Enertia electric motorcycle to hit stores in early 2008

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July 7, 2007 The latest in green transport is about to hit the showrooms. Brammo, best known for bringing the ultra-high-performance Arial Atom to the United States, have switched focus entirely with their latest product release. Where the Atom is a ridiculously powerful, road legal race car that had Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson maniacally yelling "there is nothing on four wheels as fast as this!," the Enertia bike is a mild-mannered electric motorcycle with laid-back cool looks, easy, nimble ergonomics and a silent but punchy electric motor tuned for extremely cheap, emission-free commuting. Cutting-edge green technology with a big smile factor and exceptional practicality, the Enertia is pre-selling now for a release in early 2008.

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A closer look at the chassis reveals that the Enertia's six batteries are mounted directly to the lightweight carbon-fibre monocoque frame beneath the "tank" cover. The narrow, compact motor sits right in line with the front sprocket, and the swingarm pivots pretty much right off the engine bay. With its clothes off, the bike's frame and engine look incredibly simple and compact - and the frame itself weighs in at only 16 pounds. Brembo brakes and a simple suspension setup look fine for a commuter, and the wheels are sized to take good rubber, coming with Pirelli Sport Demons as OEM.

Brammo sourced the batteries from Texan innovators Valence Technology. Six identical U-Charge XP units feed the motor using a Lithium Phosphate formula that makes them non-flammable as well as giving them an exceptional life cycle. Over a testing period of 600 charge cycles, or nearly 2 years assuming a daily charge routine, they displayed an almost imperceptible loss of performance when kept at 23 degrees celsius. Hotter conditions did see a performance decrease, with 600 recharge cycles at 45 degrees celsius resulting in a drop to around 80% capacity. Clearly, in the average urban area, battery lifespan won't be a problem for some time.