Whatever the outcome – we believe there are huge advantages to riding electric motorcycles or scooters over cars. They include all the benefits of using a powered two-wheeler - no congestion charge, use of some bus lanes and quicker journey times and there is an expanding choice of models and ranges – some of which are high performance. The initial purchase price is lower (some start from a few thousand pounds) and are therefore much more affordable to a wider range of people. Charging is much easier too. Electric motorcycles use domestic plugs, so can be charged at home or work, without special charging infrastructure. The Zero models can also use the fast charge technology available to cars, though, allowing a bike to be charged to 95% power in just an hour.
Running costs are very low, estimated to be a penny a mile, which is equivalent to around 500mpg.
eMCI members with electric motorcycles or scooters on the market include Zero, Vectrix, Agility Motors, Yamaha and Rieju. Prices for a small electric scooter start at around £2500 and go up to around £14,000 for a high performance motorcycle. There are also other eMCI members with alternative powered motorcycles or scooters in the development or concept stage.