What is the future of fuel? What's new? What's next? Since 2007, Gas 2 has covered a rapidly changing world coming to terms with its oil addiction.
Susanna Schick has been writing for Gas2.0 since 2009 and riding motorcycles since 1985. When not chasing electric motorcycles around the globe, she runs Sustainable Fashion LA, a sustainability & marketing consultancy based in Los Angeles. The intersection between preserving Earth’s finite resources and promoting more meaningful consumption is where her passion lies. When she’s not dreaming up innovative ways to solve the world’s problems, Ms. Schick can be found using her talent for strategy in darting through traffic on her motorcycle, either in the city, nearby canyons or on the racetrack. Try to keep up on Twitter: @pinkyracr
Hollywood Electrics and Zero Motorcycles teamed up to celebrate the overwhelming success of the 2012 line Wednesday night at the chic Sunset Marquis Bar 1200. Zero Motorcycles sales for 2012 have far outpaced those of all previous years combined, and the company is still struggling to meet consumer demand for the fastest production motorcycles currently available, and tested by yours truly.
Here are the on-board videos we’ve all been waiting for. My personal favorite comes from Lightning’s Michael Barnes, overall TTXGP race winner. This is his qualifying lap. Notice the speed differential from the Lightning to the other bikes he passes.
Last night Brammo held a proper Hollywood launch party for the Empulse and Empulse R. Sure, we saw an Empulse at Laguna Seca in 2010, but a lot has changed since then. The problem with developing products on the cutting edge of technology is that it can be hard to decide when to stop waiting for it to be perfect and just pull the trigger on production.
At EVS 26, there is ample opportunity to test drive all the latest electric cars (and some bicycles!) except the Tesla and Fisker, which were only present for ogling or sitting in the drivers seat and dreaming. My photographer and wheelchair pusher Ulrich Standish took Mercedes’ Fuel Cell EV for a spin around the block.
The Electric Vehicle Symposium is a conference where electric vehicle makers can meet and exchange knowledge. There are four days of presentations from a variety of panels of experts. Engineers present their latest research and results of current projects, which is fascinating for those of us interested in finding out the very latest news in electric vehicles.
OK, so I’m not a hitchhiker, (and that is NOT my car!) but I have been known to give rides to strangers. And even a stretch Hummer can save CO2 with Zimride. So perhaps this is more “The Pilot’s Guide to Passengers.” I found out about Zimride at the Opportunity Green Conference they co-sponsored. People spoke very highly of the ride share service they used, so I looked into it.
Last night Josh at Hollywood Electrics made the mistake of handing me the key to a 2012 Zero S ZF9, the most powerful electric motorcycle currently on dealer floors. He was on the phone, so neglected to tell me it wasn’t their demo model, but one he actually wanted to sell. 20 miles later….
Look what just landed in our inbox! This email came with the cheeky subject: “Still waiting for vaporware? We’ll give you $1000 cash back on your Zero Motorcycle!” Hollywood Electrics has thrown down the gauntlet because, as owner Harlan Flagg explained to me, he’s tired of companies over-promising and under-delivering.
