Electric Motorcycle News

While the market for electric motorcycle and electric scooters is in its infancy in most regions of the world, there is one major exception: Asia Pacific.

The vast majority of e-motorcycle and e-scooter sales in 2011 occurred in that region (17 million vehicles estimated for Asia Pacific, versus just over 30,000 for the rest of the world combined), but the market is on the verge of major competitive changes over the next couple of years.

A few large vendors, including Honda and KTM, have entered the market, while competitors like Brammo, New Vetrix, and Current Motor Company have drastically revised their business plans or developed new products over the last two years.

According to a new Pike Pulse report published by Pike Research, the two manufacturers who are best positioned to take advantage of the upcoming shifts in the market are Zero Motorcycles and Jiangsu Xinri E-Vehicle.

Dave Hurst (Pike Research Senior Analyst) says: "Most e-motorcycle and e-scooters are still in their first or second generation. Business relationships, distribution and production strategies, and sustainable business models are still in formation. Because the market is still in its very early stages, most of the overall rankings in our Pike Pulse report are lower than one would expect in a mature or fully developed market."

Zero Motorcycles achieved the highest ranking in this Pike Pulse thanks to a combination of strong strategic planning and good execution on that plan. With a product lineup well-suited to the less cost-conscious early adopter market, the company has put together a strong management team and continues to build a robust dealer network in the key regions of Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and North America.

Jiangsu Xinri E-Vehicle has a very different business plan than Zero. The company has been growing its market for e-scooters steadily by offering a wide variety of models to fit what consumers in China need today, and has found some success in exporting to Asia Pacific, North America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America as well. The company plans to double production by raising funds through a stock initial public offering in early 2012.

The "Pike Pulse Report: Electric Motorcycles and Scooters" evaluates 12 of the leading electric motorcycle and scooter manufacturers and rates them on 12 criteria for strategy and execution, including vision, go-to-market strategy, partnerships, product and production strategy, technology, geographic reach, market share, product quality and reliability, product features, pricing, and staying power.

Using Pike Research's proprietary Pike Pulse methodology, vendors are profiled, rated, and ranked with the goal of providing industry participants with an objective assessment of these companies' relative strengths and weaknesses in the emerging electric motorcycle and scooter marketplace. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm's website.

Pike Research is a market research and consulting firm that provides in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The company's research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research and demand assessment, and deep examination of technology trends to provide a comprehensive view of the Smart Energy, Smart Grid, Smart Transportation, Smart Industry, and Smart Buildings sectors. For more information, visit pikeresearch.com or call +1-303-997-7609.