If I still lived at the beach this might be fine, but, I’d rather spend a whole lot less on a scooter/moped, because you can usually park them at the bike racks rather than an actual parking spot. But, this is a climate cult thing
Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Kawasaki has released some details about its first-ever electric motorcycles, eliciting quite a reaction from commenters on the internet — although it probably isn’t quite the reaction the brand was hoping for.
The electric motorcycles, named the Kawasaki Ninja e-1 and Z e-1, are about to be launched in the United States, Canada, and the UK.
However, these vehicles’ specs make it clear that they are nowhere close in performance to Kawasaki’s gas-powered motorcycles. The range of the bikes is under 40 miles, and their top speeds are around 55 miles per hour, making them “purely urban-oriented motorcycles,” according to Electrek.
While the prices are fairly competitive, starting at $7,599 and $7,299, respectively, in the U.S., the overall package certainly did not impress Electrek’s commenters, many of whom were left in disbelief.
Competitive with what? A Kawasaki Ninja 400 is around $5,700 tops, with a top speed of 116mph and can probably get you about 100 miles per tank (it’s a small size motorcycle). You can get a bunch of other small size bikes for less that are faster and will go further and you can refill in about 3 minutes.
“This is a joke,” wrote one commenter. “It’s a $7,500 electric bicycle without pedals. Absolutely no one should buy this, not only because it’s a terrible product and complete waste of money, but to send a message. A message that a company can’t just release a terrible product and people will buy it anyway just because of the name on the side.”
But, some will buy it because they are Saving The Planet. The best part is when the battery catches on fire right in your crotch!
Speaking of EV batteries
(Yahoo Finance) Ford chief executive Jim Farley is downsizing plans for a new low-cost battery cell plant in the automaker’s home state of Michigan amid a sharp slowdown slump in EV sales.
The market for electric vehicles is currently experiencing a “trough of disillusionment,” according to industry researchers at Cox Automotive, spurred in part by soaring borrowing costs that put the price of an EV out of reach for many Americans.
In a statement on Tuesday, Ford said it would reduce the planned factory size by some 40% to around 20 gigawatt-hours of annual cell capacity, roughly enough for 300,000 cars. Staffing would drop by a third to 1,700 jobs.
Just wait till the metals necessary start running low.
Still a rice burner.
People buy Japanese motorcycles because they want a crotch rocket, not 55 MPH.
Translation: the government must force you to buy an electric vehicle, because when buyers take their decisions on what they want to buy, they just aren’t choosing the right things.
Remember: the left are pro-choice on exactly one thing.
Electric bikes of ‘all sizes’ exist currently. Harley actually markets the Livewire, a full size electric cruiser and a number of smaller bikes. Simply google ‘Harley electric bikes’ to get info. I haven’t ridden an electric Harley, not enough interest and no easy opportunity. I’ve still got the big sporty Harley and am selling the Italian job.
Didn’t see many electric bikes the last time we were at Bike Week. Probably just an engineering exercise with some production as a sop to the whackadoodles and government.