What’s Happening in the Electric Scooter and Motorcycle Market?

Elon Musk has a personal aversion to motorcycles. He tells a story of a “nearly fatal” accident which has put him off the transport. Tesla’s main focus, and where they’ve made their name, has been four-wheel cars. The technology they’ve developed in their pursuit of excellent electric vehicles means it probably wouldn’t take much for them to eventually be a significant name in the electric scooter and motorcycle market should they decide to enter into it. For now, though, there are other people making up the landscape.  

Investors

One motivation for the development of electric two-wheelers is transport within cities. With many global cities looking to pedestrianise centres and reduce air pollution, electric scooters and bikes are attracting the interest of start-ups and businesses like Uber. There’s long-term interest in the development of this technology should cities and nations opt to fundamentally change transportation normalcy then it should pay off. It’s the natural tide-change which businesses seek to push or benefit from. The same happens in every industry. One example would be online casinos. Investors went in early online casinos and online casinos invested in helpful technology. It’s an industry which began to pop up in the 1990s with the advent of the internet and grew well but steadily. 

It seems that Lime, who Uber have invested in and to whom they sold their intellectual property to develop the technology, are interested in the electric scooters, especially, and their function as a rental transport.

For the electric motorcycle, there’s a middling demand. Yes, there is obviously scope for them to be used as a primary vehicle, one which commuters use or people use to go to the shops, etc. Despite this type of transport receiving criticism and scepticism for how far they can take, they will, in general, always get the rider far enough. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman proved that. However, primarily, motorcyclists use them for joy. They are a hobby, as much as anything. They are part of an identity. Electric motorcycles do not have the turn of speed nor the music of a fossil-fuel powered one. This is one area which might need some creative marketing beyond the obvious turn towards environmental concerns. 

Manufacturers

As for those actually making the scooters and bikes, Harley Davidson, Honda, and Yamaha take the majority of the market share. These are household names. Indeed, Harley Davidson’s image as a chopper offers an interesting contrast to the above image of riding for joy. Their products, though, are expensive. It’s roughly $30,000 for one of their electric motorcycles. This is out the price range for a lot of customers. Honda and Yamaha, with KTM and Piaggio, are looking to standardise equipment and technology, including swappable batteries, to help consumers and the market.

This is where the market currently has its issue. Everything, so far, is too expensive for the manufacturers to consider mass-producing vehicles and there’s not quite the fully developed need for them quite yet, but it will likely all be available and recognisable soon.

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MIRCO LACCHINI, PRESIDENT OF ICEL SCPA
“ICEL has decided to continue its partnership with Team Gresini Racing also in 2021 by supporting the Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE project. With great pride, ICEL has been alongside the team, which has been a protagonist of the first two editions of the world cup and will be also this season, with fresh passion and confirming that electric power I a sure prospect for the mobility of the future. Together with Tea, Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE we continue to build the foundations of our mission: quality, environmental preservation as well as the value of people and land.”

CARLO MERLINI – GRESINI RACING COMMERCIAL AND MARKETING DIRECTOR
“2021 marks a competely renewed project in the MotoE class, where we count on being – as we’ve always been so far – protagonists. It’s really important to be counting once again on Icel, who I thank in the person of Mirco Lacchini, who joined the project in 2019 and clearly believes as much as we do in the strength of this sporting journey.”

#CiaoFausto❤️

Carl Fogarty and Ace Cafe London invite all riders (and drivers!) to support Childline,

Carl said:
“It’s fantastic that The Ace Cafe are getting on board with this year’s Drive It Day, raising funds for Childline.
I know how generous the Biking community is and I’m sure we can raise a great amount for the charity that I have supported for many years now.
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s photos with their Rally Plates and picking out a winner!
Hoping I can drop by in the Summer to say hi to Mark!”
 
Ace Cafe London, along with Carl Fogarty, is supporting Childline on Sunday 25th April as part of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs’ Drive It Day 2021
 
With motorcyclists from across the UK this year invited to join the thousands of other historic vehicle owners in fundraising for Childline by taking a ride (or drive) to show their support * we can make a difference that counts!
 
The NSPCC’s Childline service has provided a life changing helpline for children over the past 35 years, and 2020 has seen a dramatic increase in calls from young people who are really struggling with their mental health and the prolonged lockdown. Every 25 seconds a call is made to Childline  - we can help them answer those calls by the following:
 

•             Buy a motorbike/car rally plate with 100% of the profit going directly to support local children:
 
•             Make a donation here to support Childline:
 
•             Post a photograph of your bike/car, displaying your rally plate, to Facebook and Instagram using #Acecafechildline and we’ll pick a worthy winner who will receive a special gift from both Carl Fogarty and the Ace!

 
Let’s show that we care and do what we can to support Childline
 
For information on Childline please visit NSPCC
For information on Drive It Day please visit Drive It
 
*NB within government guidelines

Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (JDHT) has today unveiled a new E-type Evolution Exhibition at the British Motor Museum to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the launch of the Jaguar E-type. The Exhibition tells the story of the evolution of the E-type from the racing C and D-types of the 1950s, the E2A Prototype, its launch at Geneva on 15 March 1961 and finishes with a couple of very successful Racing V12 E-types from the 1970s.

Currently closed under COVID-19 restrictions the Museum is planning to reopen on Monday 17 May and the exhibition runs to the end of June.  It starts with a quick summary of the story of the launch of the E-type at the Parc des Eaux Vives in Geneva,  which has now gone into Jaguar Legend.  Jaguar PR man, Bob Berry drove the Fixed Head Coupé 9600 HP to act as the press car but there was so much demand for press drives that Sir William Lyons instructed test driver Norman Dewis to drive the E-type Roadster 77 RW from Coventry, across to Geneva, to arrive before 10:00 the following morning.

Specially for this exhibition JDHT have colour enhanced the famous image of Sir William Lyons with 9600 HP in Geneva and this greets visitors as they arrive at the Mezzanine Gallery. Norman Dewis is also there, on video, regaling us with the tale of what has become known as his ‘Mad Dash to Geneva’. JDHT have put together a very special selection of cars to show their ‘Evolution’ theme, most from their own Collection but a few that have very generously been loaned to them for the duration.

• 1953   C-type NDU 289 – bought to race in the 1953 Mille Miglia
• 1956   D-type 393 RW – finished 6^th at Le Mans and 1^st at Reims
• 1960   E2A Prototype – famous link between the D-type and E-type – raced at Le Mans in 1960 by Briggs Cunningham
• 1961   E-type Series 1 Roadster 77 RW – the first E-type Roadster
• 1963   E-type Series 1 Fixed Head Coupé YKE 374A –JDHT’s superb Series 1 Coupe
• 1966   E-type Series 1 4.2 litre PRP 149D – the 4.2 litre version of the Series 1 is considered by many to be the best choice of E-type
• 1969   E-type Series 2 NNH 103H – JDHT’s own Series 2 Roadster
• 1971   E-type Series 3 V12 – The Fastest E-type in the World
• 1974   E-type Series 3 V12 – from Bob Tullius’ Group 44 US racing team

The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust does not just preserve their collection of cars for the nation but the archive preserves Jaguar related documentation, advertisements, artworks and other artefacts as well – a number of these are on display in this exhibition.

In 2011, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the E-type the Trust commissioned local artist Ian Cook (PopBangColour) famous for creating paintings using model cars, to produce a painting of 77 RW.  He started this on the evening of the Gala Dinner and finished it in time to unveil at the end of the dinner.  This will be on display with 77 RW parked in front of it, whenever possible.  77 RW is booked for a few outings during the duration of the exhibition so won’t be on display all the time.

The work of aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer, who was responsible for the body design of the C, D and E-types, has its own special display which includes a number of wind tunnel models.

A series of adverts has been reproduced on the mezzanine wall area.

The sectioned V12 engine that JDHT owns is fuel injected not carburetted so XK Engineering in Shilton have loaned them their display engine which has the correct four Stromberg carburettors fitted.   This normally greets visitors to their own reception in Shilton.

The exhibition is included in the normal Museum admission.  Museum entry is £14.50 for adults, £12.50 for concessions, £9 for children (5-16 years) and under 5s are FREE.  There is also the option to Gift Aid or donate your entry fee and get an Annual Pass in return, at no extra cost.

To find out more information about this exhibition please visit the website at https://www.jaguarheritage.com/event/etype-evolution-exhibition  or call 01926 927 823.

Prescott Bike Festival

It with a heavy heart that the organisers of the Prescott Bike Festival announce today that this year’s Festival won’t go ahead and has been rescheduled to June 25^th / 26^th 2022. All ticket holders, including those who rolled over from the 2020 event, will be contacted directly.

Gordon Downie, Festival Organiser said, “Who would have thought that we’d still be in the grip of the pandemic a year on but here we are again. We’ve again been faced with the difficult decision on doing what’s best for you and the charity. It’s with a heavy heart, but we’re postponing the 2021 event to 2022.  I guess we can all see the light at the end of the tunnel but realistically that’s not going to be at the end of June and we just can’t take the risk, for all our sakes.”

The Bike Fest website is currently not taking bookings for 2022 and will be back, fully operational, later in the year.

We’re all aware that the Festival is an important date in the Blood Bike fund raising calendar but until better times, Gordon and his team wish all their supporters well, to keep safe and give a wave when they pass a Blood Bike on the road.

Gordon

Gordon Downie, Event Organiser