How much range is “enough range” for an electric motorcycle? Three hundred miles? Zaiser Motors thinks so, and that’s what it claims the company’s first model will achieve.
With 300 miles (482 km) of range, Zaiser Motors is hoping it can build an electric motorcycle that competes favorably against gas-powered motorcycles in nearly every metric.
Electric motorcycles are already known to best their gas-powered counterparts when it comes to power and performance, but range and cost are the two main areas where they have yet to reach parity.
The upcoming Zaiser Electrocycle, the first model introduced by the brand, may solve one of the first of those two hurdles. But with an expected price of “less than $25,000,” the second remains to be seen.
Despite the new company’s promises, even the first may be a tall order. Zaiser claims that the Electrocycle (which appears to exist only in renders so far), will reach that 300-mile (482 km) range thanks to a large 17.3 kWh battery.
That battery would be larger than those offered by both Zero Motorcycles and the Harley-Davidson LiveWire.
For comparison, Italian electric motorcycle manufacturer Energica’s 21.5 kWh battery pack provides its bikes with a maximum city range of 248 mi (400 km), despite being nearly 25% larger than Zaiser’s proposed battery.
For its part, Zaiser Motors claims that it will have a number of interesting features and tech included on its 120 mph (193 km/h) Electrocycle. Among those are fast-charging capabilities, all-wheel drive via a pair of hub motors that also enable traction control, “auto stabilization”, and modular batteries.
That last one should be quite interesting, as it would allow riders to park their motorcycle on the street and carry the battery inside for remote charging.
Though “carry” might not be the right word. The SONDORS Metacycle has a 4 kWh battery (less than a quarter of the size of the Electrocycle) that weighs nearly 50 lb (22 kg). So the Electrocycle might need to come with its own matching hand truck.
If it does, hopefully the Zaiser team hires the same design studio to create the battery dolly, because they sure did a number on the bike. Creating a neo-retro cruiser-esque design with sweeping panels and cascading tail lights, the Zaiser Electrocycle looks as eye-catching as it does comfortable. Which is to say, very.
That long saddle and relaxed seating position are surely welcome additions to an industry that has so far prioritized naked roadsters and sport bikes over comfortable cruisers.
Zaiser claims that the Electrocycle will be coming in “Late 2021, Early 2022.” At that point we’ll know if this is the next big breakthrough in electric motorcycles or just more vaporware. Stay tuned to find out, sooner or later.
Electrek‘s take
Color me both hopeful and skeptical at the same time.
I’m as big of a proponent for electric motorcycles as anyone, but I also know when something sounds too good to be true. This isn’t over the line, but it’s cutting it so close on the apex that it’s got road marking paint all over its knee pads.
If they can deliver with these specs then I’ll be impressed. More than likely, if the bike rolls out in 2022, it will have a 300-mile range at some ridiculously low speed, and more like a 200-mile range in a normal city cycle.
But I wish them the best and hope they can live up to their promises. Let’s see if they do.
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Author: Micah Toll
Source: Electrek
