It will be hoped that Harley’s investment in Bay Area E-bike specialist Alta Motors has a happier ending than their prior involvement with San Francisco E-sportsbike manufacturer Mission Motorcycles*. Harley’s Project Livewire was, in large part, based on a bike built for them by Mission Motorcycles, who went broke not long after their work for Harley.
Taiwan has announced that it is to phase out gasoline powered motorcycles by 2035 – five years earlier than gasoline powered cars. With a population of just 23 million people, Taiwan is reported to have some 14 million motorcycles.
As part of its Electro Mobility Strategy, BMW is investing € 200 m in a new “battery cell competence center” that will open in 2019 near its Munich headquarters in Germany. Among other objectives, the center will harness the group’s research so far into battery-cell development and production, the fifth generation electric drivetrains (integrated electric motor, transmission and power electronics in a single component) that are slated for automotive debut in 2021, and Rare-earth-free electric motors and components.
Californian lithium-ion battery manufacturer Antigravity has had a huge reaction to the launch of its “game changing” Re-Start battery technology (built-in jump-starting feature thanks to what company president Scott Schafer describes as “intelligent on-board voltage monitoring that puts the battery to sleep before it is drained dead – retaining enough reserve energy allowing the rider to re-start and drive away.”
As Royal Enfield continues to spread its sales networks and product lines for European and North American expansion, it is reported that the company is also making “considerable” investments to explore “a number of” electric motorcycle and related concepts.
British three-wheel sports tourer manufacturer Morgan Motor Company, which uses U.S. made S&S X-Wedge 60-degree V-twin engines in its core models, is thought to be close to production of an all-electric Roadster in partnership with Frazer-Nash Energy Systems, owner of the legendary British Bristol Cars marque.
