Great space was given to EICMA 2021 for electric mobility. By going to the Fair we were able to see how motorcycle manufacturers are looking more and more carefully at the electrification of two wheels. Obviously, appropriate clarifications must be made.
For scooters and small city bikes, the future is definitely in the name of the electric. Current technology makes it possible to create interesting products for urban use with a brilliant performance, adequate autonomy and reduced operating costs.
Furthermore, the manufacturers have understood that it is necessary to focus a lot on ease of use and for this reason, we have noticed how many new models have removable batteries which can be safely recharged at home. Think, for example, of the electric scooter Silence S01 Plus.
The accumulator can be easily extracted and thanks to a handle and two small wheels, it can be carried around like a trolley. Removable batteries also for the new NIU’s QR Sport electric motorcycle, a model always designed for urban use.
And to further simplify the handling of small battery-powered two-wheelers, several manufacturers are thinking about using battery swap systems. The exchange of batteries for electric scooters could be an interesting solution to push their diffusion within cities. At EICMA we have, for example, seen the IONEX scooter from Kymko, available in various versions and all compatible with a battery swap system.
To make urban mobility easier, especially in large cities, they are coming to the market with different electric microcars. These are battery-powered quadricycles that can accommodate up to 2 people on board and are able to offer good performance. At EICMA there was, for example, Silence S04 which in the L7e version can reach 90 km / h and have a range of 149 km.
The interesting thing is that it uses the same batteries as the Silence scooters. Accumulators that can be taken out and then recharged at home. In Spain, Silence S04 can also be used in conjunction with a battery swap service.
As for electric motorcycles, the matter is more complex because the technology is probably not yet mature to be able to create a model that is truly equivalent to an endothermic one. There is still a lot of work to be done on the batteries and charging.
However, at EICMA 2021 we were able to appreciate Lacama, the electric motorcycle of Italian Volt, a brand that was purchased at the beginning of the year by Tazzari who presented several new products at the Fair. The bike offers good performance and aims to offer a range of around 200 km but we are still a long way from models suitable for long journeys.
What if the future of motorcycles lies in the hybrid? He was present at EICMA 2021 Vitesco Technologies which is experimenting with a hybrid motorcycle to reduce emissions and consumption. And among the solutions for smarter mobility, we mention Repower DINAclub, a charging network dedicated to pedal-assisted bicycles, created in collaboration with komoot. It is a club that gathers facilities and locations equipped with a Repower charging tool where people can go to recharge their eBike.
