Our recent brush with the all electric Tesla Roadster got us thinking if we were to get something practical (ie: <$100K) for commuting around Boston, what would we get? Would it be something such as a Vespa? Or perhaps something less well tested, but potentially more forward thinking?
Perhaps something like this carbon fiber Enertia. The Enertia is light weight (280 lbs) all electric motorcycle with a cruising range of about 45 miles. Acceleration is a peppy 0-30 mph in under 5 sec.
Even though their PR shots shows it cruising out in the country side, its current range is really sufficient only for city dwellers zipping around town. The other limitation to the Enertia is it is a single rider bike. Half the fun of riding one of these is to be able to bring a friend along. For that, one will have to consider the Vectrix.
The Vectric is quite a bit bigger and heavier (510 lbs) compared to the Enertia, but the Vectric will carry two and still be able to zip around at reasonable speeds. The range (35 -55 miles) is about the same as the Enertia, but it may be a lot more practical. Since the Vectrix Flagship Store is in Rhode Island, we will definitely go and check this bike out in person.
These electric bikes are definitely a lot more justifiable than the Tesla, but they are easily twice as expensive as the tried and true Vespa. There are still a lot of open questions regarding the actual cost of ownership, battery life, and service. Hopefully, we'll get them answered during our visit. Drop us a note if you have a question in mind. [Permalink] - Wan Chi Lau
|
