For years, part of the conventional wisdom about the electric bike and scooter markets was that it just needed some mainstream manufacturers to get on board, and the popularity of battery-powered products would soar. In recent times, though, it’s become clear that electric two-wheelers have several other significant hurdles – especially when it comes to high-powered and longer-ranged kit.
But smaller urban mobility machinery is more plausible: an A1-class 10-15hp powertrain with a 100-plus mile urban range is achievable at affordable prices, and the big manufacturers are finally moving into the sector. Kawasaki, Honda and Yamaha all have electric urban mobility options, and Suzuki is set to join them later this year.
The smallest of the Japanese bike makers released an electric scooter – the e-Address (also badged as the e-Access) – at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in India in late January. It could easily pass for a petrol Address scooter if you ignore the missing exhaust pipe, and the tech specs are unlikely to quicken your pulse (unless you’re a delivery scooter fleet manager…). Power comes from a 50.1V/60Ah/3.07kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery which is claimed to offer a range of 60 miles. The power-train uses a 5.5hp (continuous power) electric motor with 15Nm of peak torque, giving a claimed top speed of around 45mph. The battery is fixed and integrated into the bike’s main frame under the seat. The spec sheet says it takes nearly seven hours to charge to 100%, a very low charging rate of less than 500W. That figure is for the bike’s supplied portable charger – Suzuki says a fast EV charger can complete the recharge in just over two hours, which sounds more reasonable. Overall mass is 122kg, and the equipment levels include keyless ‘ignition’, reverse gear, under-seat storage, a USB charging socket, LED lights and an LCD dash. There’s no official word on pricing as yet, in India or elsewhere.
Jak Tyrrell, Suzuki GB marketing manager told BDN: “The new e-Address marks an exciting and significant step towards Suzuki’s target of carbon neutrality. While we believe that a multi-pathway approach to net zero is required across the spectrum of motorcycling, there is no doubt that battery EV is an excellent solution to small capacity, personal mobility, and the e-Address packs both performance and practicality into a classically styled package.
“While this recent announcement is solely for the Indian market, we expect to be able to announce details of a version of the e-Address for launch into the European market later this year.”