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[Brammofan]

From this press release, comes the news that,
Under the proposed EPA regulations issued on Sept 15, 2009, the Zero S and DS achieve an equivalent of 455 MPG and generate zero grams of CO2 per mile.

Did Zero not learn from negative reaction the Chevy Volt got from their "230 mpg" claim? Also, I don't think the "proposed EPA regulations" had an mpg calculation method that applied to motorcycles.  I'm pretty sure (but not certain) that it was passenger cars, light trucks, and upwards.

Plus, the "zero grams of CO2 per mile" must depend on charging from a solar or wind powered generator, and everyone has one of those in his/her backyard. 

I'm not anti-Zero... there's plenty of room in the electric motorcycle market for many players, but this kind of claim ends up making the whole EV industry (and customers) look ridiculous. 

I'm not sure who they're trying to reach with that number, anyway.  Most of the Zero owners and future owners have picked it because of its design, the ride reviews, and the general idea of "green transportation."  Brammo and Vectrix should come out with "1,000 mpg!" and "actually vacuums CO2 from the atmosphere" claims.

[skadamo]

hmm, that struck me as interesting too. I think it is safe to say that you are much more informed on EV’s than your average American. I am wondering if the less informed will see 455 mpg the same way you do.

I agree with you, but if I were marketing the bikes I can’t say I would not be tempted to publish an MPG. You have to speak the language of the audience. 4 kWh does not mean anything to 99% of the world.

I am willing to bet that all EV companies will follow suit and publish MPG. No one has developed a better way to communicate cost savings the way MPG communicates gas milage that I know of.

One thing that surprised me was the certifications allow users to get a federal tax credit. I thought that was already possible without a cert? Does Brammo NOT qualify until they get it?

[Brammofan]

Brammo is fully certified by NHTSA and the EPA (but not Canada).  I think the EPA certification occurred shortly before the Enertia went on sale in Portland.  The NHTSA cert is kind of basic: it's a self-certification process, so it depends on your own standards and integrity.  Brammo had their brakes tested by some independent lab, but I think that was over and above what the feds required -- they did that, apparently, just to assure themselves of the safety.  I don't know the extent of what Zero had tested by independent sources. 

Anyway, the certifications are all there and yeah, the Enertia is eligible for the tax credit.

You're probably right about the intended audience of the press release. 

[skadamo]

OK, good to know. thanks.

[guity]

From a post on El Moto yesterday:

********************

Here is the actual wording from the IRS, taken from http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/...206875,00.html:

Plug-In Electric Vehicle Credit (Section 1142): The new law also creates a special tax credit for two types of plug-in vehicles — certain low-speed electric vehicles and two- or three-wheeled vehicles. The amount of the credit is 10 percent of the cost of the vehicle, up to a maximum credit of $2,500 for purchases made after Feb. 17, 2009, and before Jan. 1, 2012. To qualify, a vehicle must be either a low speed vehicle propelled by an electric motor that draws electricity from a battery with a capacity of 4 kilowatt hours or more or be a two- or three-wheeled vehicle propelled by an electric motor that draws electricity from a battery with the capacity of 2.5 kilowatt hours. A taxpayer may not claim this credit if the plug-in electric drive vehicle credit is allowable.

*********************

Afterward a poster named ElectriKat explained how to calculate your bike's killowatt hourts (to see if you beat the 2.5 kilowatt hour minimum necessary to receive the tax credit: 

*******************************
To calculate Kwh, multiply the Ah rating of the batteries by the pack voltage. e.g., I have six 12V batteries at 55ah each.

(6 * 12V) * 55ah = 3986ah or approximately 4Kwh
****************************************

[guity]

Zero basically reminds me of a trash-talking basketball player.   The player may be good, the player may be bad, but discussion and debate are never going to prove it one way or another -- the player will have to play before we find out how good he is...

[mpipes]

No one has developed a better way to communicate cost savings the way MPG communicates gas milage that I know of.

Dollar (or cents) per mile - the true cost of the fuel required for transportation, regardless of the type or volume of fuel.