New electric bikes coming soon

We may be lagging a little behind cars but there’s no doubt that electric bikes are coming and that the speed of the arrival of new EV models from the leading manufacturers is accelerating, too.
Up to now, although there’s an increasingly broad and varied range of EV motorcycles and scooters being offered, so far, ones from the traditional major brands from Europe and Japan have been conspicuous by their absence – but that’s now about to change. So, while most electric bikes up to now have come from little-known makes such as Zero and Energica, and the impact of electric bikes in the marketplace (EV motorcycles are currently only around 5% of powered two-wheeler sales, compared to 18% with cars, although this is growing) has been relatively small, we can expect big changes fairly soon. The 2035 deadline for the phasing out of the sale of all new internal combustion engine (ICE) powered machines suddenly, as we pass into 2023, seems closer than ever (the deadline for cars, at 2030, is even closer still) and, with it, we’re seeing an increasing number of announcements from the major motorcycle manufacturers concerning forthcoming new EV models. Triumph, for example, is already well on the way with its TE-1 electric roadster; Yamaha launched its first electric scooter in 2022 with more to come; Honda last year also outlined its first EV plans for the first time and there have been similar recent announcements from the likes of Kawasaki and Harley-Davidson. So, what, exactly, can we expect in terms of electric machines from the major manufacturers in the near future? Here we round up the pick of the crop.

Of all the major European motorcycle manufacturers Ducati was originally arguably the most sceptical when it came to electric-powered machines – in fact it initially stated there would never be an electric Ducati.
How things have changed. First, in a complete U-turn, it announced it would become the machine supplier for the MotoE World Cup from 2023 and for the following four years. Then, in June 2022, it revealed for the first time the MotoE prototype machine with which it will take part – and even at this early-stage things are looking good. Admittedly, a production, road-legal electric superbike that meets up to Ducati’s exacting standards is still a little way off, but it’s coming, and you’ll be able to see the bike that inspired it in action for yourself in 2023.

‘The what?’ You say. OK, let’s put this another way: Remember the ground-breaking Harley-Davidson LiveWire? The all-new, £30K fully-electric roadster launched by no less than Harley-Davidson in 2019?
Well, this is the follow-up. Admittedly, the LiveWire, although technically impressive and practically capable, hasn’t proved the sales success H-D hoped for, largely due to its high price. But although the US giant has now distanced itself from the project as a result by separating off LiveWire as a standalone brand, it certainly hasn’t given up on the electric concept – and here’s the proof. The ’second generation’ (hence ‘S2’) LiveWire is a far simpler, lighter and, crucially, more affordable offering. It’s dubbed the ‘Del Mar’, has a more youthful, flat tracker style, comes in a variety of modular forms all using the same all-new battery and motor and is already available to order in the US from $16,999. Expect it in the UK before the end of 2023.

The recent EICMA motorcycle show in Milan in November provided the platform for Kawasaki to formally unveil its first production and prototype EV motorcycles.
Two production machines were announced with the promise that they will be on sale in 2023. Both are A1-compliant learner lightweights (so equivalent to 15bhp 125cc ICE machines). There’s a ‘Z’ roadster destined, Kawasaki says “to fulfil the needs of commuters in cities across Europe” and also a sportier, faired version with the same dual battery motive power and a maximum capacity of 3.0 kWh. In addition, Kawasaki also gave a preview of its first ever hybrid motorcycle prototype which has been designed to quickly and easily switch between its internal combustion engine and electric motive power. This HEV machine is currently destined to be part of Kawasaki’s 2024 product range.

Although Yamaha hasn’t arguably been as bold or as vocal about its EV plans as, say, Kawasaki it’s arguably been even busier.
In 2022 it has already launched not just its first mass-produced electric machine into Europe – the 50cc equivalent, AM class scooter called the NEO’s, it has also unveiled its first electric competition machine, the TY-E 2.0 electric trials bike which it plans to enter in select rounds of the 2022 FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) Trial World Championship, AND it has already developed a 125cc equivalent electric scooter, the E01, which is already on sale in Japan and expected to make its European debut in 2023. Although none of these may seem dramatic or particularly exciting, their significance, simply in being from Yamaha, the ‘world’s No. 2’, cannot be overstated and hint at larger Yamaha EV machines in the near future.

In a similarly quiet approach to Yamaha, it’s big Japanese rival Honda has also recently announced – at long last – major plans for imminent new electric-powered two wheels.
In September 2022 Honda announced as part of its company goal “to realize carbon neutrality for all of its motorcycle products during the 2040s” that a whole new range of electric two-wheelers would come to market, the first by late 2023. Although specifics are still closely guarded – the only pictures released have been mysterious silhouettes – we can glean that seven of these first 10 will be scooters (with most of those no0t coming to Europe) but there will also be ‘FUN’ models – as Honda calls them – which appear to comprise a naked similar to the CB300R/CB650R, plus a Rebel-style cruiser.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the BMW CE 04, the German firm’s most advanced, impressive electric two-wheeler so far (having launched its first as long ago as 2012) and it’s already on sale – with more to come.
BMW has probably been the major manufacturer which has most readily adopted the electric concept and repeatedly has unveiled and put into production bold electric visions. The CE 04 is the latest production version but concepts such as the bold, self-balancing 2016 NEXT100 Vision and the 2019 DC Vision Roadster show that it’s likely to be at the forefront of electric two-wheelers for a good while to come. Sure, there’s no production electric motorcycles per se so far, but the CE 04 produces 42bhp, has classy features such as a 10.25in TFT dash, a whacky design and rides well. At £11,700 (when an ICE Yamaha TMAX starts at £13,800) it isn’t even that expensive. A smaller, even more affordable CE 02 version is expected soon…

Although Triumph hasn’t yet offered any electric motorcycles to the market as, say, rivals Harley-Davidson and BMW have done, that’s not to say Britain’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer has been idle when it comes to developing and exploring EVs.
Its TE-1 electric bike project, as developed in conjunction with Williams Advanced Engineering and Warwick University (among others) is now in the running, prototype stage (and, by all accounts, with 175bhp and a 0-60 time of 3.6seconds performs mightily impressively, too) On the slight downside, the Hinckley marque has also said that it currently has no plans to put it into production and will instead use the technology in other production models. Exactly what these may be – and when – is still unknown.

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