Susan Carpenter's LA Times article

[protomech]

No math, just intuition.

Empulse will be somewhat heavier than Enertia+ - Brammo says 330 lbs Enertia+, 420 lbs Empulse 10. At low speeds (20-30 mph) it might use a bit more energy/mile, say 5-10%.

At high speeds, 40 to 50+ mph, aerodynamics starts to take over for energy/mile. Empulse might do the same as Enertia+, or it might even be a bit better if the rider is in a more aerodynamic position.

A more powerful motor isn't necessarily less efficient than a small motor. So yes, the Empulse and Enertia+ should have pretty similar ranges with light throttle application even though the Empulse is likely to be 150-250% more powerful.

Here's an example:
Zero XU ZF3 2.6 kWh, ~16hp, 221 lbs, 62.5 Wh/mile EPA UDDS (city)
Zero S ZF6 5.3 kWh, ~30hp, 297 lbs, 69.2 Wh/mile EPA UDDS
Zero S ZF9 7.9 kWh, ~30hp, 341 lbs, 69.2 Wh/mile EPA UDDS

(the ZF6/9 numbers are the same, I suspect Zero tested the ZF6 S and added +50% for the ZF9)

EmpulseBuyer:

speculation time Let's say Brammo did drop the 8.0 model, but made the 9.3 a $2000 price bump over the 6.2. Or let's say they did offer a 10.0 model, and made it a $2500 price bump over the 6.2. I think that'd make the 8.0 preorder customers pretty happy..


Edit: On facebook, Brammo

to the LA Times article.

They also say:

Holden - her article - Sue Carpenter says the Empulse will be here in May.....so I expect we will be nailing down an exact day very soon.

Note that they're refuting neither the date nor the price. I still think there's no way they can sell a $10k Empulse "6 kWh" at the same time as an $11k Enertia+ 6.2 kWh .. but I'd LOVE to be proven wrong. Either way, answers should be here shortly : )

[Phantom]

Note that they're [Brammo] refuting neither the date nor the price.

I think that is a good sign. Brammo must have been contacted for those details. I also think there must be more details behind a 10K starting price for it to be true.

[Brammofan]

Well, the more I look at the article, the more it makes me go "hmmm."  The May production date is new - and promising - but the information about the three models, I'm pretty sure is no longer correct.  And, if the three models isn't correct, then I'm guessing the pricing isn't either.  This isn't the first time Carpenter has spoken with Brammo - perhaps she put this together with a combination of old and new information. 

[Deadly Silent Ninja]

This isn't the first time Carpenter has spoken with Brammo - perhaps she put this together with a combination of old and new information. 

If that's the case, it's pretty shoddy work. 
I don't believe a journalist for the LA Times would be able to do that and keep her work. Even my freshmen students know better than that.

[protomech]

In the DS ZF6 video review at the top, she trips up over Zero's misleading capacity specification and range specification.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-electric-motorcycle-20120317,0,7364322.story

0:36 "And the 6 kwh ZF6 I was testing, that can travel up to 75 miles per charge in the city, or 42 miles at a consistent 70 mph on the freeway"

1. It's not a 6 kWh bike. Its pack (to the best of my knowledge) is an 18s4p configuration of EIG 3.65v 20Ah nominal pouch cells, giving a total nominal capacity of 5.26 kWh.
2. Zero claims a 42 mile "highway commuting" range, which is the harmonic mean of its 75 mile UDDS city range and its 29.2 mile steady 70 mph range.

Granted, these are easy mistakes to make .. if you don't read closely. But it doesn't give me strong confidence in her other information, especially pricing.

[Phantom]

This article just got picked up by the Miami Herald.

Here is the link: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/23/2710398/electric-motorcycles-make-play.html

I hope it spreads to more news outlets around the country.