Brammo Unveils Ground-Breaking Electric Motorcycles Empulse And Empulse R
Brammo, Inc., the designer and manufacturer of world leading electric motorcycles, revealed pricing and production plans for the Empulse and Empulse R while giving motorcycle enthusiasts in Los Angeles a first look at the stunning new design.
At this unique electric vehicle industry event, Brammo has demonstrated to consumers and motorcycle insiders alike the advancements in electric motorcycling and is providing a glimpse of what is to come in the future. The Empulse is the only electric motorcycle to include a 100-mile range and 100-mph top speed as well as a breakthrough battery and powertrain system enabling a great zero-emission experience.
At the launch party, Brammo announced the Empulse and Empulse R will cost $16,995 and $18,995 respectively with financing available from Sheffield Financial. Through this financing, customers will be able to purchase the new Empulse and Empulse R from Brammo dealers as follows:
Empulse: 8.9% for 72 months at $303, 6.9% financing for 60 month at $334 and 3.9% for 36 months at $499
Empulse R: 8.9% for 72 months at $339, 6.9% financing for 60 month at $373 and 3.9% for 36 months at $558
Availability of each model will vary based on demand for the Empulse and Empulse R. Production for the Empulse R will take place first with limited availability in June 2012 and in volume by Q3 2012. The Empulse will be available in Q1 2013.
Research conducted by Brammo with both customers and dealers has driven the development of the Empulse and Empulse R. As a result, these motorcycles now come with a water-cooled AC motor and fully integrated IET(TM) six speed transmission, seating for two, regenerative braking and on board J1772 Level 2 charging capability. To ensure the highest quality performance and design, Brammo works with internationally renowned manufacturers for superior components of their motorcycles. This close attention to the supply chain ensures the durability, reliability and ultimately future resale value of Brammo products.
"It was important to Brammo to create a great motorcycle and we paid attention to customer feedback to create just that," said Craig Bramsher, CEO and president of Brammo. "From concept to production the Empulse product has evolved quite a bit. We are bringing you a different motorcycle that promises to be more than what our riders expected."
The two models vary as follows:
The Empulse body work is all plastic, has semi adjustable front suspension and semi adjustable rear suspension.
The Empulse R uses carbon fiber for headlight shroud, front and rear fenders, top panel and the rear light housing.
Brammo promised that of the first 1000 people who pre ordered an Empulse, one would be selected at random to receive their motorcycle free of charge. Last week from the first 1000 orders six finalists were selected. At the event, Craig Bramscher rolled a dice and Jueiming Chen was the lucky winner.
True to Brammo's devotion to zero tailpipe-emission transportation, the Empulse launch event was carbon-neutral. Brammo has worked with Carbonfund.org to purchase carbon offsets to mitigate the greenhouse emissions generated by transportation, electricity use, and other resource-intensive activities associated with this event.
In additional efforts to reduce travel and carbon intensity of the event, Brammo will stream the launch event live to tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts, who will be able to experience the launch party across the nation and afar in Asia and in Europe.
For more on this story check out CNN's scoop on Brammo's unveiling:
http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/08/autos/brammo-electric-motorcycle/index.htm
Brammo and Icon go racing……
A new racing season kicks off once again. And while they start to blend together, this year is marked by something special. A big ol' Number 1. Yep, I've re-signed with Brammo to contest the TTXGP North American national championship and by virtue of topping the series standings last year, we now have the honor, but also the burden, of wearing the No. 1 plate. I say honor and burden because while it's cool to have the designation of being a champion, it can also be a heavy weight to carry. The bullseye is now directly on our back and all the other teams have one goal: to beat us. Some riders also believe running the No. 1 plate is bad luck - think Ricky Carmichael and Valentino Rossi - but I say that's a load of crap. Going a step further, I think riders should be forced to run it, either by the race organization or by the team/bike manufacturer they ride for. Not only is it helpful for new fans of the sport, but it's also a huge marketing tool for the team/rider who earned it. But riders will be riders and if there's one constant in racing its that most are incredibly superstitious. Anyhow, back to the new season which lay ahead...
This brief updates comes to you following our first, and only, preseason test and just days before the opening round at Infineon Raceway. And while Infineon was a great weekend for us last year, winning both races quite easily and setting a new lap record, this year it could be a quite difficult task to repeat such a success. Whereas last season the race caught a couple of the faster teams off guard and left us with a rather thin field, this year the entry list has doubled and one of the teams that came on strong at the end of 2011 is slated to show up with two very capable riders on their missile of a motorcycle.
But that's not to stay we are going into the weekend aiming for third. Oh no. And that's also not to say the boys at Brammo haven't pulled out the stops and made some big upgrades this off-season, the aim being more power. And more power is exactly what they got!
Working in conjunction with team sponsor Parker, an all-new motor has been designed and fitted to the existing chassis. On the dyno this new engine spun the drum at an extemely respectible 130hp. And though this number may not drop your jaw by itself, considering our peak output last year was roughly 88hp, a jump of over 40hp is pretty darn impressive. Add to that a winter diet that shaved off 35 pounds and a torque output that has doubled -- yes, doubled -- and the end result should surely be a noticeable difference. Oh, was it ever!
In fact, after the first session at Oregon Raceway Park, a track I had never ridden before, I was nearly speachless! Can you say a totally new motorcycle? Everything felt so alien it was like I had never ridden the bike before! The added power had me carrying straightaway speeds double-digits above anything seen last year and this was at a track with relatively short straights. And dispite the reduced weight, this added pace increased braking forces so heavily that I was bottoming the forks with ease. Another byproduct of this addition oomph was fairly heavy spinning of the rear tire exiting several of the medium speed corners. And while the linear torque production of the electric motor makes controlling them relatively easy, last year's bike simply didn't have the power to break the Pirelli stick loose, so this was something new to get used to.
In total we did five, 3-5 lap sessions on the new Empulse RR and even though the track was totally new to me, by the final session we were on pace, if not slightly quicker, than what the fastest gas-powered bike has ever done there before, so this was encouraging. But because this was just a word-of-mouth comparison and no really big racing organizations go to ORP, it's hard to tell just how fast we were going. Either way, I can assure you it was several seconds, if not more, quicker than what last year's bike would have been capable of, so I can quite confidently say that our Infineon lap record from last year should be broken very quickly and by a healthy margin. The question is, will it be us or will it be some of our competition who ultimately leaves the Northern California track with top honors and their name in the record books? Stay tuned and you will find out shortly!
Potential Mayors of London see Motorcycling as the Future
A survey conducted by the MCI (Motorcycle Industry Association) found that nearly all mayoral candidates in London see motorcycling and electric motorcycling as part of a green future for solving the capital’s transport problems. MCI has welcomed the candidates’ support, but says that more than just warm words will be needed if motorcycling’s contribution to transport in London is to be fully recognised.
Both Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone stated clear support and enthusiasm for motorcycling, and were keen to point out their individual contributions. Ken Livingstone said there was ‘no question’ as to the part motorcycles, scooters and mopeds played in reducing congestion, ‘- that’s why I exempted them from the Congestion Charge when I bought it in. And I will keep it that way’. Boris Johnson highlighted his personal influence – ‘my decision to confirm that motorcycles can use bus lanes on the Transport for London Road Network is a further practical example of my support’.
Electric motorbikes and the provision of charging points was a key concern for all candidates. Boris Johnson included motorcycles in his vision for London as ‘the electric vehicle epicentre of Europe’. Ken Livingstone included motorbikes before cars in his target group for moving from petrol to electric – stating ‘my priorities for supporting the greater take-up of electric vehicles will be buses, taxis and motorbikes’.
Only the green party were cautious about welcoming electric motorcycling, saying that they would ‘invest in the necessary infrastructure’ but that electric motorcycles ‘were not the full solution’.
Parking was also recognised as an issue for motorcyclists with many candidates pledging to improve the number of free spaces available and challenge those councils who charge motorcyclists. Both Brian Paddick (Liberal Democrat) and Siobhan Benita (Independent) singled out Westminster City Council’s parking charges to motorcyclists as unfair.
Safety was also identified as an area for improvement for motorcyclists with Ken Livingstone stating that ‘no one should be put off switching from car to a bike because it is too dangerous’. Boris Johnson highlighted his commitment to safety schemes run by Transport for London including BikeSafe and ScooterSafe as a successful collaboration between the motorcycle industry, the police and Transport for London. He also pledged to conduct more research to identify how safety improvements for motorcyclists could be made. One of the suggestions by Siobhan Benita to tackle safety was to ‘punish more severely those who break the law’.
Steve Kenward, CEO of the MCI
“We look forward to working with the new Mayor for London, and would like to see the Mayor work with the Boroughs across the capital to open all bus lanes for use by motorcyclists. This would help with safety, which all mayoral candidates state is a priority. We are pleased that so many of them recognise the part motorcycling has to play in the provision of an integrated transport plan for London.”
“However despite previous similar promises by Mayoral candidates and some good stand-alone initiatives introduced for motorcycling by both Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson, mainstream transport policy in London still does not recognise motorcycling as a transport choice. This will need to change if we are to see the motorcycling opportunity fully realised and safety improved. Motorcycles are just as legitimate as walking, cycling and public transport as forms of alternative transport.
Motorcycling generates £7 billion a year in income for the UK and employs 60,000 people and the new generation of scooters and electric bikes can help dramatically in reducing emissions as well as saving money for riders”.
IBM, Honda and PG+E to Work on Smarter Charging
The following is taken from a press release:
ARMONK, NY--April 12, 2012: IBM today announced that it has teamed with American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) on a new pilot project that will allow communication between electric vehicles (EVs) and the power grid. This project will demonstrate and test an electric vehicle's ability to receive and respond to charge instructions based on the grid condition and the vehicle's battery state. With visibility into charging patterns, energy providers will have the ability to more effectively manage charging during peak hours and create consumer-friendly programs to encourage electric vehicle adoption.
The energy requirements for electric vehicles will challenge the current power grid as plug-in vehicle counts continue to grow to an expected 2.9 million worldwide by 2017. This project has the potential to ease the infrastructure and consumer concerns associated with the mass adoption of EVs, by adding another layer of agility to the EV charging process. This level of intelligence will help make charging seamless for consumers, while ensuring the electricity source is reliable and the infrastructure is stable.
Using real time and simulated data, the system will test and demonstrate the ability to alter, as well as adapt charging patterns based on grid conditions. This smart charging capability will enable energy providers to manage the power used by EVs during peak times by instructing vehicles to delay or adjust charging if required.
"One of Honda's main objectives is to work to advance technologies that can address society's environmental and energy concerns through both alternative powertrain technologies, like our 2013 Honda Fit EV battery electric vehicle, and through groundbreaking research initiatives similar to the Smart Charge project that we are collaborating on with IBM and PG&E," said Steven Center, vice president of the Environmental Business Development Office at American Honda. "It is our hope that these technologies and infrastructure will pave the way for EVs of the future to be synched to local electric grids to intuitively and seamlessly manage charging experiences."
To have these very successful organizations join forces in an attempt in improve the charging infrastructure for EVs is very exciting and a positive sign for the future of the industry. We will certainly be keenly watching the results of the project and wish them all the best.
2012 Electric Car Challenge (ECC)
As gas prices continue to climb and the National Average approaching $4 a gallon most people are leaning away from long road trips. Men's Health Magazine however, is going to opposite direction. They have organized the Electric Car Challenge, which involves driving an all electric Ford Focus 3000 miles, from New York to LA, without stopping at a single gas station.
“We love road trips and this is an excuse to have a different kind of trip,” said Eric Adams, a senior editor at the magazine and a member of the Challenge team. “It’ll be a ‘speed’ record in name only,” said Adams, who expects the team to reach the Santa Monica Pier in 10 to 12 days. At each charging stop the team will run events to promote a healthy lifestyle.
The team will harness the power of crowd-sourcing and use the popular 'charging station' apps PlugShare and ChargePoint to help find appropriate charging stations. The PlugShare app, for example, shows 8,000 stations — 6,000 public, 2,000 home-based — along with insights about types of chargers, current availability and whether fees apply.
Men's Health Magazine deserve credit for taking on this challenge and promoting a healthy lifestyle to the American people.
Good luck, from all of us here at Brammo Inc.
FedEx and their Electric Experiment
Since 2008 FedEx have been slowly but surely dipping their toes in the EV water. Today, the company has a total of 43 electric vehicles on the road in LA, Chicago and New York. It should be noted that FedEx are not the only company conducting such an experiment, UPS and Frito Lay are also dabbling with 29 vehicles and 176 vehicles respectively.
FedEx's experiment, however, is slightly different as they are testing severeal different EV's to find out which vehicles are the most cost efficient and reliable. “I believe electric vehicles are a great solution to our energy and pollution problems, but the way most cities are designed now, for a company like FedEx to use them, there’s a lot of red tape,” says Keshav Sondhi, FedEx’s manager of global vehicles.
The problem that FedEx are currently facing is that the charging infrastructure isnt good enough to support all their vans charging at the same time. “If you charged them at the same time, you’d overload the system, and there would be a blackout,” says Leon Wu, researcher for Columbia University’s Center for Computational Learning Systems, which is working with FedEx on the project.
“We want to know how much electricity is going into the charging station, how many times each truck is being recharged, how many trips they take, and how far they go—all the electric parameters that come with a vehicle like this,” says Matt Nielsen, GE Global Research’s lead scientist on the project.
Regardless of the outcome of this experiment it is safe to say that many companies will be paying close attention to FedEx's findings and the results will liek shape the future for many Electric Fleets.
FedEx's experiemnt is set to conclude in 2013 when the company will assess its findings.....watch this space!
Designing The Standard of Tomorrow
Art Center College of Design student, Chris Stevens, has been hard at work designing a series of conceptual Brammo motorcycles over this last semester. Stevens is a Junior at the Art Center, which is ranked number one American Architecture and Design School by the Design Futures Council. Brammo strategic partner and investor Polaris made the introduction to Stevens. We have really enjoyed watching Stevens work diligently as he began with his conceptual design of one battery integrated chassis and three body styles; a dirt bike, a supermoto, and an enduro.
In the seventh week of his semester, Stevens along with his professor and Brammo designer Greg Stroermer, chose the supermoto for more in-depth design development. The interns in the College’s Transportation Design program are given the challenge of designing a motorcycle that will be the standard of tomorrow. Futuristic concepts such as alternative fuel sources are a baseline. You can see from his midterm project Stevens has made us proud with his stellar electric supermoto.
For the next part of the semester, Stevens will be producing a 3D design of this conceptual bike, which will be printed out in full size. He also hopes to design as 1/3 scale model of the supermoto after the completion of this semester.
While undertaking his internship, Brammo have supplied Stevens with and Enertia electric motorcycle. He loves the Enertia for commuting around Pasadena, and describes his Enertia as convenient transportation with enjoyable handling.
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The Greenest Superbowl Ever!
In among the intense media spotlight that goes hand in hand with the Superbowl of today's generation there was an aspect of this years event that didn't get the attention it deserved, The NFL Environmental Program.
In fact, this year, the 18th year of the program, they seem determined to outdo anything else they’ve ever done. The list green programs for Super Bowl XLVI is comprehensive to say the least.
One of the primary aspects to this year's NFL Environmental Program is the inclusion of a waste management effort designed to salvage recyclable and reusable trash, collection and donation of leftover food, and recovery of leftover decorations, office supplies and other materials that could be auctioned off, reused, donated or re-purposed. The program also features a book and sports equipment-donation center coordinated with local school districts, and a tree-planting program that will put thousands of new trees in local neighborhoods. The program even covers team travel through the purchase of carbon offsets for air and ground transportation.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the NFL's extraordinary effort to support alternative energy.
It would be a little cheeky to ask 'Lucas Oil Stadium' to install solar panels for the Superbowl but many other teams around the league are taking such steps:
The Philadelphia Eagles have a comprehensive program that includes onsite wind, solar and biofuel to power their Lincoln Field exclusively with renewables.
The Washington Redskins are not too far behind; that franchise has partnered with the company NRG to install a two-megawatt solar array at FedEx Field. The array is part of a public awareness boost for renewable energy that also includes a solar power educational display prominently located outside the stadium.
Well done to the NFL for doing their part to offset the energy that the Superbowl uses.
Brammo Is Hiring!
Brammo is among the most innovative power sports companies in the world, and also one of the most admired and accomplished international electric-motorcycle racing teams; currently the North American champion TTXGP/e-FIM title-holder. Brammo is the leading global supplier of technologically advanced battery-electric motorcycles. We design and manufacture systems for both consumer-use, and for commercial/government fleet operations. The corporate Service organization currently has an opening for a qualified:
Technical Buyer
Sales Director (North America)
Service Manager
System Engineer
Programs Manager
Read more about these job openings by following this link : http://www.brammo.com/careers/
Brammo Expansion 2012
Brammo Inc. is proud to announce that we are one step closer to expanding our local headquarters and bringing up to 200 additional employees to town.
The Ashland Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved the plan to build a pair of two-story buildings and a private dirt test track for our electric motorcycles.
"It's very exciting to see our growth here in Ashland, and it will be great having our initial production close in hand," said Craig Bramscher, company founder and chief executive officer. "Anything we make that should go in the dirt will probably be developed here."
The buildings at 777 Jefferson Ave. will house research, design, warehousing, administrative offices and the manufacturing of prototypes for Brammo. The buildings likely will replace our current headquarters on Clover Lane.
The planned expansion will bump the number of our local employees to 200 or 250 from about 40 now. About 20 percent of the additional workers will be hired locally.
The majority of the staff will be transferred from outside the community to further Brammo's off-road electric vehicle development, which has become an emphasis of the company since Minnesota-based off-road and powersports vehicle maker Polaris Industries acquired $28 million worth of Brammo stock last October.
The Encite and Engage models of electric dirt bikes and any new all-terrain electric vehicle concepts it introduces will be designed in Ashland. Currently, the company does most of its off-road prototype work at a facility in Italy.
"I think it's a great-looking project, and an asset to the city," said planning Commissioner Mike Church.
Last September, Brammo purchased a chain of 16 European racetracks exclusively used by electric dirt bikes, which it renamed BrammoParx. By the end of 2013, we have hopes to open 100 similar parks in metropolitan areas across the U.S.
The 2.5-acre test track approved for Ashland will likely serve as a prototype track for BrammoParx in the U.S. The downsized track in Ashland will be used for demonstrating the potential of a full-scale park to potential investors.
The new buildings, which will measure 14,857 and 18,805 square feet, will hopefully be operational in seven to eight months. The search for a builder is ongoing and we are working to secure a loan to fund the project, so it may be a year, Bramscher said.