. But until then, this will do nicely.
Wow, what's with all the negativity? I think it looks sweet.
I live in a city, space is limited for another car, I live 2 miles away from work, I don't think $12k is too much ... I would seriously consider this if it was ever released in the UK.
I guess if you're broke and/or commute 45-60mins to work like a sucker, this isn't for you.
moral of the story, in5ane makes more money than your sorry ass. ok i get it. obviously there are people with alot of money to throw at stuff just to be the first ones to use it like the poor schlubs that spent $600 to have the iphone when it first came out. the price is somewhat understandable cuz brammo obviously would like to see a return on this puppy sooner rather than later, but come on. they're charging a little less than half of the cost of a (slightly used) prius that gets 50-60 mpg, goes alot faster than 45 mph, and is a car. meanwhile, you can get a 2006 ninja 250 on craigslist for $2000 which also is better than the brammo in every way. as far as being green, coal is responsible for about 55% of electricity generated in the u.s. which also gives off dirty emissions so you're not completely circumventing the problem.
The negativity comes from the fact that there is no good reason for this thing to exist. It's very slow and has terrible range....and it's very expensive.
People keep saying it's a first gen, stepping stone, etc. That's all well and good, but it still doesn't excuse the fact that the twelve thousand dollars you'll shell out for this will buy you a very poor commuter.
I guess if you're used to setting your cash on fire and like to ride something that's barely a motorcycle, this is for you.
Not all of us live in an Island nation where everything is close. Sorry to hear that those who commute are broke, typically it's the opposite here in the US.
I commute 60 miles each way to work, but in doing so I am able to live outside the city, on a 10 acre lot, where I can make as much noise with my automobiles as I desire. I recently setup a 1/8 drag strip using my driveway (930ft including shutdown, full NHRA tree, timing cones ect), obviously something I can't do in a city. I work primarily as an engineer for the Nielsen TV ratings company, but I race in one of the NMCA divisional classes, so I need to have a place close by I can test the cars (and places to run against real bikes in the cobra).
This would definitely be pretty cool for someone in the situation of a 10 mile each way commute. I would like to see some usage numbers of what it costs to charge this thing fully, especially in a place like FL where the power cost goes through the roof during the summer time, due to the extremely humid climate.
Then again, anyone commuting >20 miles a day, really isn't spending jack on their commute in the first place, and I doubt this bike would last long enough to actually generate any savings, if you take into account the initial purchase cost.
However, like everyone else said, it's first gen tech. There were a lot of Lt1 Corvettes before they came out with the Z06 (our c5 z06 has a 405 hp v8 and can get 30 mpg highway if you keep your foot out of it).
I didn't mean for it to come out like it did, my point was this bike will not suit everyone, but I think it'd suit me.
As for commuting, I just couldn't give up a couple of hours out of the day travelling to/from work, that's why I think long commutes are for suckers :)
@In5ane
Buy a Vespa for 2150 Pounds or $3500; Send me 10% of the $8000 savings as a consulting fee; you look cooler, get better mileage, and save 4400 Pounds. Everybody wins!
It may be way too expensive considering how short a range it has, but the one good thing about it is that it's quiet. My main gripe against motorcycles in general (other than their often wreckless drivers) is that they're VERY loud.
It is good to be a wreckless driver if you're on a motorcycle.
^ the bigger wheels of a motorcycle and riding position allow for better handling and safety compared to a scooter. Besides it look pretty cool.
I don't get it. How do they expect to sell these things? They are ugly and cheap looking... no style whatsoever. They have no range, and take too long to charge. To top it off they charge 12K for it... that's simply too much.
If it had better distance and top speed plus about a 6-7grand price I'd be more interested
the distance is ok the price is the show stopper !!!!!! its not for every one .....
The trouble with electric motorcycles is that they are trying to replace already efficient vehicles. This isn't really a motorcycle, but more of a scooter equivalent. A 125--150cc 4 stroke scooter gets 70-90mpg, does 50mph and has over twice the range.....all for under $3000. I just don't see this as a compelling reason to switch at 4 times the price.
If was the same price as lets say a 250ninja. would you consider it?
I wonder how the product management meeting went?
PM: What have you got for us Mr. Beloa Vridge
BV: I've designed a motorcycle that runs on electricity, is more expensive to drive than its gas counterparts (even Harleys), tops out at just below average highway speed, can almost make it 50 miles before needing to be plugged in for 3 hours, and is targeted at a demographic that's afraid of road rash.
PM: Sounds like a winner! Go to market
Umm, the Zero X street bike does 60mph and a 60 mile range for $2000 less....so what's the appeal of this bike.
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-s-specs.php
An electric moped that looks like a motorcycle for 6x the price it is worth? Yea sure sign me up for 10, I can park them next to the Segway PT's.
My primary transportation is a 08 Kawasaki Ninja 650R(ER-6n/f), it gets about 45mpg riding in heavy traffic and cost about $7k for bike/t/t/l, oh yea it tops out at 150pmh and has the power to lift the front wheel from 1st to 3rd gear.
This thing is pretty cool when you see one in person. I am a custom bike designer and I hate to say it but it is interesting. I was impressed with the design...not like any scooter I assure you. Anodized frame and carbon fibre body...you won't find any Vespa like that my friends. And although I am not as techy as most the idea of adjusting the range and speed based on data provided through a Wi-Fi while the bike is in the garage and you are in your house....well that is cool. I personally still prefer my custom bagger and there are still only 2 colors in my world, Black and Chrome, but I kind of like this thing.
Come on folks....can you say "Carbon Footprint?"....save a whale.....hug a tree.
Agree with Privet that most folks are being needlessly harsh on the Brammo.
True, it is probably too expensive for many would-be buyers, but there are lots of urban commuters who would probably love the convenience, the zero-emissions and the early adopter elements of buying one.
(And as for 80% of U.S. electricity coming from coal, I think someone just pulled that number out of his hat. The first stat I found from a respected source - PBS - indicates that only 50% of U.S. power comes from coal - http://www.pbs.org/now/science/coal.html. That's still a high percentage, but it probably varies dramatically by region. If your municipality gets some electricity from solar or wind power, then buying the Brammo might be a great eco-friendly option.)
By the way, for urban commuters who do only live a few miles from work and don't want to drop $12,000 on a motorcycle, the A2B electric bike (i.e. stealth scooter) might be a better option -- http://1greenproduct.com/2009/07/03/a2b-electric-two-wheeler/
- Aaron Dalton, Editor, 1GreenProduct.com
I bought my Kia Rio for less than the cost of this bike. I love the car and it keeps me dry. I have had many motorcycles over the years and, unlike the Rio, practicality was never a part of the decision making process. Motorcycles are fun..the Brammo is well designed and will undoubtedly be fun to ride. The price is high but they have used the best and safest available battery technology in the Valence Lithium Phosphate Battery. It looks cool and works just fine for what it was intended.. an alternative to gas powered transportation within city limits. It does not make sense comparing this bike to gas versions. The whole point of making the Enertia was to begin to move away from fossil fuels. Anyone who believes that we can continue along the same path without severe consequences for future generations is either misinformed or unwilling to face the challenge. If I decide to buy one of these bikes it will not be practical, it will be much more than that.
This is definitely a great step forward from the old paradigm but it's priced so prohibitively, that this will only be purchased as a rich person's toy. Once they cut the price in half a year from now or whenever, it'll be much more practical but still won't sell like hotcakes.
you have to start some were, the adventure will likely jump at this, i how ever need a lower price or a government kick back,don't know why they wouldn't invest in there own country's future !!!!! keep the money in the country first, then if there is any extra help the others,real nice bike just to expensive for me .keep up the good work.
if the price were cut in half i would buy this bike.i think its a cool toy to go get coffee or pick up the sunday paper then i wouldn't have to kill my bagger,
Yes this bike 'looks' like a motorcycle, but aside from that and the fact that it has 2-wheels, what else would put it in the same category? It's like comparing oranges to apples. check out my blog, http://theelectricbliss.wordpress.com/