Italian superbike company Energica has come out with a second model, the Eva, and shown that electric motorcycle road trips are possible—even easy—with DC fast charging.
On May 16th, actor and U.S. Air Force veteran Bill Levasseur rode an Energica Eva from Los Angeles to San Francisco, recharging only at CCS fast-charging stations.
DON’T MISS: BMW, VW, ChargePoint To Build 100 CCS Fast-Charging Sites For Electric Cars
CCS, or Combined Charging System, is the fast charging interface used by all U.S. and German manufacturers of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Bill Levasseur riding Energica Eva on California 1 tour from LA to San Francisco
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In January 2015, BMW teamed up with Chargeopint and Volkswagen to create DC Fast charging corridors along the East and West coasts.
On his trip, Levasseur made nine fast-charging stops along the 450-mile route, adding about 3.5 hours to the total ride time of a comparable gasoline bike.
He stopped for an average of 23 minutes per charge, and the ride took about 12 hours—a solid day in the saddle.
Still, it demonstrated a step in the right direction toward electric motorcycle road trips that can approach the elapsed time and ease of road trips on gas-powered motorcycles.
A similar electric motorcycle trip using Level 2 charging stations took 17 hours, so the DC fast-charging enabled a major improvement for Levasseur’s Energica ride.
However, most riders can probably make the trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco via the Pacific Coastal Highway in about 9 hours.
The Energica Eva California 1 Tour also highlighted the opening of Energica’s flagship store on San Francisco’s Page Street.
ALSO SEE: 2016 Isle of Man TT Zero Race: Electric Motorcycles Pushing the Boundaries
Levasseur made sure to stop at legendary motorcycling meccas such as the Rock Store in the canyons north of LA as well as Alice’s restaurant near San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Energica Eva at biking mecca Alice’s Restaurant on California 1 tour from LA to San Francisco
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This is the first dedicated store selling the Energica Ego and Eva; previously, Energica’s bikes were only available in the U.S. through Hollywood Electrics.
The Energica Eva has an 11.7-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery with a 95-horsepower motor that produces 125 ft-lbs of torque.
CHECK OUT: Long-distance rides on electric motorcycles: here’s how they do it
For more details on the Eva, along with the other electric motorcycles on sale in the U.S. this year, see the second page of our 2016 electric motorcycle buyers guide.
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