Electric motorcycle that can't tip over

[Freedom Kira]

Yeah, I don't think I ever read anything about engines having anything to do with vehicle classification. Traditionally, a two-wheeler requires a class 6. So I'm somewhat doubtful and hopeful at the same time that this thing won't be classified as a motorcycle, since it rides differently.

[Saras]

Oh. It's a bit different here. You can basically drive anything up to a 50 cc engine without any license whatsoever as long as you're >14, as they aren't deemed powerful enough to even break the speed limit. And being of age and having any vehicle license basically frees you up to the 125cc range. With only the >125cc range requiring a proper motorcycle license.

[kitamesume]

o.o who'd need a 100cc engine on a city motorcycle, unless you're street racing >,>
on mountains though i can see the reason of needing a more powerful engine, since going up a mountain does need more oomph.

also in terms of cost per mileage, it is indeed lower in electric vehicles, but not entirely lower.
note: i'm gonna base this calculations on the tesla roadster since thats a known practical electric car.

the tesla roadster has a range of 245mile per full charge, and it's battery capacity is around 67.2KWatt which is about 3.65miles per KWatt.
electricity cost approx per KWatt is about 0.32USD in my area, which roughly computes to 21.504USD per full charge or 0.088USD per mile!

edit: also, comparing the regular price of a car(25K-USD) to the tesla roadster(100K-USD) you'd need around 1,200,000 miles of mileage to recover the 75K-USD investments(you save like 8.4USD per full charge which is 245miles) although i should be comparing this to a similarly priced sports car.
edit2: tesla model S priced at 49K-USD has a mileage of 160miles at 40KWatt battery capacity, thats roughly 4miles per KWatt, needs about 365,000 miles of mileage to recover the 25K-USD investment.

[lapa321]

That's assuming you're still using the same batterypack for the entire 365,000 miles. You'll need to add new batteries to the cost as part of the maintenance.

PS:

Tesla Motors stated in February 2009 that the current replacement cost of the ESS is slightly under USD$36,000, with an expected life span of 7 years/100,000 mi

http://topgear.wikia.com/wiki/Tesla_Roadster

[kitamesume]

which points out that going electricity beats the sole purpose of being economically more viable as a cheaper alternative to gasoline, but guess what, the investments you'll do would exceed the savings you'll incur.

edit: although i wonder if they sell teslamotors batteries as 2ndhands(betting around 5,000$ for heavily used), even if they're really used up they're still partially usable, although at a lower capacity =P

[Saras]

You don't take luxury novelty sports cars for statistical bang/buck calculations. You do that with the REVA or something in it's class. Also, it uses basically the same battery setup that's used in laptops. Just more of them. So if you discount charge cycles, it'll use about 12% of it's capacity at outdoor temperatures a year. Which means that after two years, you won't even have that 200mi range. A highly used battery set (~6-8 years I take it) wouldn't get you a 100mi range.

Also. I'd laugh my ass off, if you showed up in a 125cc Honda for a race. The damn thing can't even hit autostrade speeds. That's a strictly round-the-city bike that is just fast enough to keep up with the pace in the city and to overtake someone if need exists.

[kitamesume]

^ you do realize that i followed up model S which is like half of roadster's price point right? in all likely you're paying a premium on these electric cars that the premium is too much to justify the electricity saved.

i mean, if you saved 1,000$ from electricity when you payed 2,000$ just to get that savings it would've beaten the purpose of "saving money", in reality you even expended 1,000$ more.
this is why electric cars isn't the thing right now, if it were you'd see a major shift in automobiles on the roads.


at the moment even buying a 2ndhand electric vehicle is way harder than buying a 2ndhand sedan thats priced at around 2,000$. now even if you have to purchase another used car every other year you'd still have saved 10,000$ over the span of 10years this is if the particular model you're purchasing is priced at 20,000$ when brandnew.

not if you supercharge the 125cc honda.

[Saras]

^ you do realize that i followed up model S which is like half of roadster's price point right? in all likely you're paying a premium on these electric cars that the premium is too much to justify the electricity saved.

i mean, if you saved 1,000$ from electricity when you payed 2,000$ just to get that savings it would've beaten the purpose of "saving money", in reality you even expended 1,000$ more.
this is why electric cars isn't the thing right now, if it were you'd see a major shift in automobiles on the roads.

Which is still a premium luxury product.

Cheap budget electric cars are the REVAi or something you build in your shed for a few grand.

Not anything made by Tesla Motors. Both the Tesla S and the Tesla Roadster are great cars, but they aren't economy buys and shouldn't considered as such. You compare them BMW's, Mercedez-Benz, Mazeratti's and Jaguars, that is where they belong. Don't look at em as if it was a blinged out Blue Motion Polo. Their idea is more that of a statement, than fuel efficiency.

[kitamesume]

i did put a disclaimer at edit that it should've been at least been compared to a similarly priced sports car.

edit: also, comparing the regular price of a car(25K-USD) to the tesla roadster(100K-USD) you'd need around 1,200,000 miles of mileage to recover the 75K-USD investments(you save like 8.4USD per full charge which is 245miles) although i should be comparing this to a similarly priced sports car.

but it still doesn't change the fact that its not economically viable as of now, the few major reasons as to why not is because outside parking(or any other place as a matter of fact) doesn't have a recharge station readily available, it takes more than 30mins to reach at least 80% charge and theres hardly any 2ndhand deals or the premium isn't as viable.

[Saras]

i did put a disclaimer at edit that it should've been at least been compared to a similarly priced sports car.

edit: also, comparing the regular price of a car(25K-USD) to the tesla roadster(100K-USD) you'd need around 1,200,000 miles of mileage to recover the 75K-USD investments(you save like 8.4USD per full charge which is 245miles) although i should be comparing this to a similarly priced sports car.

but it still doesn't change the fact that its not economically viable as of now, the few major reasons as to why not is because outside parking(or any other place as a matter of fact) doesn't have a recharge station readily available, it takes more than 30mins to reach at least 80% charge and theres hardly any 2ndhand deals or the premium isn't as viable.

And what I'm saying is that the people that car is being built for, don't give a fuck about any of that. And if you do, it's not intended for you.

No >$25 000 car is. It's not their point.

[mgz]

realistically this thing is competing with the roughly 8-12k cost new cars IE the small stripped good gas mileage and not much else cars.