Electricross - Electric Motocrosser |
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File under Electrical Ecology
Author: Mike Werner
Location: Normandy, France
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To me it's starting to look like there's more and more manufacturers of electrical driven motorcycles out there. And that's a good thing, with global warming, pollution, environmentalist lobby groups etc. One of the first mass produced electric motorcycles was the off-road Blade. Recently we also saw the Swiss Quantya appear on the market.
Now we see a third serious entry in the electric motocross market, the Electricross Drifter.
Why so many electrical off-road motorcycles you may ask yourself. The off-ride market is a perfect fit for electrical motorcycles. With more and more greenie lobby groups trying to ban normal off-road motorcycles due to the noise, and since you don't ride off-road for hours on end, an electrically driven motorcycle makes a lot of sense.
Going off-road in a forest, without any noise.... appealing !! Running cost are low (no gas, virtually no tire replacements) and very little wear & tear.
The Electricross weighs 100 pounds less than a Honda CRF150, but has more power. The basic 14,400 watt engine delivers 19 hp. 19 hp doesn't sound much in todays 100+ hp market, but for an electrical engine, it's very good. Remember that the power is delivered differently than normal engines. You don't have a gear box ! Your throttle dials-in the speed you want. Doing a wheelie is simple, just open the throttle and you're on your back !
You can obtain a top speed of 44 mph (64 kph), and depending on the battery, your range can be up to 40 miles (64 kms). The battery is recharged within 40 minutes.
The motorcycle frame only weighs 14.8 pounds (6.7kg) !! Depending on the powerpack, the whole motorcycle can weigh between 110 pounds (50 Kgs) and 140 pounds (64 Kgs).
Pricing is not cheap, but not expensive either, specially if you keep in mind that your running costs are very low.
The standard price for a Drifter is US$5,500. You can upgrade your engine to a 400+ amps model for an additional US$80. You can upgrade the forks, shocks and brakes. Another obvious upgrade is the recharger. A Fast Pack and Fast Charger will set you back another US$400, but that brings you additional power and faster charging.
Your biggest running cost is going to be batteries. Rechargeable batteries don't last forever (a maximum of 1000 charges). The cheapest battery, a 600+amp one, will cost you US$65.
Click here to access their website.
Via: Gizmag
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