First impression: Zero S electric motorcycle

Several manufacturers are now marketing electric motorcycles, but they remain a rare enough sight that riding one can draw a certain amount of attention.

While riding one of the newest electrics, a Zero S, in the neighborhood surrounding our Yonkers, N.Y., offices, people engaged in sidewalk conversations stopped and stared mid-sentence as I whirred past. I know this because I could hear them talking, even going by at 30 mph. The Zero is that quiet. It even drew attention from the local police, who pulled me over just to ask questions about the battery-powered bike.

So, what is it?
Santa Cruz, California-based Zero has been making an off-road motorcycle since 2008, but the Zero S is their first street bike. Like the competing Brammo, the Zero S is lightweight at 225 pounds, nimble, and easy to ride. (Read: “Brammo electric motorcycles coming to Best Buy.”) There is no clutch or gears to shift; you just twist the throttle and go. Disc brakes front and rear provide smooth, sure stops. With performance roughly comparable to a small, 250cc gasoline-powered motorcycle, the Zero S is targeted at commuters and urban dwellers who don’t need a lot of cruising range or high-speed capability. 

Company officials say the Zero S has about a 45-60 mile range, depending on how hard and fast it is ridden. Top speed is about 60 mph, and the lithium-ion batteries recharge in roughly four hours using any household 110-volt outlet.

Rather than using a traditional dealer network, Zero plans to sell their bikes direct to customers through the company Web site. This, they say, will help keep the price down. At $9,950, the Zero S is still expensive, and it is about 2-3 times the cost of comparable gasoline-powered models. But it’s also about $2,000 less than the competing Brammo, and the company says state and Federal tax credits could shave another $1,000-$3,000 off the price, depending on where you live.

Most of the cost is in the batteries, but CEO Gene Banman is confident his bikes have a future and that battery costs will come down. Banman says he’s seen a 25 percent drop in the last 12 months, and that he expects to be able to reach price parity with gasoline-powered motorcycles in about five years. That could make electric motorcycles a viable option for some, and maybe even make them popular enough that you don’t get pulled over just for riding one. 

See our motorcycle and scooter buying advice and ratings.

Also, see our recent first impressions of:
Aprilia 850 Mana
Can-Am Spyder motorcycle
Piaggio MP3 motor scooter

—Jim Travers

More Americans buying diesels as choices diminish

We’ve been seeing more diesel-powered vehicles on the market, but almost all are from European automakers. And news reports now indicate that many plans for any non-European diesels in the U.S. have been canceled. (See our video report from the 2008 Detroit auto show, when the future looked brighter for diesels in the States.) These shelved plans include diesel engine options for the Acura TSX, Chevrolet Silverado (and-or its twin, the GMC Sierra), Dodge Ram, Ford F-150, Nissan Maxima, and an unnamed Toyota model.

Some analysts have blamed the production changes on the added expense of diesel emissions equipment and on volatile diesel fuel prices—now $2.13 below this time last year. New Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) ratings that emphasize city driving also undermine a key diesel selling point—highway efficiency. (In our tests we have found that diesels offer an average fuel savings of 30 percent on the highway.)

Meanwhile, according to Automotive News Volkswagen reports sales of its Jetta diesel models have accelerated from 30 percent of overall Jetta sales last month to more than 36 percent this month. Plus, a whopping 83 percent of Jetta Sportwagens are sold with diesels.

Now BMW is planning to expand its diesel range even further with a new small SUV, the X1.

What do you think? Would you consider a diesel for your next car? Give us your take in the Comments section below.

Read: "Diesel power just in: Mercedes GL320, BMW X5 3.0 diesel, BMW 335d."

—Eric Evarts

Green carmakers may emerge as next U.S. car industry

Oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens is investing in a new car factory in Louisiana. The San-Diego-based company, V-vehicles, is keeping tight wraps on what type of car will be produced there, but Pickens said in a statement that it will be an “environmentally friendly” vehicle that will run on gasoline and eventually may offer a natural gas option. (In related news, the Potential Gas Committee on Thursday upped its estimate of available natural gas reserves in the United States by about 34 percent, due to improved recovery technology.)

This got me thinking about all the new start-up car companies popping up around the United States, as the traditional Detroit automakers (and even big imports with U.S. plants) are faltering.

Several we have written about here before include:

Tesla Motors – founded by PayPal billionaire Elon Musk, and based in Palo Alto, Calif., Tesla builds a $100,000 electric sports car, the Roadster, and has plans to build a seven-passenger electric sedan, the Model S. The company is seeking more than $350 million in funding from the Department of Energy to buy an existing factory to build the Model S.

Fisker Automotive – based in Irvine, Calif., is developing a plug-in hybrid (range-extended) electric luxury sedan called the Karma. Run by former BMW and Aston Martin designer Henrik Fisker, who designed the car, the company has outsourced everything from manufacturing to engineering. The Karma will be built in Finland.

Carbon Motors – Based in Hermosa Beach, Calif., former law-enforcement officers and automaker executives are leading the company to offer a new, purpose-built police cruiser. So far the company is still working on developing a legal framework for the car, although it has shown a prototype. It says the car will be made in the U.S.

Zap – This long-time electric bicycle-maker based in Santa Rosa, Calif., has branched out into making small electric cars, including the Zebra 3-wheeled coupe and pickup.

Aptera – Run by a group of former auto industry executives, based in Vista, Calif., is developing a three-wheeled electric two-seater that it says will be built in California later this year, and initially only sold in the state.

Bright Automotive – based on a spinoff from the Rocky Mountain Institute think tank, Anderson, Indiana-based Bright plans to market a small(ish) electric delivery van, called the Idea, in 2011.

Myers Motors – born out of the defunct Corbin Motors, Myers, based in Tallmadge, Ohio, bought the fiberglass tooling and design of the Corbin Sparrow, which it sells as the Myers NMG, for No More Gas.

EV Innovations – Based in Las Vegas, EV Innovations has been converting cars to electric power for years, and it is now developing two of its own vehicles: the two-seat Wave and the Inizio sports car. Both are supposed to be ready by the time the competition begins for the Automotive X Prize later this year.

Admittedly, this is only a partial list. Other companies, are launching new motorcycles in the U.S., including Zero Motorcycles, and Brammo, which will be sold through Best Buy stores. The XPrize alone has attracted dozens of competitors developing plans to build fuel-efficient alternative cars in the U.S. And an industry has developed to build low-speed neighborhood electric vehicles such as the G.E.M. car around the country.

Just like the dawn of the 20th century, which saw a proliferation of horseless carriage builder, most of these modern startups may not last. But one or two, or one that follows behind them, may eventually thrive. So as Chrysler and General Motors shrink and become dependent on government support, it is encouraging to see American ingenuity springing in to fill the void.

--Eric Evarts

Driving the Tesla Roadster: Soothing your conscience

At a recent press event, we drove the only pure-electric road-ready automobile currently (ahem) on sale in the United States. “Limited” production is the watchword here. The $110,000 Tesla Roadster is built only to specific pre-sold orders, and during the five- to six-month wait time the company holds a $50,000 deposit. So far about 500 have been sold.

The Tesla Roadster is based on the Lotus Elise, and the basic car is built at the Lotus plant in the Hethel, England. Final assembly takes place in California. In place of the Elise’s mid-mounted engine goes an electric motor producing the equivalent of 240 horsepower. A large lithium-ion battery is visible beneath the rear deck. The claimed range is 240 miles, and charging time is said to be 3.5 hours using 240-volt current.

The first thing we noticed when starting off is the instantly available and abundant torque, which is a claimed 280 foot-pounds. To put that in perspective, that’s even more torque than Nissan/Infiniti’s new 3.7-liter V6 engine and you don’t have to wait for the engine to rev up to get it. As a result, the Tesla is quick. Very quick.

The claimed 0-60 mph sprint is 3.9 seconds, accomplished in an uninterrupted spurt since the electric gearbox has just a single speed. I couldn’t clock that for myself at the time, but it seemed entirely believable. And we can’t forget that that thrill ride comes without consuming a drop of petroleum or a wisp of greenhouse gas from the tailpipe. That is, unless your electricity source for the juice comes from a coal-fired power plant.

Handling is another strong suit. Like the Lotus, and pardon the cliché, the Tesla corners like a go-kart. The unassisted steering is quick and direct, and the car stays flat in curves. The ride is jarring, especially at low speeds, even though the Tesla suspension is tuned to be softer than that in the Elise. During our limited drive, however, we couldn’t tell how a rapid deceleration would affect the handling, given the heavy-weight battery pack at the rear. While currently the car lacks stability control, Tesla officials said that it’s in the works.

Like the Elise we tested, climbing into the narrow cockpit is awkward, since you have to swing your legs over a tall, wide sill and then sort of drop into the deep bucket seat. Hoisting yourself out requires similar athleticism. The interior is pretty basic. A touch screen on your left displays the car’s remaining range. The state of battery charge is displayed next to the odometer.

The Tesla is certainly a novel and fun-to-drive toy, and if nothing else it’s a sexy advertisement for the possibilities of electric propulsion. It also lends bit of moral superiority, since unlike a similarly priced Mercedes-Benz SL or Porsche 911 it not only keeps the environment clean but salves the conscience, as well.

—Gabe Shenhar

Learn about driving green in the Consumer Reports special fuel economy section.

Auto news highlights – June 18, 2009

Chinese automaker to buy Volvo
Ford has been right-sizing its corporate portfolio since long before it was fashionable. Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Land Rover have all found new international owners. Now, there are reports that Chinese automaker Geely has signed a deal to purchase Volvo. No formal announcement has been made. [Autocar, The Car Connection]

New auto company to use old GM plant
Backed by investor T. Boone Pickens, V-Vehicle Co. will assemble cars at a former General Motors plant in Louisiana. The project is expected to create over 1,400 direct jobs at an average annual salary of nearly $40,000, plus benefits. VVC will receive a state incentive package worth approximately $67 million. Pickens has been a vocal advocate of wind power and natural gas, suggesting these may be alternative-fueled cars. [Automotive News, Louisiana Economic Development]

Pontiac Vibe production ends in August
The Vibe had been expected to live on as the sole survivor after GM cuts off the Pontiac division, but the company today announced production would cease this August. GM is in talks with Toyota for other uses for the New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI) facility jointly operated in Fremont, California. The Vibe is the only Pontiac vehicle that is Consumer Reports recommended. [GM]

Chrysler to resume car production
Chrysler had idled its plants as it entered bankruptcy proceedings, immediately reducing costs and vehicle inventory. Now, the new, leaner Chrysler is firing up the factories. First to start was the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant that builds the Dodge Viper, beginning on June 15. The week of June 29th, seven production factories will begin churning out higher-volume Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep models. (Read: "What the post-bankruptcy Chrysler means to you") [CNN, Chrysler]

Cash for clunkers moves closer to law
The “cash for clunkers” program narrowly escaped Senate today, remaining as part of the approved $106 billion war-funding bill. The House approved the bill earlier in the week, and it is now awaiting President Obama’s signature. [AP, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post]

Turn signals: amber vs. red
A new report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] has found that amber rear turn signals are 5.3 percent more effective than red signals in reducing crashes. The real-world study looked at rear-end crashes where the front vehicle was in the act of turning, merging, changing lanes, or pulling in or out of a parking lot.  [NHTSA]

Brammo electric motorcycles coming to Best Buy

Best Buy may not be a store most people associate with motorcycles. It certainly isn't the place most riders would think of when it’s time to pick up a new bike and hit the highway. But the electronics retailer is exactly where you can expect to find electric motorcycles soon.

At first blush, the people behind motorcycle maker Brammo could be dismissed as nutso for even thinking of hooking up with a big-box store as the primary outlet for their electric cycles. Keep in mind, the Brammo guys are people who know motorcycles, ride motorcycles, and know other people who do. And the Brammo Enertia is a real motorcycle, a full-size bike capable of highway speeds.

But the folks at Best Buy bought into the idea too, so much so that they are an investor. And as odd as it might seem at first to find a $12,000 electric motorcycle tucked in amongst the flat-screen TVs and laptop computers, the relationship does make a certain amount of sense.

As Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher explained at a recent New York City media event, the idea of working with an electronics store came out of what he calls an epiphany that occurred during development, when a group of people involved were standing around looking at a disassembled Enertia. The assorted parts, they reasoned, had every bit as much to do with electronics as they did mechanics. Indeed, the Enertia has few moving parts and lots things like batteries, capacitors, controllers, and gizmos. Bramscher even describes the power cord as looking like the ones powering Hewlett-Packard computers in offices across America. Brakes and tires are about all there is to maintain, as long as the motor and batteries hold out. And if they don't, bring on Best Buy’s Geek Squad.

Company officials point out that many Best Buy stores still have two- bay garages from the days when the company did a brisk business installing aftermarket audio systems. Since that business has all but dried up, that space is available.

Charged to be wild
While our test ride was limited to a quick trip around the block on the streets of Manhattan, we came away favorably impressed. Acceleration is quick and smooth, and disc brakes are powerful and easy to modulate. The 285-pound Enertia feels and looks solidly put together, and it is light and agile, absorbing New York’s famous potholes well. Brammo says performance and handling is comparable to a small, 250cc motorcycle. And it’s easy to ride, with no shifting. You just twist the throttle and go.

Lithium-ion batteries are said to be good for 1,000 charges, and the Brammo has a range of 45 miles or so - enough to satisfy the needs of most commuters. And it can be recharged to 80 percent capacity in four hours using a standard 110-volt outlet.

Aside from the slow charging, it all sounds good, but the business model still seems like a risky one. The little or no maintenance factor will likely appeal to some buyers, and brisk motorcycle performance will make it a go for others. New riders, particularly those in urban areas, may find the Brammo particularly alluring.

But the price may be more than most bargain-hunting electronics buyers or even green-thinking commuters are looking for. And first-time riders who would most benefit from the Entertia’s easy operation might find a regular scooter to be a more-affordable way to try life on two wheels. (See our motorcycle and scooter buying advice and ratings.)

Brammos are set to start hitting Best Buy stores in early July, with a nationwide rollout beginning on the west coast. The Geek Squad has already been dispatched to company headquarters in Oregon for the necessary training to service the bikes.

—Jim Travers

Toyota: Electrics coming, but won’t replace gas cars

Electric cars are no replacement for conventional cars, despite what you might have read.

That’s the conclusion of Bill Reinert, Toyota’s manager of advanced technology planning. In an interview at a New York City conference on sustainable development, Reinert said the company would produce an electric version of it’s tiny Scion iQ. He added that the company is looking at new business models for electric cars, and it won’t be focused on suburban use.

Electric cars may make the most sense to operate in the city, where vehicles usually drive at low speeds and for short distances. However, a real challenge for city use is that most urban dwellings don’t have dedicated parking with access to a plug. So plug-in cars that work on the expectation that consumers will charge them every night at home won’t work.

So, Toyota says it is looking at “new business models,” such as car sharing, leasing batteries or cars, and fleet sales for its EVs. Some will be sold to traditional consumers as well, he says.

Toyota announced that it will put 500 plug-in Priuses on the street in a fleet demonstration program in 2009, with 200 examples in Japan, 150 in Europe, and 150 in the United States. Powered by lithium-ion batteries along with a gasoline engine, these initial plug-in vehicles will be for fleet use, with no opportunity for sale to customers.

In the end, Toyota predicts that perhaps 20 percent of vehicles will be electric by 2020.

—Eric Evarts

Updated 6/12/09

Coming soon: Mitsubishi i-Miev

Mitsubishi has announced it will be bringing the i-Miev electric car to production. The MiEv is a microcar about the size of the Smart but with four doors. The first 1,400 cars will be available via lease to government and corporations in late July. Sales to individuals will begin in April 2010, but pre-orders will be taken online this summer. The price after conversion from the yen will be about $45,300.

The four-door, four passenger i-Miev will use lithium-ion battery packs and have a range of about 100 miles on a charge. Recharging can be done in a few ways—a quick charge at a station , if available, can take 30 minutes, a full 200 volt outlet can take 7 hours or 100 volt charge for 14 hours. During driving, the regenerative brake system helps to recharge the battery as well.

Other features of the i-Miev will be LED headlamps, electrically powered climate control and optional 7-inch navigational display, which can be used to display the location of available battery charging stations.

For more information on the i-Miev, see our preview.

—Liza Barth 

CitiCAT compressed-air car coming to U.S.

With all the talk about upcoming battery-powered and fuel-cell electric cars, it’s easy to overlook the air car. That’s right, air car.

Now Popular Mechanics reports that a car that runs on compressed air will come to the United States for 2010. Unlike other air-car models being designed for Europe and India, the United States will get a six-passenger, vanlike model called the CitiCAT. Zero Pollution Motors, based in New Paltz, NY, says it will produce up to 10,000 of the models at several plants in the States.

Its specially-designed piston engine will run on either compressed air stored in an onboard tank, or, after the air pressure runs out, on gasoline or ethanol. The car will reportedly have about an eight gallon tank for liquid fuel, which will give the car a range between 800 and 1,000 miles.

It will cost just under $18,000.

We’ll believe it when we drive it—and we just might for the Automotive X Prize competition. Until then, imminent production intent could be just hot air.

—Eric Evarts

Behind the wheel: Mini E

We recently had a chance to drive the all-electric Mini E at a local press event. The car is not for sale yet, but in what amounts to an extended market test, a selected group of customers in the Los Angeles and New York City areas will pay $850 per month to lease one for a year. (See our Mini E preview.)

The Mini E is a two-seater with a large, 35-kwh lithium-ion battery pack occupying the space where the back seats would be. The electric motor running off that battery produces the equivalent of 204 hp and 162 lb.-ft of torque. To put that in perspective, a gasoline-powered Mini Cooper S produces 172 hp and 177 lb.-ft. So this electric Mini has oodles of power. The claimed range of the E is 150 miles. A full recharge is said to take about four and a half hours if you have access to a 240-volt power source, but almost 24 hours if you have to use standard 110-volt power. (See our Mini Cooper ratings and reviews, available to online subscribers.)

We took turns driving the electric Mini around a hilly, curving, five-mile loop in Bear Mountain State Park, along the Hudson River north of New York City. Driving it was a hoot. With the electric powertrain’s instant torque, it’s easy to light up the front wheels at launch or even while accelerating out of corners. The motor pulls strongly, eagerly, quietly, and effortlessly. Power delivery to the wheels is similar to a Cooper S—right down to the torque steer. Handling is similar, too, with go-kart like agility. The regenerative braking system, which recaptures braking energy to recharge the battery, lets you descend hills without touching the brakes. It’s a pretty aggressive system that we think a lot of people will find strange at first. The only noise from the powertrain is a muted electric whine. That’s too bad in a way, since the regular Mini’s exhaust note is quite exhilarating.

Similar in appearance to its gasoline-fueled brethren, the Mini E adapts subtly to the electric format. For instance, the instrument cluster does away with a tachometer, substituting a gauge that shows the state of the battery’s charge. Open the fuel flap and you find an electric receptacle instead of a gas cap. One thing that can’t be hidden is the lack of luggage space. Behind the battery is room for a carry-on bag, but not much else.

After a group of heavy-footed journalists had taken turns pushing the Mini E hard around the park’s hilly terrain for a few hours, it became clear that the car wasn’t going to achieve anything close to its 150-mile range in these extreme usage conditions. The point was freely conceded by the BMW/Mini representatives on hand, and it came as a surprise to no one.

The Mini E may still need some work, such as less intrusive regenerative braking, but it proves that green and fun-to-drive are not mutually exclusive. It also shows both the advances in battery technology and the need for those batteries to get a lot smaller. At this point, electric mobility still demands tradeoffs: You can get high performance, good range, and adequate interior space. But you get to pick only two.

—Gabe Shenhar

Learn about driving green in the Consumer Reports special fuel economy section.