The Enertia is an
electric motorcycle
Electric motorcycles and scooters are plug-in electric vehicles with two or three wheels. Power is supplied by a rechargeable battery which drives one or more electric motors. Electric scooters are distinguished from motorcycles by having a st ...
designed and sold by
Brammo, Inc. It uses a
Lithium iron phosphate battery
The lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP (lithium ferro-phosphate), or Li-IP) is a type of lithium-ion battery using lithium iron phosphate () as the cathode material, and a graphitic carbon electrode with a metallic backing as the anode.
Beca ...
, and is intended as a commuter vehicle. Enertia motorcycles first went on sale in late July 2009, and began selling at Best Buy in August 2009.
Construction and components
The body uses
monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
construction. Early prototypes used
carbon fiber
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
as the principal material, but Brammo later decided to produce the monocoque body out of aluminum. Some of the bike's components are made entirely of recycled material, while the body panels are created from a mixed percentage of recycled and new materials.
[
The Enertia's permanent magnet AC synchronous motor is powered by six Valence ]lithium iron phosphate battery
The lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP (lithium ferro-phosphate), or Li-IP) is a type of lithium-ion battery using lithium iron phosphate () as the cathode material, and a graphitic carbon electrode with a metallic backing as the anode.
Beca ...
modules, which can provide a top speed of over .regenerative braking
Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a moving vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy into a form that can be either used immediately or stored until needed. In this mechanism, the electric traction mo ...
because of the limited benefit that current regenerative braking technology provides to motorcycles, and the risk of traction problems.
According to Cycle World magazine, "With its wide, mild-rise handlebar, sporty steering geometry and narrow 18-inch-front/17-inch-rear Avon RoadRiders, the Enertia is a light and responsive handler." The road test editor recorded a 0-60 mph time of 16.1 seconds, and a quarter-mile run of 20.19 seconds at 60.78 mph.
The current testing versions of the Enertia being shown to the media are described as enjoyable to ride, nimble and easy to control. It is also capable of better speed than widely promised, up to , although this quickly drains the battery.
Most of the cost of the motorcycle is due to the battery. Brammo is hoping for the cost of this component to fall in the future, and is talking of creating a program to lease rather than own the battery.
Comparison with conventional motorcycles
With , and of torque
In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of th ...
in the 'performance' mode, the Enertia's power output is comparable to a conventionally powered Kawasaki Ninja 250
The Kawasaki Ninja 250R (codenamed EX250; previous generations had market-specific names) is a motorcycle in the Ninja sport bike series from the Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki originally introduced in 1986. As the marque's entry-level sport bi ...
motorcycle.[ or .][ Tested by '' Cycle World'', the Ninja 250 accelerates from in 2.0 seconds.]Motorcycle Consumer News
''Motorcycle Consumer News'' (MCN) was a monthly motorcycling magazine that reviewed motorcycles and accessories, and covered motorcycle safety, training and industry news. Unlike most publications, it was wholly subscriber-supported and did not ...
'' projected a range of for the Ninja 250 based on their tested .[ Brammo claims the Enertia has a range of between charges if power is set to the minimum level, 40%.][
At ]carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide ( chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is trans ...
(CO2) per gallon consumed, the Ninja 250 would emit per tank, or about of per year if ridden the US average of per year.[
]
References
{{reflist, 2
External links
Brammo WebsiteReview
KneeSlider
Wired
Enertia
Motorcycles introduced in 2009
Electric motorcycles