{"id":22141,"date":"2021-12-02T15:04:32","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T15:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/?p=22141"},"modified":"2021-12-02T14:46:42","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T14:46:42","slug":"why-you-should-consider-an-electric-motorcycle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/why-you-should-consider-an-electric-motorcycle","title":{"rendered":"Why you should consider an electric motorcycle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Uganda. <\/strong><\/span>According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the number of electric cars, buses, vans and heavy trucks is expected to hit 145 million by 2030.<\/p>\n

The IEA\u2019s Global Electric Vehicle Outlook further states that if governments ramp up their efforts to meet international energy and climate goals, the global electric vehicle fleet could increase further still, hitting 230 million by the end of the decade. Motorcycles are also not being left out of the fast-changing face of mobility.<\/p>\n

Fred Sserunkuuma rides an electric motorcycle. He says he loves this kind of motorcycle because it is possible to know his battery percentage and how long it can take him before recharging, something that is not possible with a fuel-run motorcycle.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the battery runs out, I spend approximately Shs3, 500 to charge it to full capacity. It is cheaper compared to a litre of fuel that costs slightly more. Alternatively, the service provider can deliver a charged battery at the cost of recharging an empty one,\u201d Sserunkuuma explains.<\/p>\n

Beyond just imported electric motorcycles such as Sserunkuuma\u2019s, in 2017, Jakob Hornbach, an industrial engineer and three other partners started Bodawerk, a technology company that converts fuel-run motorcycles to electric powered ones.<\/p>\n

Process of conversion<\/b><\/p>\n

When an ordinary motorcycle comes to the workshop, it is assessed to find out whether its frame was changed or has ever had an accident. It is also checked for sprocket alignment and wheel wobbling.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a general checkup, we remove the remaining fuel from the system and start disconnecting the piping and breathers and all other tubing. Then, we start unbolting different parts that are related to the fuel chain,\u201d Hornbach explains.<\/p>\n

The engine block, gearbox and exhaust piping are also removed, leaving the motorcycle with a hole in the middle. The fuel tank, which on Sserukuuma\u2019s motorcycle was fitted as a gadget charging point, remains because it is modified into a storage compartment.<\/p>\n

Fitting the electric power trail<\/b><\/p>\n

After removing the engine block, gearbox and exhaust piping, the next step is to fit the electric power trail. This comprises of everything from electricity in the system to charge and store electricity in the battery that goes into the electric mortar.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe first design a fabricated mounting system that gives the right positions to start bolting the electric mortar, controller and the battery receiver where the battery sits. When all these metal parts are welded onto a motorcycle frame, we start mounting and bolting all the electric components in the right positions. We connect the sprocket to the electric mortar and hook the chain,\u201d Hornbach says.<\/p>\n

How electric parts are connected<\/b><\/p>\n

For a fuel engine, the tubes run the fuel from one component to another and other ducts that suck in air to the carburetor for combustion. During a fuel-run engine conversion, it is instead a different assembly line that is not metal fabricated but rather electronics and wiring configurations where the controllers are programmed to the right revolutions per minute ranges (RPM) to allow how fast the electric mortar spins.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter getting the right wiring harness, we start hooking everything up. There is an electric throttle that is wired to the controller to communicate to the battery how much power to take from the battery and send to the electric mortar. We wire the mortar to the controller and the battery,\u201d Hornbach adds.<\/p>\n

One interesting aspect is regeneration of energy because a normal engine motorcycle charges its battery while riding. The misconception comes because a petrol powered motorcycle burns petrol like a generator to produce electricity that goes in the battery. For the case of the electric motorcycle, it charges its battery just like you charge a phone overnight to use the battery during daytime. When you brake, you can use the electric mortar and this allows you reverse polarity, which turns the mortar into a generator. This allows the battery to charge a little bit to give you a few more kilometres.<\/p>\n

Assembling electric batteries<\/b><\/p>\n

A lithium battery pack usually consists of many small battery cells. To get an electric battery to support motorcycle mobility, Hornbach says, the company combines cylindrical battery cells to come up with a large battery pack.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe make battery packs that have the right battery size for electric mobility application and give them a battery case and a battery management system. The battery is the most expensive component of the electric vehicle or motorcycle. We repair or upcycle them in case they develop any issues,\u201d Hornbach explains.<\/p>\n

The fastest you can charge the electric battery is two and a half hours using solar or normal hydroelectric power. To charge it fast, you need a strong original charger. When fully charged, it can take you for approximately 100 kilometres.<\/p>\n

Advantages<\/b><\/p>\n

Like Sserunkuuma, you will never go to a fuel station if you run on an electric battery. The fact that electric motorcycles have no gearbox means you will also never spend money on oil. Maintenance will also be cheap due to fewer visits to the garage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you do not get involved in an accident, you can expect your mortar and controller to last approximately 10 years. This, however, does not apply to the battery which will need replacement after two to three years,\u201d Hornbach advises.<\/p>\n

Future plans<\/b><\/p>\n

Hornbach says one of the future plans is to scale up local battery production because they are needed for everything that runs on renewable energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at the applications, what we have right now as the major product is the solar systems charging stations and invertor solutions. We want to unlock the motorcycle market because there are more than 200,000 motorcycles in Kampala alone before we tap into the nationwide motorcycle market,\u201d Hornbach concludes.<\/p>\n

Cost of conversion<\/b><\/p>\n

There are two different electric conversion kits at Bodawerk; a commuter kit where you ride your electric motorcycle from home to work, and the work kit that is much stronger, meant for use like a normal boda boda. Changing or converting your motorcycle from a normal fuel engine to an electric-run motorcycle costs Shs2.5m while an electric battery, sold separately costs Shs6m.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Uganda<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Uganda. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the number of electric cars, buses, vans and heavy trucks is expected to hit 145 million by 2030. The IEA\u2019s Global Electric Vehicle Outlook further states that if governments ramp up their efforts to meet international energy and climate goals, the global electric vehicle fleet […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":22140,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5,8],"tags":[233,240,234],"class_list":["post-22141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-economy","category-homepage-english","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-uganda","tag-uganda"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy you should consider an electric motorcycle - Uganda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the number of electric cars, buses, vans and heavy trucks is expecte ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/why-you-should-consider-an-electric-motorcycle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why you should consider an electric motorcycle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the number of electric cars, buses, vans and heavy trucks is expecte ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/why-you-should-consider-an-electric-motorcycle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Uganda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-12-02T15:04:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/uganda\/sites\/34\/2021\/12\/img-61a8dc3bd9038.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/why-you-should-consider-an-electric-motorcycle#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/why-you-should-consider-an-electric-motorcycle\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Why you should consider an electric motorcycle\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-02T15:04:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/why-you-should-consider-an-electric-motorcycle\"},\"wordCount\":1034,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/why-you-should-consider-an-electric-motorcycle#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/uganda\/sites\/34\/2021\/12\/img-61a8dc3bd9038.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Africa Press\",\"Africa Press-Uganda\",\"uganda\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"economy\",\"homepage-english\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/why-you-should-consider-an-electric-motorcycle#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/why-you-should-consider-an-electric-motorcycle\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/uganda\/all-news\/why-you-should-consider-an-electric-motorcycle\",\"name\":\"Why you should consider an electric motorcycle - 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