Morbo the Destroyer

Lithium batteries didn't exist outside of laboratories a few years ago. NiCad was the best available battery material; it was used for everything from cell phones to electric razors. Then lithium came along and completely blew it away for capacity, time to recharge, lack of "memory," etc. Who's to say there isn't another breakthrough battery technology being developed that will make lithium as obsolete as NiCad is today?

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Fun Facts to Know and Tell!

Thomas Jefferson wrote that the 1st Amendment erected a "wall of separation" between the church and the state (James Madison said it "drew a line," but it is Jefferson's term that sticks with us today). The phrase is commonly thought to mean that the government should not establish, support, or otherwise involve itself in any religion.

Its.......A FACT!

Buzglyd

As long as we keep digging giant holes in Mother Earth, I'm sure we'll find it.

Pandas are weeping.

seruzawa

The lithium process was known looong before it became workable. And Ni-Cad isn't all that much worse than Lithium performancewise. It's far more poisonous and expensive. You're not talking lithium being even 50% better than ni-cad for energy density. The issue is what chemical process can achieve performance we need right now to make electric vehicles more than curiosities.

There are no known chemical processes that can store the energy required. There are none even theoretical at this time. Decades won't cut it. Electric vehicles are a bad joke right now. And right now is when they need to be profitable enough to fund their own research. Batteries are needed right now that go 10X the distance the contemporary ones do.

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"Make no mistake, Communism lost a big argument - one we know today as the 20th century."

Duken4evr

What it needs is the mythical flux capacitor!

While I do like the idea of silently riding up and down stairs and other such hooliganism as much as the next moto miscreant, it is probably best to leave the batteries for use in cell phones where they belong until their technology evolves to the point that their use in small vehicles like motorcycles is at least somewhat relevant and meaningful. Better and cheaper to ride a small 100 plus mpg internal combusion scooter/bike instead.

Subsidizing Hybrid and/or pure electric vehicles with public money is becoming more and more of an affront to my fiscal sensibilities by the way. We have bigger and more important issues to address with sorely lacking public funds. I have to admit, seeing one of these whizz by, knowing my tax dollars helped to pay for it, would piss me off. Let's face it. These bikes are toys for those with plenty of disposable income. Zero's customers should pay for their toys in full just like everyone else...

Captain Steve

With the current battery tech you would think a hybrid motorcycle would make more sense.

Replace the rear brake with regenerative braking (triggered by the pedal where your rear brakes used to be). This stretches your battery life. Main propulsion would be a 125cc engine, secondary would be the electric. Secondary would only kick in at WOT for more power.

So you end up with a 15 ft-lb of torque engine and an additional 30 ft-lbs from the electric for accelerating. The electric kicks in only when you're getting up to speed, then the gas engine (working at full load) keeps you going at highway speed.

I'm sure it's not as simple as that of course. Main problem would be keeping the weight down. But I could see that as a viable 70+ mpg commuter bike.

Buzglyd

Oh great, now dolphins really will have to die.

It's all Ken's fault.

News Headlines

seruzawa

Ah, just build the Orion spacecraft and mine the asteroids. Unfortunately this planet's leaders have all the vision of dung beetles.

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"Make no mistake, Communism lost a big argument - one we know today as the 20th century."

sarnali2

Why not go nuke, it works for ships and sewer pipes. A golfball sized chunk of good old U235 will last ages and a couple of pounds of lead shielding will keeps your nuts from glowing in the dark. Hyman would be proud...

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"Carpe` Throttelum -Loud Suits Save Lives"

"He said he's farting because of his medication"...

Buzglyd

You could wear a Snell 2011 certified puffy hat when you ride.

sarnali2

Only if it matched my Aerostitch stripped coveralls and low cut work oxfords......

__________________
"Carpe` Throttelum -Loud Suits Save Lives"

"He said he's farting because of his medication"...