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Have no interest, Level 1 meets all of my needs.

2 (6.9%)

Just curious about them.

2 (6.9%)

Definitely planning on purchasing a faster charging system.

19 (65.5%)

Already have at least Level 2!

6 (20.7%)

Total Members Voted: 29

[ultrarnr]

I am curious how many forum members out there have an interest in Level 2 and Level 3 charging for their Zero Motorcycles. I currently have L2 on my SR and should be getting a CHAdeMO system installed in another week or two. My SR is the first and last electric motorcycle I will buy without some form of L2 or L3 charging installed on it. What says everyone else?

[CrashCash]

I don't see many CHAdeMO stations in Central Florida, so I'd rather spend the bucks on a power tank and an Elcon 2500 or two. I also think the CHAdeMO option is ridiculously expensive, which is another reason it's last on the list.

[Doug S]

I also think the CHAdeMO option is ridiculously expensive, which is another reason it's last on the list.

Granted it's expensive, but the speed and effectiveness of the CHAdeMO charging port is the highest, which puts it first on my list. I'm still thinking about investing in it, though it will be a few more months until it fits into the budget anyhow...but the compatibility issue does have me worried. When I'm closer to making an actual decision, I'll be calling/asking around, trying to determine EXACTLY which stations in my area (and there are a lot of them on Plugshare in southern California!) are truly compatible. Preliminary analysis looks good -- there seem to be several around that would be compatible with the Zero, and it looks like I could pretty much hop all around so cal if I want, even out to Palm Springs or up to Santa Barbara. That would change the bike from a pure commuter to a machine I could do considerably more on.

[oregonrider89]

I like the thread because I am very interested in level 2 or 3 charging integrated into the motorcycle and would love to see Zero move in this direction. I think quick charging is essential for the growth of electric motorcycles. In my opinion fast recharge is more important than battery size/range although there is probably some magic formula that would appeal to a great many riders. I personally rarely ride more than 60 miles at a time and there are a lot of recharge stations around here in Oregon for those occasions when I need to ride longer. I would pay more money for the fast charge options before I would plunk down money for a bigger battery (and more weight to lug around EVERY SINGLE TRIP). A smaller battery size with the CHAdeMO option would cost less than the large battery with the power tank (did I mention the weight thing already?).

My wife knows I am saving my money for the Zero model with standard level 2 or 3 charging. I will not buy another Zero until better charging options are available (I probably would not buy a Brammo because of the transmission). I am considering trading in my Toyota for an electric car so I can get to work without fossil fuels but I would rather spend the money on a motorcycle.

I recall reading in this forum that Zero doesn't really recommend getting CHAdeMO because of compatibility concerns with charging stations but I have no knowledge on the subject. EEs feel free to chime in.

[benswing]

The ChaDeMo option for the 2013 Zeros don't work with every charging station, which is why they were hesitant to install them and why the 2014 ChaDeMo's haven't come out yet.  That is also the reason why they took the ChaDeMo option off of the 2015 lineup. 

Basically, fast charging like that is the key to mass adoption.  However, since not all of the ChaDeMo stations go down to 50V (like they are supposed to), that makes things a bit tricky. 

Eventually we will need fast charging locations that are easily found, but for now I'll take sporadic as long as I can charge quickly.

[oobflyer]

I charge my Nissan Leaf using CHAdeMO chargers. It's amazing to watch the battery pack 'fill-up' so quickly.

I was very disappointed that Zero dropped the idea for 2015.

BUT, I'm sure engineers like Harlan (Hollywood Electrics) will come up with an alternative. I bought some extra chargers and a J1772 adapter (from Hollywood Electrics) for my 2012 ZF9 which allows me to charge at 4kW at any car charging station. it's not CHAdeMO, but a two-hour charge vs. an eight-hour charge, changes the bike from a city-only ride to a more practical ride.

Now that the 2015s are here, hopefully we'll hear more from Harlan soon 

[ultrarnr]

One of the reasons I started this poll was to get an accurate as possible picture of interest in faster charging systems. I realize not everyone who owns an electric motorcycle is on this forum or will even vote if they are but at least it is an indicator, a data point to consider. Because in the end Zero will see this and Harlan will to.

I have a Zero SR (14.2) with 2-2500 watt Elcons from Harlan. Being able to charge with 6300 watts means a max charge time of just under 2 hrs. That is from a SOC as low as 7%. To put it another way I have a little bit better range than a Nissan Leaf but half the charging time. Looking at my Plugshare account I have used a L2 charger 101 times now. I think viewing an electric motorcycle as just a commuter really limits the market. When you look at what percentage of motorcycle owners use their bikes for commuting (in the US) it is really low. Faster charging starts chipping away at the notion of just a commuter bike. Because as others have said here, larger batteries are not always the prefered answer to greater range.

To date I have made several trips across North Carolina and around 325 miles each way in one day. Charging at 6300 watts this is not a big deal. Trips like this would take severals days using just the internal chargerr and clearly are not practical. This is what faster charging does, it opens up so much more potential of what you can do and where you can go with an electric motorcycle. It turns it from just a great commuter bike into something that you can actually travel with. It also makes it easier to justify the premium price we are paying to enjoy that electric motor.

[DesignerDan]

Would anyone care to share what Hollywood electrics charge for the two Elcon 2,500 and adapter cables?

Also, does anyone with these quick chargers ever use a plain old 220 volt outlet instead of a j1772 plug?

[ultrarnr]

DesignerDan,

Yes as I type my SR is being charged from the NEMA 6-50 outlet in my garage. I also have the adapter for NEMA 14-50 so I can charge at campgrounds. The NEMA 6-50 is actually a common outlet needed for welders and air compressors.

[ultrarnr]

DesignerDan,

I got my 2500 watt Elcons last April. Price was $1300.00 each. I got the splitter cable from Zero that is needed to plug in both chargers. You can plug the Elcons into a 110 outlet but they charge a lot faster from 220. It only cost me $200.00 to get my NEMA 6-50 outlet installed in my garage.

[Electric Terry]

I also recommend the dual Elcon setup from Hollywood Electrics.  I know a lot of people who have bought this kit from them.  Makes the bike able to take road trips and go anywhere!
For about the same price, I would recommend the dual Elcon setup over CHAdeMO.  You can use the dual elcons from about 20,000 J1772 stations and also 20,000 campgrounds if you get the 14-50 adapter.
There are very few CHAdeMO stations right now and chances are they will never be along the way on the roads you want to take. 

[jheth]

Are the Elcon's really $1300 each? If so, that would put total price at $2600, plus connectors, etc.
The ChaDEMO accessory is $1800 from Zero.

[Tater McTatums]

I opted against getting the CHAdeMO adapter for my 2014 SR because there are no CHAdeMO stations anywhere near me in "Upstate" NY (I live 8 miles from the PA border). A bunch of J1772 chargers, mainly at the nearby Nissan dealers for the Leaf. The closest CHAdeMO charger to me is 140 miles southeast in NJ, according to Plugshare). It made no sense for me to buy something I would most likely never use. I thought about the quick charger but carrying an external charger around and then trying to find 2 separate outlets to use isn't worth the hassle. I don't have any saddlebags or racks on my bike and I have no intention to get them. And even if I did, after spending $17,000 on the SR, spending another ~$3,000 to get the Elcons is just not in the budget (not including the bags to house them on the bike). The bike is currently parked for the winter but come springtime it will be my main vehicle for any trip that doesn't absolutely require the use of my car. I'd really like to be able to take my SR on longer trips but there just isn't the infrastructure in my area to support it. And since I don't have the power tank I'll have to trailer it to the closest dealer which is 130 miles away. The trade off is that twisty backroads are only a few miles away in any direction.

[ultrarnr]

If you get the Elcons you will need the side case mounts as a minimum to mount them. Those are 399.99 from Zero. If you want to mount them inside side cases you can add the cost of whatever side cases you like. With the CHAdeMO system there is the installation cost. The Zero manual shows 8 hours to install it so whatever your dealer charges per hour times 8 hours. It certainly adds up either way. Whatever you choose I highly doubt you will ever regret spending the money for it. Take a look at the Plugshare web site and do a search for just CHAdeMO systems. See what is around you and then decide. For me it was worth it. I can not ride my SR to my Zero dealer without charging at some point. Or any time I decide to go to Raleigh, NC for whatever reason. Also looking at taking a trip next year to NE PA and being able to use DCFC as much as possible. Right now once I get to Fredericksburg, VA I will only need L2 charging once after that. Everything else north will be DCFC. It all depends on what you want to do and where you want to go and what the charging infrastructure is like along your route.