Yamaha unveils zero-emission electric motor scooter

" ... can be stored away inside the house as it would leak no gasoline"

As long as it fits in the elevators.

I'm all in favor of electric vehicles. When electric motorcycles can cruise at 85 mph+ for over 125 miles I'm buying. I've been watching the development of electric cycles and I think the magic numbers are on the horizon. Performance wise, an electric Zero MX bike recently beat the gasoline bikes in a pro race. Swift, silent.

Fantastic! I have a 30km commute to work but could always charge it there...any idea if it will be marketed in North America? I'm also wondering how long the battery will last...

meh, except for the emissions to charge it.

and build it.

and store it.

and dispose of it.

meh.

meh, except for the emissions to charge it.

and build it.

and store it.

and dispose of it.

meh.

The military already has clean battery technology. Zero motorcycles is capitalizing on it right now and you can buy it. At 1/2 cent per mile to operate that's pretty damn clean and the designer claims you can eat the batteries. I'll have to take his word on that.

meh, except for the emissions to charge it.

and build it.

and store it.

and dispose of it.

meh.

You know very well that they mean tail pipe emissions. Also, production,storage, and disposal are all present in conventional vehicles as well. Let's not pretend that this concept, and all similar electric transport systems, don't vastly reduce carbon emissions despite the trivial emissions in their creation and destruction. If we refused to take small sensible steps, and instead insisted and waited on grand leaps, we would never advance at all.

meh to your meh.

meh, except for the emissions to charge it.

and build it.

and store it.

and dispose of it.

meh.

I think you need to be more realistic. This kind of technology is better than nothing afterall and i am certain we will never get a true zero carbon vehicle ever. Also bear in mind every green technology is not zero carbon either.

Give it time technology will find a way....one day.

Technology will find a way. The reason is that manufacturing and disposal themselves will begin to be zero or low carbon. The trick is to make the source of electricity low carbon. We could do it within the next twenty years.
Solar electricity from the southwest US (for the US) and from northern africa (for Europe) distributed by grids. Same thing for China. Current superconductor research right now is cruising along, would be the icing on the cake for a smart grid.

Next goals after that will be population control (which is kind of starting to level off in different parts of the world)
Sustainable agrigulture
Monitoring of environmental toxins.

Ok, easier said than done.

@Canman
How are you going to convince the Pope and all those religious idiots that population control is not something we wish would happen by asking their followers to 'be responsible?'

Most of the problems in Africa are caused by the religious rules about 'doing it.' Same as Haiti, way over populated and ruled by the Pope.

China say 1 per, you gonna enforce that everywhere?

IT's really funny how some people try to
downplay electric vehicles, It is inevitable that
it WILL take over because it is a BETTER technology hands down.

You can stand on your head at a 45 degree angle
and it still would not change this very fact.

Electric is KING !!! and they produce ZERO emissions.

Electricity generation is an evolving technology, we are at the beginning stages, yet the progress made thus far is Astonishing to say the least !!!

SSSOOOO... Bring on the ELECTRIC REVOLUTION !

..Electric is KING !!! and they produce ZERO emissions.

The efficiency of electricity production from coal is 43 - 45%. The efficiency of battery cycle is 80 - 85%. The efficiency of electric motor is 85 - 90%. This gives total efficiency 30 - 35% of coal burning in electric motorcycle.

With compare to it the efficiency of two-stroke motors in motorcycles at 8:1 compression ratio is 25 to 27% - which is comparable to electric vehicle. In addition, the electric motorcycle is using battery of limited lifetime and the volume of wastes required for its production is two to three higher (their higher price indicates this). At the cities the electro-cycles can be competitive, but they're just helping to spread waste & environmental pollution outside of cities - not to decrease its total level.

Brammo just announced the Impulse electric motorcycle. 100 mph+ top speed, over 100 mile range.

http://www.brammo.com/empulse/

I'm considering buying one. They wont be available till 2011.

..Electric is KING !!! and they produce ZERO emissions.

The efficiency of electricity production from coal is 43 - 45%. The efficiency of battery cycle is 80 - 85%. The efficiency of electric motor is 85 - 90%. This gives total efficiency 30 - 35% of coal burning in electric motorcycle.

With compare to it the efficiency of two-stroke motors in motorcycles at 8:1 compression ratio is 25 to 27% - which is comparable to electric vehicle. In addition, the electric motorcycle is using battery of limited lifetime and the volume of wastes required for its production is two to three higher (their higher price indicates this). At the cities the electro-cycles can be competitive, but they're just helping to spread waste & environmental pollution outside of cities - not to decrease its total level.

You need to clarify yourself. Some of your post makes no grammatical sense.

The efficiency of electricity production from coal is 43 - 45%. The efficiency of battery cycle is 80 - 85%. The efficiency of electric motor is 85 - 90%. This gives total efficiency 30 - 35% of coal burning in electric motorcycle.

With compare to it the efficiency of two-stroke motors in motorcycles at 8:1 compression ratio is 25 to 27% - which is comparable to electric vehicle. In addition, the electric motorcycle is using battery of limited lifetime and the volume of wastes required for its production is two to three higher (their higher price indicates this). At the cities the electro-cycles can be competitive, but they're just helping to spread waste & environmental pollution outside of cities - not to decrease its total level.

Or we can not be hypocrites and not use coal to charge batteries. Let's use solar, wind, etc and see what the new numbers are. 25-27% efficiency? Are you including the energy to refine and transport the heavy gasoline?

The efficiency of electricity production from coal is 43 - 45%.
In addition, the electric motorcycle is using battery of limited lifetime and the volume of wastes required for its production is two to three higher (their higher price indicates this).

My electricity comes from water and gravity. That's pretty efficient. Anyway, I see that you are still using electricity. How much pollution do YOU produce daily?

The higher price has more to do with R&D on a new technology, rather than indicating the waste associated with it. Companies do their best to reduce waste in order to have a larger profit margin(Duh).

The battery lifetime is improving fairly rapidly, as you would know if you bought battery operated power tools as often as I do.

I see nothing in your argument that has merit. Electric is far and away the better way to go.

Electric is far and away the better way to go.

I'm not so sure, until we produce it by burning of fossil fuels. After all - if it would, the economy based industry would use it already...

http://www.sankey...2008.png

The most efficient use of everything at hand would be to encourage development of far more efficient gasoline and diesel engines. The infrastructure is in place -- no need to tear down the old and build all new systems. It would even be more efficient to develop engine retrofits for existing vehicles vs throwing away our old vehicles to replace them with all new manufacturing. I find it ridiculous that no one is taking this approach.

I would love to see a manufacturer offer a program where when it's time for a new car/bike, you bring in the old and they make it "new," more efficient and cleaner, for a fraction of the cost/waste associated with commissioning the manufacture of an all-new machine and the de-commissioning of an old one. They could even add some zippy bs visual elements to boost the owner's ego.

I build EV trike MC's from golf cart rears and moped/MC front ends/bodies. Just cut the GC off in front of the seat and weld the MC frame to it.

Change the batteries to 12v increasing the pack to 72vdc, replace the rear wheels with VW Rabbit or trailer 4 lug tires and you can have a nice 45mph, 60 mile range EV for under $1k that is very reliable.

Older GC chargers can by changing the rectifier to a bridge rectifier charge 72v pack correctly. With slight changes the CG contactor controllers can be used too.