batman wrote on 11/07/16 at 21:55:38:


Not to mention the environmental cost of making the batteries

There have always been people making and customizing cars and motorcycles into "show" and "display" models that do not get used.

This just happens to be a relatively expensive electric version of a show/concept/display bike.
(You won't convince me that this is a functional vehicle without a proper seat, fenders, mirrors, visible turn signals and brake light).

I’m not an environmentalist – not even close. I do consider myself a conservationist – a term that has all but disappeared since the rise of the extreme environmentalist movement (cult?).

I like the idea of electric vehicles that are powered by clean energy sources such as wind, solar, hydro, wave, etc. The problem is, we aren’t there yet. At our present consumption levels, alternative energy sources can only meet 10-15% (Wikipedia) of our needs. Add millions of electric vehicles to that equation and that figure drops dramatically. In fact, our power grid probably can’t keep up with that type of demand.

In order for an electric-powered future to take hold and grow, there will have to be disruptive technology on several fronts including power generation, storage, application, and disposal/recycling. For eight years the government has tried to buy/force that type of disruptive change, but it takes a lot more than money (and a lot of it) to make that type of change happen, it takes demand – demand by the people who will use it. That demand probably won’t happen until we are pumping our last gallon of crude out of the ground.  And then we’ll panic.

With that said, I look forward to never having to stop at a gas station again. Moreover, due to the torque output, electric vehicles are fun to operate. I think cars like the Chevy Bolt hold great promise (180 to 240 mile range depending on temperature and type of travel), but until you can buy one at an affordable price (without help from the taxpayers) they are expensive novelty products. I think I might lease one anyway.

My point, I don’t hate electric vehicles – I look forward to them. But we have a long way to go before they are ready for Joe Consumer. Project/experiment bikes like the leafy savage move us closer to that future. The beauty lies in the technology, not in its lines.

And on a smaller scale, making us buy Compact Fluorescent Lights & phasing out incandescents, BUT no established, affordable  recycling program for the CFL's. The mercury they contain goes into the landfill.

Again, [insert sarcasm here] Unintended Consequences....Guv-mint often does that.

I'm in favor of electric vehicles for all the right reasons but you sure can't beat the sound of a cammed big block V8. That electric whine just doesn't catch my attention.

JOG: guess I have to put "insert sarcasm " in that post since you seemed to miss the point.