This is the Brammo Empulse, it's going to turn the electric/Internal Combustion Engine paradigm on its head, forever altering the transportation landscape in America. That's a bold statement, right? Check this out: with tax breaks it's $500 cheaper than an SV650 and has a superior torque-to-weight ratio. It'll reach speeds in excess of 100mph and can travel over 100 miles between charges. Did we mention they plan to race it at Laguna Seca?
For the last couple of years, we've been watching electric bikes, amazed at the rate of progress. Products like the Brammo Enertia and Zero DS would make cool additions to a well-heeled enthusiast's multi-bike garage. But, one question always lingered: When will electrics be competitive with ICE bikes? The Empulse answers that question, the answer is "now."
A development of ideas originally seen on last year's Brammo Enertia TTR race bikes, the Empulse uses a liquid-cooled AC Synchronous motor as a stressed member in a huge aluminum beam frame with a tubular steal swingarm that actually pivots on the motor housing.
That motor puts out 55bhp and 59 lb-ft of torque which needs to power a bike that weighs just 390lbs ready-to-ride. That gives it a power-to-weight ratio of .141 hp/lbs and a torque-to-weight ratio of .151 lb-ft/lbs. Compare those number to the SV650's .167 hp/lbs and .109 lb-ft/lbs and you'll see that the Brammo is slightly behind on power-to-weight and slightly ahead on torque-to-weight.
But the traditional bugbear of electric vehicles hasn't necessarily been performance, but instead a very limited range. The Empulse will come with three different battery packs at three different price points:
Empulse 6.0: 6kWh, 60-mile average range, $9,995.
Empulse 8.0: 8kWh, 80-mile average range, $11,995.
Empulse 10.0: 10kWh, 100-mile average range, $13,995.
All three models are capable of achieving at least 100mph.
Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher about those figures and how realistic they'll be for the average rider. He told us that the range figures have been calculated using an even mix of highway and city-speed riding. Stick to lower speeds and the maximum range for the 10.0 will be more like 130+ miles, cruise at high speed on the highway and expect more like 60-70 miles.
The bad news here is going to be recharge times. With the Empulse 10.0 and a 110v outlet, expect to be charging overnight. There's currently no official word on recharge times.
Because of the significant tax breaks available for electric vehicles from both state and federal governments, the end cost of the Empulse 10.0, the most expensive model in the range, could be as low as $7,000. Consult your local EV dealer to see what tax breaks are like where you live.
