The automotive industry is midway through a revolution, with electric versions of just about every vehicle cropping up. The government’s pledge to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 is giving manufacturers the incentive they need – but it’s going to be consumer demand that actually pushes the transition to an emission-free future over the line.
One category of electric vehicle that’s not enjoying quite such an explosion in popularity is the motorcycle. Being inherently smaller and more lightweight, they’re encumbered by the large batteries needed to get from one place to another. But as the technology progresses, the change is coming – albeit belatedly.
The Early history of the Electric Bike
The early history of the automobile is peppered with instances of bicycles powered by electric motors, but they never became commercially viable – and were seemingly made obsolete by the introduction of the internal combustion engine.
More than a century later, Peugeot made the decision to develop and release an electric-powered scooter. This vehicle was capable of reaching around twenty-eight mph on a good day, and had a range of just twenty-five miles. It was marketed toward city commuters, but failed to meet the manufacturer’s sales expectations, and set back the electric bike considerably.
Big Manufacturers get on board
A big difference between then and now is that there are big-name manufacturers on board, which demonstrates that the underlying technology is sound. Harley Davidson, Ducati, and Triumph are among those who’ve thrown their hat into the ring.
Why make the switch to an electric bike?
Perhaps the most pressing reason to make the transition to electric is that, quite soon, it’ll be impractical to get anywhere using a traditional internal combustion engine. As such, the resale value of any ICE bike is sure to plummet.
But the electric bike offers a few practical and performance benefits, too. For one thing, the torque is instantaneous, which makes for a much more responsive and pleasurable riding experience. For another, the fuel efficiency makes a bike cheaper to run in the long term.
Plug-in grants offer another incentive to make the switch – and they’re likely to be phased out as the technology becomes more popular. You’ll also find that motorcycle insurer are able to offer specialised products to suit the needs of those getting around with an electric bike.
What does the future hold?
There’s no doubt that the future of the motorbike is electric. It’s just a question of how quickly riders across the world will make the switch. You can expect to see electric versions of your favorite bikes on sale in the near future; in all likelihood, they’ll smash all performance expectations.
