electric for dummies

The electric motorcycle industry and the internal combustion engine one are more alike than you think.Just like combustion motorcycles, also electric motorcycles have different vehicle segments according to the motorcycle power.Everyone knows the difference between a 125cc, a 600, or a 1000cc, but what about an electric motorcycle?

WHAT ARE THE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS TO DEFINE THE CLASS OF YOUR VEHICLE?

There are many different sizes and types of electric bikes on the market, here’s how to understand the main features, so you will pick the right electric motorcycle for you.

Let’s start with these 3 key features:

Power: Power can be measured in kW or hp1kW = 1,36 hp

I.e.: our sportbike Energica Ego has 107 kW, about 145.52 hp.If you want to make a comparison, 11 kW correspond to a 125cc; 50 kW correspond to a medium power bike; 80 kW correspond to a high-performing motorcycle.

The Energica bikes have a range power output from 80 to 107 kW.

Torque: this force is measured in ft lb. The higher the torque, the greater the acceleration of the motorcycle.

I.e.: Energica Ego has 147 ft lb of torque, more than any supersport combustion engine motorcycle.

Speed: It is measured in miles/h (mph) and depends on engine power and weight of the bike. The 150 mph represent the average maximum speed of a high-powered motorcycle.

I.e.:Energica motorcycles are autolimited at 150 mph for Ego and 125 mph for Eva.

In addition to these features, there are other very important and useful features to evaluate an electric bike:

Battery capacity: this is the amount of energy useful for the use of the motorcycle.

It’s measured in Ampere-hour (Ah) but kilowatt-hour (kWh) is commonly used.The nominal capacity of a battery is the amount of energy that can be withdrawn from it at a particular constant current, starting from a fully charged state.The maximum capacity of a battery is the total amount of energy it contains when fully charged.The battery capacity is not typically given in terms of maximum capacity (this does not refer to real battery capacity).

I.e.: the nominal capacity of Energica motorcycles battery is 11,7 kWh (the maximum capacity is 13.3 kWh).

Charger Power: it’s measured in Watts. The higher the Watt’s value, the higher the power of charge.

All Energica motorcycles can be charged at 20kW power at any CCS (combined charging system) DC Fast Charger.

Moreover, all Energica motorcycles have also a 3kW on board charger.

Charging and Charging Time. This is the formula to calculate correctly the charging time according to the battery capacity and the battery power:

kWh battery / kW provided by the charger = h charging

Energica conforms to the international standards CCS (combined charging system).Thanks to the unique onboard connector, you can recharge at the DC Fast Charge Stations and the AC Chargers. When you use the DC Fast Charge Station, the bike can charge at 20kW up to 80/85% of its state of charge (SOC) in about 20 minutes. This guarantees 75 miles of range in less than half an hour! When using the AC charger, the bike can be charged in about 3.5 hours using the 3kW OBC (On Board Charger).

LPR: this refers to the automatic battery maintenance device during the winter period or long periods of rest.

All Energica models are equipped with the LPR (Long Period Rest).

This feature allows the maintenance and automatic battery balancing for a long period of time. The LPR keeps the battery in the optimum state of charge in order to preserve and extend the life of the battery pack just by leaving the motorcycle connected to a power outlet.

Range: it refers to the total range (miles) per charge and depends on many factors such as driving style, traffic, weather conditions, driver weight, road type , riding position, tyre condition.

Chassis: this is an important element especially when it comes to motorcycles with high power and torque. Without a proper chassis the motorcycles can become dangerous.

Energica designers studied this aspect properly in order to guarantee to customers an excellent riding experience, stability and safety.