Maybe someone is attending EICMA and can report in? In any case Zero just sent out a press release and posted pictures for their 2012 electric motorcycle line-up. It looks exciting, and I've reposted the press release here:-
http://blog.greentransportation.info/2011/11/zero-motorcycles-delivers-2012-model.html
Summary:- The street models a) all now use belt drive b) speeds up to 88 miles/hr c) range up to 100 miles with a 9 kilowatt-hour battery pack. All their bikes now use brushless motors and in one of the pictures I believe I spied a MARS motor. In the past they've used PERM motors and more recently Agni motors, both of which are brushed DC, so a move to a brushless motor is a good thing.
The specs for the Zero-S are better than the Brammo Empulse (except for the top speed).
I bet Brammo will release their new Empulse specs (with the 6-speed transmission) soon.
The competition is on!
Here's the news report I wrote up - it includes a slide show of Zero's pictures
http://www.examiner.com/green-transportation-in-national/zero-motorcycles-ups-the-ante-with-longer-range-electric-motorcycles-fo...
The guys at Brammo told me this: "We have seen the new Zero bikes and we wish them every success in 2012 and beyond. We respect what they are doing and believe the market is large enough to support several offerings. Obviously our goal is to remain the market leader and gain market share as new companies enter the market." And that it was at EICMA last year where they met the SMRE guys who convinced them to go with a 6-speed transmission, and delay their launch by a year.
I think it's bravado on Brammo's part to say "remain the market leader" when Zero has several years experience in shipping several models simultaneously. Brammo has only a couple years experience shipping one model (maybe two variants of that one model) with promises of three other models that have been delayed a year. Brammo is an impressive company, but "THE market leader"?
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
Yup, I couldn't agree more with your observation. It will be interesting to see a head-to-head test of production versions of these bikes by an independent magazine (preferably using owner provided bikes - not company provided ones). Sorry, but I don't trust spec-sheets for range and accel. Maybe I trust them for top speed and certainly for pack size. Which, BTW, is the most impressive stat that you shared...
9kWh pack? Wow! Now that makes me jealous!
John H. Founder of Current Motor Company - opinions on this site belong to me; not to my employer
Remember: " 'lectric for local. diesel for distance" - JTH, Amp Bros || "No Gas.
The Empulse 100 is supposed to have a 10 kwh pack. That's one interesting comparison, Zero S gets 114 miles off a 9kwh pack, Empulse 100 gets 100 miles off a 10 kwh pack. Except we haven't seen detailed spec's for the Empulse because Brammo isn't ready to tell us about it.
Zero is using the EPA UDDS test pattern (http://www.epa.gov/oms/standards/light-duty/udds.htm) - so, John, I wonder what you think about that test pattern? What would be your preferred way to estimate the range?
I like Zero being up-front about using a standard test, and that their spec sheet lists range Highway and range City.
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
I think Zero is doing the right thing and it's a big step in the right direction. Much kudos to them.
The improvement that I think could be made would be for a standard urban and highway test to be combined in a pre-determined way (like the blended figures you see on cars). That drive cycle you reference is only the urban part of the EPA test and probably favors a light EV like the Zero (or the C130 and C124). The highway part, as currently written, is not suitable for most bikes in the EV market. There are EPA EV test cycles but I haven't found the details of them yet. Oh, and we need to specify a rider size and weight (no jockeys crouched down low!).
At Current we don't have a way of testing to the UDDS at present. I did develop an app to allow me to try and follow that cycle while actually riding a bike on private roads - but that's just not practical. The only way I can see to do this is with a sophisticated load-based dyno - either computer controlled to the UDDS or operator controlled (in the same fashion as I tried to do on-bike). We are developing that dyno still - and so we'll be doing UDDS testing as soon as we can.
I haven't looked at the EPA certification requirements for vehicle efficiency. I don't know if the numbers seen on the EPA stickers are self-certified numbers from manufacturers or if you have to go to a certified independent lab. Zero is a mature company with a lot of talented engineers so I have no doubt that their claim of following UDDS is absolutely kosher. However, given some of the suspect claims we've seen across the industry and given that such testing is non-trivial I'd ultimately like to see some form of independent testing. In other words I'd worry about some folks (not the big guys) claiming to have tested to UDDS.
The MIC (motorcycle industry council) is also in the process of putting together some industry wide EV testing standards.
But, again, kudos for Zero for getting out ahead of this. It's on our own to-do list but they beat us to it. :-)
John H. Founder of Current Motor Company - opinions on this site belong to me; not to my employer
Remember: " 'lectric for local. diesel for distance" - JTH, Amp Bros || "No Gas.
I placed a deposit on one the Zero-S ZF9s. The bikes are supposedly going to be in the dealerships in Feb 2012. Unless Brammo pulls off a miracle in the next couple of months I'll be riding home on the Zero soon :-)
My Vectrix is 2 years old now with 22.000km's and I think the Zero S might be my next commuter bike :-)
I had a meeting at the Zero EU headquarters to have a look at the 2012 bikes before they go back to the US.
They looked very well and they expect the fist shipments in March for the EU. Good thing they changed to the AC motor and also the battery pack of the 2012 models no longer uses round cells but flat pouches according to the Zero guy. This way they had a much better use of the available space so they could increase the KWh's and keep the temperature better under control also.
The bikes on display came straight from the EICMA and were pre-production. The production bikes should improve on water tightness and small bodywork enhancements. I hope the wheels of the Zero S get better looking on the production bikes because the red paint job was very poor on the demo bike.
They have a nice adapter for charging off car charge points which is nice, I have been asking my Vectrix dealer such adapter for months.
There is an option for passenger footrests on the Zero S so for short rides you can bring along a (small) friend.
They also have an option for small side bags so you can carry around the charge cables or other small bits. A laptop needs to go on your back though. They even have a windscreen option which I would certainly get.
What I didn't understand is why they use traditional light bulbs in all the head lights and indicator lights. Only the rear (brake) light had an LED but would probably also disappear due to homologation I was told.
The 2012 bikes also have regenerative braking but it is not manually operated. It only works when you are coasting and was done to simulate engine braking. So when you operate the mechanical brakes the engine brake does not intensify. Also no reverse throttle handle like on the Vectrix.
I was at the place where also all the bikes go trough before shipping out to the dealers and they had quite some stock. Also a line of bikes with a "Sold" label on them so business looks good. I guess the 2011 model will go on sale shortly to get rid of that stock. :-)
I had a ride up and down their parking on a 2011 Zero S and it feels very nice and light.
By the way, in the back of the hall there was a big pile of bike frames. Looks like they did some kind of retrofit job or something. They also had a large supply of battery packs by the looks of things and I guess that remains one of the weak points of any EV.
In all a very pleasant visit and the Dutch Zero guys were really friendly and enthusiastic. For me it is nice to know that the EU headquarters are around the corner should I decide to buy a Zero bike.
Once you go EV, Gas is history!
The Lepton uses throttle-activated regenerative braking, and I know from experience that it's the worst way to do it, except in city driving. My XM-3000 just coasts really well with the throttle off, and it does better than the Lepton, range-wise, even after allowing for the 5th battery. It really helps to be able to coast...
How lucky you were able to see so much! Did you take any pictures?
Here are some quick shots
Once you go EV, Gas is history!
Sweet - thanks!