There is no doubt that the electric propulsion two-wheeler sector is growing. It is perceived in what people think and say with respect to the subject – especially if one remains within the urban environment -; this can be seen on the streets of the main metropolises, where the presence of columns for recharging batteries and sharing ‘electric’ scooters are more marked. AND The numbers “say” it too, collected by the sector study carried out by ANCMA and which you can read in our article. To have a clearer view of how the world of rechargeable two-wheelers is evolving, we spoke with Andrea Vezzani as deputy manager of the electric motorcycle group of ANCMA.
The electric motorbike in our country struggles a lot. Why? How is it going in other countries?
“Here due to a series of factors, including the number of columns, even if they are increasing a lot today, as well as autonomy. There are two factors that stimulate the sales of electric motorcycles: the diffusion of columns and incentives In Holland, for example, the incentives have been around for years and along the motorways it is possible to find high-power charging stations every 50 km. This makes it the most mature market in Europe. Outside our continent, another market the one in California is well developed, which in addition to the incentives for electric cars, discourages thermal mobility. For us, institutional customers are also important: 88 Energicas escorted the participants to the G20 in Bali and remained with the police. An order is arrived from France and the Barbados police also use our bikes.”
Electricity attracts new users: does it only apply to scooters?
“It is also partially valid for motorbikes, for now abroad. Electric motorbikes over 11 kW are extremely performing and cannot be used by a novice like a scooter. Initially only “early adopters” entered our showrooms, early users: technology enthusiasts, experts, skilled in using apps to identify charging stations (which today have become more usable). Today motorcyclists are also starting to come in. Maybe they don’t buy, but they are interested. In one In the most advanced markets in the world, such as California, dealers see the first ‘native electric’ motorcyclists arrive, who already know the typical characteristics: no gearbox, zero heat transmitted, a high level of connectivity”.
You produce flagships: given the interest, wouldn’t it be appropriate to also offer “smaller” and less expensive motorcycles?
“Our industrial strategy is similar to that of Tesla: they started with the Model S, the most expensive sedan, not with the 45,000 euro Model 3. We start with the most expensive product, with the greatest appeal. Only then do we go down to products more generalist. This is to say that in our future there are bikes destined for a wider public”.
In the field of scooters there is much talk of sharing, which is difficult to apply to motorcycles. But is there the possibility that you will use the rental to spread the use of the electric motorbike?
“Not like Energica, but many dealers do it on their own initiative. They offer motorcycles for short-term rental, for a day or a weekend. There are motorcyclists who rent them for the duration of their holidays in resort towns. Here too the ‘absence of heat plays an important role.’
The detractors of the electric always push the button of the pollution of exhausted batteries. Does industry today have the ability to fully recycle them?
“Given that the topic is extremely automotive and that we still don’t have 10-year-old batteries to recycle, the answer is yes: today automotive batteries, when they drop to around 75% efficiency, are reused as accumulators for domestic or industrial use. Furthermore , still in its infancy, the recycling of batteries as a business is starting. If used carefully (don’t let them go down to 0, keep them between 40 and 80% charge and don’t leave them unused for a long time), the batteries can really last many years”.
