When Colorado-based electric bike startup Zaiser first claimed final summer season to be engaged on an all-wheel-drive electric bike with 300 miles (482 km) of vary, it sounded a bit on the market.
The far-flung design for the Zaiser Electrocycle didn’t assist make the competition really feel any extra life like.
But now the corporate has claimed to Forbes that it’ll start manufacturing this yr, although it uncared for to present a particular timeline. Zaiser did lately full a profitable crowdfunding spherical although, elevating US $103,000 from a $100,000 purpose. So there’s a minimum of a little bit of inexperienced within the piggy financial institution to get issues rolling.
And to step issues up a notch, Zaiser has introduced that the Electrocycle will finally are available two fashions. The Silhouette model would be the powerhouse model, whereas the Arrow model (not to be confused with Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire Arrow electric platform) shall be extra urban-oriented and include extra muted specs for the remainder of us normies.
The long-distance Silhouette’s claimed 300 mile (480 km) vary may very well be helped by the inclusion of hub motors, which transfer the motor (or on this case motors) out of the bike’s heart body and into its wheels. That leaves more room for batteries, and Zaiser has hinted at utilizing solid-state battery tech.
That solid-state tech sounds a bit far fletched, however contemplating that Zaiser remains to be within the prototype stage, maybe solid-state batteries shall be commonplace by the point the corporate’s first model rolls out.
Production is predicted to happen in Colorado as soon as the bikes’ designs are finalized, and the final word buy worth will range fairly broadly between the 2 fashions.
The firm says that the extra inexpensive Arrow model will carry a price ticket of US $8,500, although it would nonetheless supply a reasonably excessive vary ranking of 160 miles (257 km).
The Silhouette model shall be priced at a steep $25,000, positioning it as the corporate’s flagship bike.
![US-based startup adds second model of all-wheel-drive electric motorcycle, claims 2022 production](https://electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-02-at-8.57.jpeg?quality=82&strip=all&is-pending-load=1)
Zaiser can also be apparently contemplating detachable batteries, which might be fairly an enterprise. Batteries able to offering the claimed 160 miles (257 km) of vary would doubtless weigh shut to 200 lb (90 kg). That bike higher include a sidecar since you’re going to want a buddy to team-carry that battery inside for charging.
The bikes at present carry one thing of a retro-inspired design with lengthy flowing traces not often seen at this time. The firm claims that the design remains to be evolving although, and the ultimate fashions might not appear like the present renders.
With manufacturing nonetheless mentioned to start later this yr, I assume we’ll be seeing a finalized design sooner relatively than later.
Electrek’s Take
I just like the initiative, and any new gamers within the electric bike house are welcomed additions – particularly US-based producers.
But boy, does it sound like there are some critical unknowns right here.
It’s nice to see they raised some cash, however $100k isn’t going to begin a motorbike firm by itself. And there are some actual design challenges that want to be labored out right here. Not solely do strong state batteries (or detachable batteries) sound impractical at these weights, costs, and the yr at present printed on my calendar, however the ranges they’re speaking about additionally sound too good to be true.
Maybe Zaiser is aware of one thing we don’t, and I’d love for them to succeed. But I’m going to want to see extra from the corporate earlier than I soar on the bandwagon. Seeing is believing and to this point I’ve solely obtained renders in entrance of me.
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