While in the automotive industry we’re constantly hearing about the new advancements and improvements in electric cars, we very rarely hear how the car’s two-wheeled companion vehicle the motorcycle is faring in the electric vehicles game. You might be interested to know that as far as auto careers go, the electric motorcycle industry is – pardon the pun – certainly picking up speed in the realm of auto careers these days. As the technology for fully electric vehicles becomes more advanced and more easily implemented, more and more companies are investing in the creation of speedy, silent electric motorcycles. Not the dinky little electric motor scooters you’re used to seeing, either.
The Early Days
When you mention the idea of an electric motorcycle to someone, chances are they’re going to conjure up ideas and images of a tiny little Vespa-like motor scooter that goes about 15km/h. While this may have been true in the early days of electric motorcycles, they’ve come a long way in the last two decades or so. In the early days, there was little interest in developing electric motorcycles because even gas powered motorcycles were seen as somewhat of a luxury or niche item, and the big players were reluctant to even invest in those, let alone ones with electric technology.
These days, however, there’s a renewed interest in electric motorcycles because of the clean transportation possibilities, and because we now have the technology to make it worthwhile. That means that as an automotive technician, you could be put to work helping to develop some groundbreaking new motorcycle concepts.
Eco Friendly and Efficient
These days, even big name players like Harley Davidson are making a foray into the electric motorcycle market. Even though a die-hard auto mechanic might scoff, some of the most alluring aspects about these electric hogs include being able to go extremely long distances on a charge, the technological advances in electric motors allowing faster engines to be built, and the whisper quiet ride that the electric vehicle delivers.
These days, highly efficient electric motorcycle engines clock in at around 60-70 horsepower, and can get around on a full charge for about 275 km in city, or around 140 km on the highway. This means that on a single charge, it’s great for a day or two of cruising, and it makes getting around in city a breeze. It’s no wonder that companies are starting to put much more money into developing the technology. The bikes are almost completely silent, have virtually no environmental impact, are extremely cheap to run and can get you around anywhere in a jiffy!
Armed Forces and Police
While electric motorcycles have been gaining popularity among civilians lately, the military has been using them for quite some time as sneaky stealth vehicles because of their extremely quiet engines and their great mileage. Now, even law enforcement agencies are catching on and working out deals to get bikes of their own to deal with street crime. You can watch the Los Angeles Police Department test out their electric motorcycle in this video:
With so much money and time being invested in making these electric bikes more efficient and cost effective, it wouldn’t be a surprised to see them taking over the road in a few years.
