Brammo Enertia
Encyclopedia
The Enertia is an electric motorcycle designed and sold by Brammo, Inc
. It uses a Lithium iron phosphate battery
, and is intended as a commuter vehicle. Enertia motorcycles first went on sale in late July 2009, and began selling at Best Buy in August 2009.
construction. Early prototypes used carbon fiber
as the principal material, but Brammo later decided to produce the monocoque body out of aluminum. Some of the bike's components are made entirely of recycled material, while the body panels are created from a mixed percentage of recycled and new materials.
The Enertia's permanent magnet AC Synchronous motor is powered by six Valence
lithium iron phosphate battery
modules, which can provide a top speed of over 62 mph (99.8 km/h).
The vehicle's batteries can be recharged via the onboard charger within three hours by plugging into a standard 110 volt electrical outlet.
Brammo has stated the Enertia does not have regenerative braking
because of the limited benefit that current regenerative braking technology provides to motorcycles, and the risk of traction problems.
According to Cycle World magazine, "With its wide, mild-rise handlebar, sporty steering geometry and narrow 18-inch-front/17-inch-rear Avon RoadRiders, the Enertia is a light and responsive handler." The road test editor recorded a 0-60 mph time of 16.1 seconds, and a quarter-mile run of 20.19 seconds at 60.78 mph.
The current testing versions of the Enertia being shown to the media are described as enjoyable to ride, nimble and easy to control. It is also capable of better speed than widely promised, up to 65 mph (29.1 m/s), although this quickly drains the battery.
Most of the cost of the motorcycle is due to the battery. Brammo is hoping for the cost of this component to fall in the future, and is talking of creating a program to lease rather than own the battery.
in the 'performance' mode, the Enertia's power output is comparable to a conventionally powered Kawasaki Ninja 250 motorcycle. However, the 2009 Ninja 250 has a top speed of 95.5 mph (153.7 km/h), while the Enertia's top speed is 50 mph or 55 mph (88.5 km/h). It has no gears or clutch so shifting is not required, which Brammo claims enables the Enertia to go from 0 mile per hour in 3.8 seconds in performance mode. Tested by Cycle World
, the Ninja 250 accelerates from 0 mile per hour in 2.0 seconds. Motorcycle Consumer News
projected a range of 246 mi (395.9 km) for the Ninja 250 based on their tested 51.2 mpgU.S. (21.8 km/L). Brammo claims the Enertia has a range of 40 to- between charges if power is set to the minimum level, 40%.
At 19.564 lbs of carbon dioxide
(CO2) per gallon consumed, the Ninja 250 would emit 93.9 lb (42.6 kg) per 4.8 US gal (18.2 l) tank, or about 4967 lb (2,253 kg) of per year if ridden the US average of 13000 miles (20,921.4 km) per year. The Enertia would consume 260 charges over the course of 13000 miles (20,921.4 km) at 50 miles (80.5 km) per charge. With a battery pack capacity of 3.1 kW·h, the annual consumption of electricity would be 806 kW·h. With a US national average emissions of 1.297 lb (0.58830930389 kg) per kW·h, the Enertia's yearly carbon emissions would be 1045 lb (474 kg).
Brammo
Brammo, Inc. is an electric vehicle company based in Ashland, Oregon, United States. Its first production electric motorcycle, the Enertia, is assembled in Sárvár, Hungary and is selling online via the company's website and is available for sale and service at select motorcycle dealers throughout...
. It uses a Lithium iron phosphate battery
Lithium iron phosphate battery
The lithium iron phosphate battery, also called LFP battery, is a type of rechargeable battery, specifically a lithium-ion battery, which uses LiFePO4 as a cathode material.-History:...
, and is intended as a commuter vehicle. Enertia motorcycles first went on sale in late July 2009, and began selling at Best Buy in August 2009.
Construction and components
The body uses monocoqueMonocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
construction. Early prototypes used carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
as the principal material, but Brammo later decided to produce the monocoque body out of aluminum. Some of the bike's components are made entirely of recycled material, while the body panels are created from a mixed percentage of recycled and new materials.
The Enertia's permanent magnet AC Synchronous motor is powered by six Valence
Valence Technology
Valence Technology, Inc. develops and manufactures advanced lithium iron phosphate cathode materials as well as programmable battery modules and trays. Valence's products are used in electric vehicle and Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles such as cars, scooters, motorbikes, commercial vehicles such...
lithium iron phosphate battery
Lithium iron phosphate battery
The lithium iron phosphate battery, also called LFP battery, is a type of rechargeable battery, specifically a lithium-ion battery, which uses LiFePO4 as a cathode material.-History:...
modules, which can provide a top speed of over 62 mph (99.8 km/h).
The vehicle's batteries can be recharged via the onboard charger within three hours by plugging into a standard 110 volt electrical outlet.
Brammo has stated the Enertia does not have regenerative braking
Regenerative brake
A regenerative brake is an energy recovery mechanism which slows a vehicle or object down by converting its kinetic energy into another form, which can be either used immediately or stored until needed...
because of the limited benefit that current regenerative braking technology provides to motorcycles, and the risk of traction problems.
According to Cycle World magazine, "With its wide, mild-rise handlebar, sporty steering geometry and narrow 18-inch-front/17-inch-rear Avon RoadRiders, the Enertia is a light and responsive handler." The road test editor recorded a 0-60 mph time of 16.1 seconds, and a quarter-mile run of 20.19 seconds at 60.78 mph.
The current testing versions of the Enertia being shown to the media are described as enjoyable to ride, nimble and easy to control. It is also capable of better speed than widely promised, up to 65 mph (29.1 m/s), although this quickly drains the battery.
Most of the cost of the motorcycle is due to the battery. Brammo is hoping for the cost of this component to fall in the future, and is talking of creating a program to lease rather than own the battery.
Comparison with conventional motorcycles
With 12 to-, and 17 to- of torqueTorque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
in the 'performance' mode, the Enertia's power output is comparable to a conventionally powered Kawasaki Ninja 250 motorcycle. However, the 2009 Ninja 250 has a top speed of 95.5 mph (153.7 km/h), while the Enertia's top speed is 50 mph or 55 mph (88.5 km/h). It has no gears or clutch so shifting is not required, which Brammo claims enables the Enertia to go from 0 mile per hour in 3.8 seconds in performance mode. Tested by Cycle World
Cycle World
Cycle World is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the U.S. and is now the largest motorcycling magazine in the world...
, the Ninja 250 accelerates from 0 mile per hour in 2.0 seconds. Motorcycle Consumer News
Motorcycle Consumer News
Motorcycle Consumer News is a monthly periodical offering reviews of motorcycles and other information such as motorcycle safety techniques...
projected a range of 246 mi (395.9 km) for the Ninja 250 based on their tested 51.2 mpgU.S. (21.8 km/L). Brammo claims the Enertia has a range of 40 to- between charges if power is set to the minimum level, 40%.
At 19.564 lbs of carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
(CO2) per gallon consumed, the Ninja 250 would emit 93.9 lb (42.6 kg) per 4.8 US gal (18.2 l) tank, or about 4967 lb (2,253 kg) of per year if ridden the US average of 13000 miles (20,921.4 km) per year. The Enertia would consume 260 charges over the course of 13000 miles (20,921.4 km) at 50 miles (80.5 km) per charge. With a battery pack capacity of 3.1 kW·h, the annual consumption of electricity would be 806 kW·h. With a US national average emissions of 1.297 lb (0.58830930389 kg) per kW·h, the Enertia's yearly carbon emissions would be 1045 lb (474 kg).
External links
- Brammo Website
- Review, KneeSlider
- Review, Wired