The Current News: Jan 20, 2022

As part of the buildup to our Electric Revolution Live event in May 2022 (a follow-up of our Electric Revolution exhibit at the Petersen Museum), we are ramping up reportage on the EV scene via The Current.  It’s an ever-evolving, even frantic, landscape of electric vehicles, and it can be tough to keep abreast of all the latest bikes, batteries, and news constantly flooding the market. That’s why we’ve re-launched our weekly EV News Roundup to bring you cherry-picked stories that matter to you.

Hello dear readers and riders! Now that we’re almost three weeks deep into 2022, have you stuck to your New Year’s resolutions or let them fall to the wayside? You can be honest. We won’t judge. Electric vehicle manufacturers are certainly sticking to their promises of delivering hot new releases all year long. This week’s EV news roundup includes some fantastic unveilings, fresh funds, and more. As always, if you have questions, concerns, or something awesome you’d like to share, drop us a line at stephanie@thevintagent.com. Let’s roll.

 

Sodium Cycles Releases a Completely Customizable e-Motorcycle

French startup, Sodium Cycles, debuted its Xubaka, a zippy 50cc-equivalent e-Motorcycle, a few weeks ago at CES 2022 in Las Vegas. Small but mighty, this little e-Motorbike has quickly become the darling of the EV world due to its unique customization characteristics. Able to reach top speeds of 45 km/h from the 4kW electric motor, the Xubaka promises to deliver between 60 to 80km of autonomy when fully charged. The EV is the first French e-Motorcycle to invent its own codes with its original mode of propulsion technology. Thanks to the popularity of its initial release, Sodium Cycles is working on a 125cc-equivalent EV that’s slated to drop next year. The bigger model will offer top speeds of 130 km/h and a range of 100 to 200km.

 

Savic Motorcycles Launches New Website and Apparel Line

Aussie EV startup, Savic Motorcycles, is no stranger to The Vintagent. In fact, we first covered them about three years ago. After hitting a brick wall during the global pandemic, Savic secured production funding last October and dropped its new website earlier this week. The new site allows customers to assemble Savic’s C-Series model with cosmetic add-ons, different paint schemes, and performance upgrades. There’s even an augmented reality feature that enables a user to see what their creation looks like right in their own driveway or garage.

 

Komaki Will Drop Its Electric Cruiser

New Delhi-based EV manufacturer, Komaki, recently announced that it would launch its first electric cruiser motorcycle in India. Dubbed the Komaki Ranger, the e-Motorcycle will feature a 4kW battery pack that juices its 5,000-watt motor. The bike is promised to deliver over 200km of range on a single charge.

 

Tarforms Begins Delivery on Its e-Motorcycles

Brooklyn-based startup, Tarform, will begin delivering its e-Motorcycles this week. The company began the initial sketches for its line of unique electric motorcycles nearly five years ago but suffered from pandemic-related production setbacks. The hefty $42,000 price tag isn’t for the faint of heart. Neither is the bespoke design. However, the bike does deliver thrilling top speeds of 120mph thanks to its 41kW motor. Tarform’s machine also boasts its own unique sound profile that fuses the native electric motor with acoustic amplifications, giving the e-Motorbike an unmistakable presence.  We included the Tarform in our 2018 exhibition at the Petersen Museum, ‘Electric Revolution’, and it’s great to see them available now.

 

Projections on E-Bike Sales Through 2028

• The global e-Bike market share is positioned to hit $69.24 Billion/year in 2028, according to a 235-page research study published this week.   In 2020, the global market for all things e-Bike was $41.35 Billion: that includes Pedelecs, Speed Pedelecs, and Throttle on Demand (ie, motorcycles), plus associated manufacturing of drive mechanisms (hub motor, mid-drive and others), and batteries of all types used in their propulsion (lead-acid, Li ion, and others).  By contrast, the global market for internal-combustion two-wheelers in 2020 was $278 Billion; that means the e-Bike market is already 1/7th the IC market, and growing rapidly.