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The future IS electric !

  • R2D2
    R2D2
    5 years ago
    Considering the worlds fastest production motorcycle is now electric https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3DiAecsh_0  ,  I genuinely believe we are at the tipping point if not past it..
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1jbVx-Bvo0
  • R2D2
    R2D2
    5 years ago
    The Bruce highway in QLD has chargers from Cairns to  the Gold Coast now.
    It's not far off.
    I'm thinking about ordering one of these. https://lunacycle.com/sur-ron-mx-electric/
    For my son just to see what gives.
  • Ratbob
    Ratbob
    5 years ago
    Quoting R2D2 on 02 Sep 2018 11:24 AM

    The Bruce highway in QLD has chargers from Cairns to  the Gold Coast now.

    It's not far off.
    I'm thinking about ordering one of these. https://lunacycle.com/sur-ron-mx-electric/
    For my son just to see what gives.

    Only charging stations I’ve seen between Adelaide and Melbourne are in Kieth, the Livewire won’t get me there I either direction, and then who says the Tesla charging station is Livewire or any other brand compatible. Electric bikes or at least high performance ones are doomed to remain within cities. Worst thing is they still mostly run on fossil fuel anyway, thankfully our grid isn’t 100% green or we’d all be in the dark. 
    Mate 10 or so more years will fix it.
  • R2D2
    R2D2
    5 years ago
    This will  change the game if it works out. https://news.umich.edu/battery-breakthrough-doubling-performance-with-lithium-metal-that-doesnt-catch-fire/
    being a retro fit to all current tech. 
  • fatbat
    fatbat
    5 years ago
    It'll be something to keep an eye on but I wouldn't get too excited just yet.  Lithium metal batteries have been used safely for some time in the med tech sector but only in small sizes. It's upscaling to the bigger size batteries for vehicles, houses and other commercial uses that has challenged some very clever and well resourced researchers for a long time. 
  • R2D2
    R2D2
    5 years ago
    E=MCsquared right ! 
  • Muzza Wa
    Muzza Wa
    5 years ago
    Quoting fatbat on 02 Sep 2018 01:32 PM

    It'll be something to keep an eye on but I wouldn't get too excited just yet.  Lithium metal batteries have been used safely for some time in the med tech sector but only in small sizes. It's upscaling to the bigger size batteries for vehicles, houses and other commercial uses that has challenged some very clever and well resourced researchers for a long time. 

    +1
  • Ken in Cairns
    Ken in Cairns
    5 years ago
    GM did a dirty deal with CARB and that is why the EV2 was killed off. Watch the docco called "Who killed the electric car".
    Electric will be the future, but we need to stop all the crap and put in true base load generation ie tidal and geothermal, wind and solar will never be enough.
  • WideglidingNZ
    WideglidingNZ
    5 years ago
    I'll never own a stupid electric bike that's for real
  • Humbug
    Humbug
    5 years ago
    Can not see it being viable in remote locations of NT/WA for a very very long time you could not even get from Darwin to Katherine let alone Alice Springs.
    What about the trucks? You would have to drop a trailer just to fit the batteries and will it ever make it into the aviation industry?
  • Jo
    Jo
    5 years ago
    There's no doubt that Electrics are the future for all motor vehicles. And bikes'll probably lead the way, given their low cost (comparative), battery usage and typical Japanese driven need to innovate. Still, I don't think they will be all that common in our lifetime - and I'm assuming many of us here are 50+ years old.
    Me? I'm planning on bequeathing my bikes (current 1994 Honda VT1100C Shadow and 'hopefully' a soon to be Harley) to my grandchildren. But lock it up in my Will so they can't do anything with them until they reach the age of 21. Hopefully by then the bikes will be very rare birds, petrol driven antiques and worth a pretty penny. :)
  • JFE
    JFE
    5 years ago
    Putting more chargers around will help BUT how practical is it if you have to wait circa 30 mins to recharge every 300-500 km’s? Even if you think, well I will get a coffee etc, what happens if you are 2-3 in-line for the charger? What happens if the charger only does one brand of EV?
    I’ve done plenty of touring in my time and sitting on my arse in a town wasn’t the highlight. Can’t imagine doing it with a bunch of screaming kids would help either. 

    And the way battery power works, you slow down as the battery drains so not only do you have to wait to charge it at the next town along, you are pissed you were doing 20 by the time you get there!
    Can’t carry a second battery (yet), let alone pay the cost of a second one. I heard someone suggest something like a pick up and go battery swap station...which seems ok until you think hmmm my battery is worth a lot, am I going to trust some random someone less caring may have one to swap for mine? Or it’s age? Or does it fit?

    I’m open to new tech. Batteries ‘could’ be the way forward. If/when petrol hits $3 a litre, maybe critical mass could be achieved but from where I sit, the tech ain’t there, I don’t like the idea of taxpayer $$ being used to subsidise another industry that most ppl can’t afford to participate in ... and aren’t most of Australia complaining about power bills anyway? 

    Maybe it could work as a city thing ... may need bells on the vehicle though as there would be a spike in pedestrians staring at their phones getting run over!
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    5 years ago
    Quoting JFE on 04 Sep 2018 12:22 AM

    Putting more chargers around will help BUT how practical is it if you have to wait circa 30 mins to recharge every 300-500 km’s? Even if you think, well I will get a coffee etc, what happens if you are 2-3 in-line for the charger? What happens if the charger only does one brand of EV?

    I’ve done plenty of touring in my time and sitting on my arse in a town wasn’t the highlight. Can’t imagine doing it with a bunch of screaming kids would help either. 

    And the way battery power works, you slow down as the battery drains so not only do you have to wait to charge it at the next town along, you are pissed you were doing 20 by the time you get there!
    Can’t carry a second battery (yet), let alone pay the cost of a second one. I heard someone suggest something like a pick up and go battery swap station...which seems ok until you think hmmm my battery is worth a lot, am I going to trust some random someone less caring may have one to swap for mine? Or it’s age? Or does it fit?

    I’m open to new tech. Batteries ‘could’ be the way forward. If/when petrol hits $3 a litre, maybe critical mass could be achieved but from where I sit, the tech ain’t there, I don’t like the idea of taxpayer $$ being used to subsidise another industry that most ppl can’t afford to participate in ... and aren’t most of Australia complaining about power bills anyway? 

    Maybe it could work as a city thing ... may need bells on the vehicle though as there would be a spike in pedestrians staring at their phones getting run over!

    Its a valid point re fuel prices and the number nominated at $3 per litre. The price in England is just north of that at $3.09 per litre and they have just experienced the biggest ever surge in new electric/hybrid cars ever. They sold 47000 electric cars in 2017, compared to 500 cars per month in 2014 to 3900 in 2017. 2018 is predicted to be 4800 per month. As fuel costs and road taxes have increased so have electric car sales. Interestingly there are 5800 charge stations in England and 17500 in Europe. Each one of those like a normal servo can cater for multiples of cars.
    A fast charge can get you 80% battery in 30min
  • Ratbob
    Ratbob
    5 years ago
    It seems to me that electric trucks are a good way to go. Single drivers running log books need a break anyway and the likes of the new Freightliners charge in 90 minutes some even less.
  • fatbat
    fatbat
    5 years ago
    Our geographical mass, distances we travel and our small population has no impact on the development and use of battery powered bikes. Think of Asian cities including third world countries where massive populations use bikes in dense city environments. And they’re using solar panels for everything too. You don’t need massive battery capacity for it to work for populations and markets far more significant than ours. 
  • R2D2
    R2D2
    5 years ago
    https://insideevs.com/harley-livewire-production-debut/
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