The Kawasaki e-1 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 ...
produced by
Kawasaki, which markets it in two variants: a naked Z e-1 and a Ninja e-1
sport bike
A sport bike (sports motorcycle, or sports bike) is a motorcycle designed and optimized for speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on asphalt concrete race tracks and roads. They are mainly designed for performance at the expense of comfor ...
with fairing.
History
Kawasaki debuted its "Endeavor" prototype electric motorcycle at EICMA 2019. The prototype, shown at EICMA as the "EV Project", had a claimed peak and continuous output of , with an estimated range of ; it is approximately the same size and weight as the
Ninja 650, respectively, with a curb weight of . The prototype also was equipped with a four-speed gearbox, chain drive, and regenerative braking. Patent filings indicate the prototype had been under development since 2010.
The two e-1 bikes are the first production electric motorcycles from the company. Kawasaki demonstrated prototype e-1 bikes in August 2022 at the
Suzuka 8 Hours
The is a motorcycle endurance race held at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan each year. The race runs for eight hours consecutively and entrants are composed of two or more riders who alternate during pitstops.
History
The race began in 1978 as a ...
race; the official announcement was made at
EICMA
EICMA (''Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori''), or the Milan Motorcycle Shows is an annual trade show in Milan, Italy featuring motorcycles
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-w ...
that November. The two e-1 bikes share a common chassis and traction motor. Styling is identical to the gasoline-engined bikes, the
Z400 and
Ninja 400.
Brakes and wheels are borrowed from the earlier
Z300 and
Ninja 300
The Kawasaki Ninja 300, or EX300, is a Ninja series sport bike introduced by Kawasaki in 2012 for the 2013 model year. It is sold in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. When introduced, the Ninja 300R replaced the Ninja 250R in some ma ...
.
Design
Powertrain and battery
Because the e-1 uses a single-speed
reduction gear
A gear train is a mechanical system formed by mounting gears on a frame so the teeth of the gears engage.
Gear teeth are designed to ensure the pitch circles of engaging gears roll on each other without slipping, providing a smooth transmission ...
and the traction motor occupies the same space as the transmission, there is no clutch and gear lever; however, the rear brake is operated by a foot lever, rather than a left-hand lever as typical for scooters.
[ Rated output is ,][ designed to conform with the requirements of the Class A1 driving licence in European markets.][
There are two slots for removable batteries, each with a capacity of 1.5 kW-hr.][ Each lithium-ion battery weighs approximately .]Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
, Suzuki
is a Japan, Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Minami-ku, Hamamatsu, Japan. Suzuki manufactures automobiles, motorcycles, All-terrain vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), outboard motor, outboard marine engines, wheelchairs ...
, and Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:
* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below).
** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...
in April 2019 to standardize battery size and format and facilitate battery swapping
A battery swapping (or switching) station allow electric vehicles to exchange a discharged battery pack for a charged one as an alternative to plugging the vehicle into a charging station. Battery swapping is common in electric forklift applicatio ...
. The Consortium established Gachaco, Inc. with ENEOS
, formerly , or NOC or ''Shin-Nisseki'' (新日石) is a Japanese petroleum company. Its businesses include exploration, importation, and refining of crude oil; the manufacture and sale of petroleum products, including fuels and lubricants; and ...
in April 2022, which launched a battery sharing/swapping service in Japan that fall using the Honda Mobile Power Pack e: (MPP). MPP was introduced in 2017 for the Honda PCX Electric.
References
External links
*
{{Kawasaki motorcycles
e-1
Electric motorcycles
Motorcycles introduced in 2023