As we move to a new era of electric, the UK Government has planned to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel two and three-wheelers by 2035. The global shift towards protecting the planet and reducing emissions means that electric motorcycles and mopeds are set to be the bike of the future.
So, what does the bike of the future actually look like? Futuristic concepts usually included outlandish concepts and eccentric designs, but in reality, the bike of the future looks the same as our fuel-filled past, with electric motorbikes sharing the same design principles as their petrol-powered siblings.
In this blog, we are going to be exploring the advantages and disadvantages of electric motorcycles - so without further ado, let’s get into it, shall we?
As electric motorbikes are starting to make vast improvements and technological advances, now more than ever there are benefits to purchasing an electric motorcycle, such as:
When it comes to fuel I think it goes without saying that electric counterparts are by far more environmentally friendly especially when charged up on electricity generated from renewable sources.
Standard petrol-fuelled motorbikes require far more moving parts to get them going in comparison to electric bikes. Electric motorcycles do not have oil, spark plugs, air filters, or timing belts and many won’t have a gearbox or clutch either - your biggest maintenance costs will be your tyres and brakes.
Admittedly the initial cost of an electric motorbike is higher than a petrol-fuelled bike however in the long run, your electric bike might actually save you a bit of money. You will not only save money with cheaper refuelling but also potentially with lower maintenance costs.
For those who don’t mind not having a loud roaring engine, then switching to electric might be the choice for you. There are many electric motorbikes that are practically silent on the roads, however, on the rarer side at the moment you can pick up some which omit a noise to help other road users know of your presence.
As we mentioned previously, electric motorcycles do not have gearboxes meaning there will be no need for you to change gears.
If you’re used to shifting gear and riding, then it might take you a little while to get used to the ride, however, if you're a beginner, this might be one of the easiest ways to learn how to ride!
If you’re an occasional rider, then you’ll understand the pain of settling your bike in for the winter and ensuring your bike is ready to ride when the weather improves. With an electric bike you won’t have to worry about these things - just make sure to charge your battery and keep the bike in a secure, dry place, and you’re good to go when summer rolls around.
If you choose to switch to the electric side you’ll be pleased to know you can have a little bit of help from government grants. Plug-in grant funds up to a maximum of £150 towards mopeds and £500 towards buying an electric motorcycle providing they cost £10,000 or less.
*It is worth noting that the plug-in grant is due to end in 2023, so before purchasing an electric bike or scoot, it is worth checking if the grant is still available.
Depending on where you ride air pollution charges are on the cards for a number of cities, and London has led the way with its Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ). Petrol or diesel motorbikes driving through the ULEZ zones that do not meet the Euro 3 standards or are produced before July 2007. Whereas an electric motorcycle, with zero emissions, won’t pay a penny.
While most electric motorbikes won’t go over 90mph, they come packed with silly amounts of torque and pretty impressive acceleration.
By no means is range perfect on electric motorcycles thus far, however it is steadily improving. Some manufacturers such as Maeving and Super Soco have created motorbikes with dual batteries that can not only increase the range but (depending on your strategy) means you can switch the batteries when the other has run flat if you prefer, a method adopted by some delivery riders for instance.
Over the past few months, another thing that has been affected by inflation was the cost of fuel. At the time of writing in the UK, charging an electric motorbike or scooter currently costs 3p per mile (based upon 5.4kWh battery capacity charging at UK average 34p per kWh charging at home), in comparison to the 6p (based upon 110mpg, at £1.49 per litre / £6.76 a gallon) it costs to fill up a petrol fuelled motorbike.
So yes, whilst the upfront cost of an electric motorcycle is likely more expensive, charging and running costs on a day to day tend to be far cheaper!
Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in electric charging points in the UK. At the end of June 2023, there were a total number of 44,408 electric vehicle charging points across the UK - a 36% increase in the total number of charging devices since June 2022.
As we mentioned previously, electric motorcycles are by no means at their peak just yet and have still got a long way to come before more people are convinced to jump on the electric bandwagon:
Fully charging your electric motorbike or scooter can take anywhere between half an hour or a few hours, spending on which model and charger you have - removing the opportunities for a spontaneous ride if you’ve got a flat battery. This is also a slight inconvenience on the road as you may be waiting at the service station for a fairly long while as your bike charges up.
Electric motorcycles initially cost more than their petrol-fuelled counterparts - even with the help of a government grant. This can be quite intimidating for quite a lot of people, however, it is worth noting that as more electric models are becoming available, slowly but surely there will be a bike out there for everyone and their budgets.
One of the disadvantages of electric motorbikes that are leaving people hesitant to make the switch is the ever-rising electricity costs in the UK - statistics show that since the start of 2023, gas and electricity prices have risen 36.2% and 17.3%.
Maintenance-free electric motorcycle batteries unfortunately do not last very long at all with an average lifespan of between 3-8 years. Obviously, the more you ride your motorbike the more times you will need to charge it and then replace it, you also have to be extremely careful not to overcharge the battery in fear of permanently damaging the battery - which is slightly inconvenient for those who opt to charge their battery overnight to fit their busy schedules.
On average a motorcycle battery replacement can cost anything between £600-£1000 but this really does vary greatly between models, and bearing in mind as of currently you will need to replace the battery every few years, the costs can really start to add up.
Due to their reduced ranges, if you’re planning to go on a long-distance journey you will need to plan ahead and check where the electric charging points are located. The last thing you want when you’re out enjoying the road is worrying about where the next charging point is and if you’ll make it.
Even though ranges on electric motorcycles are improving, they still are not yet up to the standard of petrol-fuelled motorcycles just yet. Electric motorcycles and mopeds typically come with a range of anything between 20-100 miles so whilst they may be okay for your typical short commute, if you are thinking of travelling longer distances then I don’t think an electric motorcycle may be for you.
As temperatures begin to drop further and for longer with each winter, cold temperatures can affect your electric motorbikes battery capacity, so while the range is shorter in comparison to petrol-fuelled motorcycles, in winter this gets far worse.
The increase in electric motorcycles has given rise to an increase in smart tech for your ride. From switching up the ride of your bike to tracking your journey, bike rides have never been so technical... until now:
Whilst there is already a great range of apps for motorcyclists already on the market, electric motorbikes have given us the capability to work on a whole new range of technology to offer further insight into how you ride.
The Zero app, for example, allows you to customise your motorcycle's performance using your mobile device. From this app, you are able to set your top speed, maximum torque, and deceleration and braking regenerative levels.
Not only are you able to set up your ride, but you can also see statistics about your ride, including real-time estimates for recharge times of your battery as well as view battery voltage and total kilowatt-hours used. This is also translated into your trip statistics, including average watt-hours per mile, cost per mile, money saved vs. gasoline, and CO2 reduced vs petrol.
While many petrol-powered models offer a range of ride modes, such as off-road and rain modes, some electric vehicles allow for much more control. Whether it’s within the bikes app or configurable on the vehicle itself you can have much more control over the power, torque, max speed, and brake regeneration, so you can create the perfect ride tailored to your specific needs.
A few motorcycle manufacturers now such as Zero, Maeving, Yamaha, and Supersoco have incorporated ‘hot-swappable’ modules into their electric bikes. This system allows the bikes to be ridden using one or two power modules that can be added or removed in less than a minute - this is a handy extra that allows you to travel long distances without the need to charge your battery.
With new technology comes constant software updates. Thankfully, technology has moved on from the days of switching on your laptop to an hour of updates before you can start using it, and the same can be said for electric bike updates.
Over-the-air updates are becoming more and more popular, and with electric bikes, this means your software will be able to auto-update without the need to plug it in or wait for hours before you can ride.
If you’re thinking about switching to electric, you’ll be pleased to know we have written a few handy guides about upgrading to an electric motorcycle and the things you need to own to have an electric motorcycle.
The range of electric motorcycles and scooters is evolving every day, and each bike is as unique as we are.
If you need a hand with deciding which electric bike or moped is best for you, check out our top 10s below:
So there you have it, I hope you enjoyed our run down on just some of the pros and cons to purchasing an electric motorcycle.
Last but not least, you’ll be pleased to know we here at Lexham have been covering electric motorcycles for 15 years, so if you’re in the market for electric motorcycle insurance - make sure to get a quote directly with Lexham!
Fast forward to 2019, where you can send a message to the other side of the world in less than a second, and cars drive themselves.
While still not entirely mainstream, the idea of an exciting electric motorcycle shouldn't sound farfetched. Electric motorcycles may not offer all of the traditional benefits of a gas powered motorcycle, like the vibrations or the noise you’ve come to love, there is a lot that may surprise you about getting an electric motorcycle.
Here are the top 5 reasons why you should consider buying an electric motorcycle.
Reason 1: The Savings
This is easily the biggest selling point for electric motorcycles. While the cost of the bike itself can be the same, and sometimes more expensive than their gas-powered counterpart, the ongoing costs of an electric motorcycle are way lower.
The total savings depends on the specific model of bike you get, and what gas-powered bike you're comparing it to. However, is all cases, the refueling cost of an electric motorcycle is far lower than a traditional motorcycle.
Reason 2: Easier Maintenance
Without all of the intricacies associated with a combustion engine, the maintenance of an electric motorcycle is generally much easier. With an electric bike, you don't have all of the fluids to worry about like you do with a gas engine. This alone means a lot less can go wrong, and if something does go wrong, there is a lot less to troubleshoot mechanically.
However, it’s worth nothing, as with most electrical devices, when something does go wrong, it takes a certain set of skills to fix the issue. Rather than being well versed in mechanics, to fix an electric motorcycle, you should have some level of programming skills. With this being said, when issues do arise, they can be a hassle but overall scheduled maintenance on an electric motorcycle is easier for the average rider.
Reason 3: Ease of Use
With an electric motorcycle, to get going all you have to do is twist the throttle and you're off. You don't have to worry about shifting, stalling, or any of the other headaches that go along with the traditional manual transmissions you find in gas-powered motorcycles.
Reason 4: They Are Great For Road Trips
You can still take a road trip on an electric motorcycle without having to worry. With the average range on a single charge being around 150 Km, you can rest easy knowing that on a full charge, you can take a considerable trip.
Make sure if you take your electric motorcycle onto the twisties, you get yourself a helmet cam to film it all (learn more about them here). An electric motorcycle can handle just as well as a gas-powered motorcycle and you can go just as many places so you'll want to make sure you get all the beautiful views you see along the way on film.
Reason 5: They Are Better For Commuting & The Environment
Electric motorcycles are easier to commute on because they don't get as hot or uncomfortable as gas-powered motorcycles do. Since there is no gas engine, there is no exhaust. When you mount the bike, you won't have to worry about burning your legs on parts of the engine, or on the pipes. This makes an electric motorcycle a great choice for commuters.
Not to mention, a battery-powered motorcycle is a great way to lessen your personal contributions to C02 emissions in the atmosphere. With an electric vehicle, whether it's a car or motorcycle, you're dramatically lowering your emissions if you plan on commuting on it.
Wrapping it all up
When it comes to electric motorcycles, there is a lot to love. While there are some things they can't do, like match the speed of huge sport bikes, there is still a lot you can do on an electric motorcycle.
The biggest benefit to buying one is by far the savings, but there is more to it than that.