Electric bikemaker woos commuters

By Jorn Madslien
Business reporter, BBC News

Advertisement

'Thrifty' electric motorbike reaches speed

The need for speed is not normally a selling point for commuters who buy electric vehicles. But it could be.

An electric motorcycle described by its makers as "insanely fast" has just hit the road in the UK and other European countries.

And you better believe it - this bike moves.

"You can accelerate faster than any car," says Neal Saiki, who invented the electric motorcycle.

"You've got all kinds of power, and it is totally quiet. I think it is a lot like flying."

Extreme acceleration

When you have an extremely powerful battery pack and a light frame you're going to have a lot of fun Neal Saiki, Zero Motorcycles The future of electric motoring

A gentle turn of the throttle and the force of the lithium-ion battery pack is transferred directly to the back wheel, sending the bike rocketing down London's Kings Road.

The test bike's acceleration has been limited by a minor software adjustment, yet cars are left behind at the lights and the speed limit is reached almost instantly.

The experience is vastly different from the ride of a conventional bike. There is no clutch and no need to change gears. Turning the throttle instantly delivers powerful torque, along with just enough chain rattle to remind you that this is still a motorcycle.

Change the software settings, explains Mr Saiki, founder and chief technology officer of Zero Motorcycles, and the bike will deliver zero to 50mph in just five seconds.

Consequently, he insists, this is the "quickest production electric motorcycle in its class".

Enough, perhaps, to convince thrill-seeking commuters, though at an expected price of some £8,000 in the UK and a maximum range of 60 miles per charge, the bike may struggle to attract people away from established motorcycle communities.

Space technology

Mr Saiki is no stranger to outlandish thinking.

My wife and I put all our savings into the company Neal Saiki, Zero Motorcycles

While still at college in California, he designed the world's first helicopter powered by a human.

The invention eventually helped him become a designer of "high altitude research vehicles" for US space agency Nasa, a job he left to start building motorcycles.

"What we've done here is to combine the world's smallest, lightest battery pack with a revolutionary 28 pound (12 kilogramme) frame," says Mr Saiki, who invented the battery himself and designed the frame from aircraft grade aluminium.

"When you have an extremely powerful battery pack and a light frame you're going to have a lot of fun," he grins.

Anonymous investors

Approaching Sloane Square, the mirror image in a shop window confirms that this is no stodgy scooter.

Mr Saiki developed the lithium-ion battery pack himself.

The looks of the Zero S Supermoto differ little from those of its rather butch off-road cousin, the Zero X, which was launched three years ago.

At just 102 kilograms, the bike is much lighter than any conventional motorcycle or car, and really no larger than a moped. This makes it easy to manoeuvre between queuing cars.

For Mr Saiki, seeing the bike weaving through the traffic is a dream come true.

"We started building the motorcycle six years ago out of my own pocket," Mr Saiki recalls.

"At first it was all my own investment. My wife and I put all our savings into the company."

Soon, fresh investment was secured from angel investors -"people who know me, knew my products and knew my reputation" - and from parts makers in the motorcycle industry.

Nevertheless, it seems mainstream investors remain unconvinced he is offering either proven technology or product.

"Quite a large private equity firm" is now fully funding the company, Mr Saiki says. But even it, he acknowledges, "prefers to remain nameless" and he refuses to divulge the size of its investment.

Long journey ahead

Zero Motorcycles is pitching the bike as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional motorcycles.

In terms of fuel economy, there is probably not that much in it, since motorcycles tend not to be all that thirsty in the first place.

But when it comes to emissions it is a clear winner, the company insists, even in countries with coal-fired power stations.

"Although there is some pollution associated with the production of electricity, a Zero motorcycle produces less than an eighth of the CO2 pollution per mile at the power plant than a petrol-powered motorcycle," Zero declares.

It is a claim the conventional bike makers will find hard to refute, not least since they tend not to publish any CO2 figures at all.

Many commuters will be more interested in data on battery charging times, though.

Zero says a four-hour charge using an ordinary household socket will cost six pence and deliver 60 miles of motoring, and Mr Saiki insists the battery pack should be able to deliver such performance for about five years.

"You charge it in the morning and it'll be ready for lunch," he says.

"It would cost you $30 (£20) to go from California to New York," observes Zero's PR man.

Though allow for the frequent recharging, and the journey would take a long, long time.