% EVangel Terry Hershner worked with them on this. IMO, Now Electric motorcycles take their rightful place as a lower cost Electric transportation solution with a fast ~1hr L2 6&10kW charging capability %
http://gas2.org/2015/10/12/ev-update-super-charger-for-electric-motorcycle/ EV Update: Super Charger for Electric Motorcycle October 12th, 2015 by Jo Borrás [images / Brandon Miller, via DigiNow http://gas2.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CHARGER_TEAM.jpg (R&D team members) http://gas2.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CHARGER_2.jpg Super Charger installed in Zero "tank" http://gas2.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CHARGER_3.jpg You can't even tell it's there ] “Hey, Jo!” began Brandon’s message. “Hope all is well with you! I am about to release a new charger for Zero Motorcycles that fits into the tank, and lets you charge up the bike in about an hour.” Since most of the EVs that I’ve had first-hand experience with take almost a full night to recharge, I was definitely intrigued. Even more so, of course, because: Brandon. Brandon, if you don’t know, is a long-time friend of Gas 2. He even wrote a few articles for us back when he first picked up his 2014 Zero SR and, before that, when he was a part of the 2012 ReFuel event. He’s a good dude, and he absolutely understands what both EV enthusiasts and motorcyclists want from their rides. So, as at least one of those two things, I asked him about his charger. “We’re calling it the Super Charger,” explained Brandon (paraphrasing here). “It gives you between 75 and 90 miles in an hour, and it fits in your tank.” This, of course, confused the he(ck) out of me, because Zero Motorcycles- which are, you know, electric- don’t actually have fuel tanks. “I’ll get you some pictures in just a few,” said Brandon. “I’m going into a meeting with engineers again, now.” A few minutes later, as promised, I received my explanation … … which brings the point home rather nicely, don’t you think? “The best thing is that it’s easy to install,” he says. “Literally any one could do this with a screwdriver and Allen key. There’s no confusing electric stuff or anything … I guess if someone wants it professionally installed by a dealer it should be pretty cheap. With some experience, they should be able to install it in under an hour. A place that knows the bikes like Hollywood Electrics could do it in maybe 30 minutes.” There’s apparently a smartphone app that goes along with the new Super Charger, since I got a screencap from Brandon’s phone that shows off some pretty serious charging power … … I’d be lying if I said I knew what all of that meant just by looking at it, but I get that the gist of it is a motorcycle that be all set for a full day of commuting after just 45 minutes to an hour of being plugged into a standard wall socket. That’s pretty good, and quite a bit better than my own most recent experience with the iMiEV! You can check out Brandon’s official press release, below, and check out DigiNow’s website for pricing and availability. If you have time, let us know what you think of this latest charging product for electric bikes in the comments section at the bottom of the article. [PR] DigiNow is Pleased to Announce the Release of the First Production On-board/Off-board Super Charger Compatible with Zero Motorcycles. The Super Charger is the result of the collaboration between DigiNow and eMotorWerks, an experienced and effective team of power electronics engineers. The innovative design leveraged open collaborative input from some of the best experts around the world. We have been able to produce a Super Charger which can drop perfectly into a Zero’s Tank area and charge a Zero in most use cases in under an hour. Hollywood Electrics has also played a significant role in making this charger a reality. Their support and excellence in everything electric motorcycle related has been extremely valuable since the first DigiNow charge tank iterations in 2013. With the DigiNow Super Charger Charge Tank, an owner has the ability to charge their motorcycle at up to 12kW peak power and up to 9kW continous power (while utilizing the onboard charger at the same time). This is 7-10 times more powerful than the stock charger and results in charging a battery from 0% to 80% in under 1 hour. The Super Charger comes with a swappable J1772 connector in North America, and a Mennekes Connector in Europe. This will allow users to utilize the largest EV charging infrastructures in the world. With the included J1772 connector, riders will be able to utilize the full power of virtually any J1772 charging station. This means a rider is able to remove their onboard charger to save weight and increase range and still charge at 7.5 kilowatts. The Super Charger is half the weight of the Zero Power Tank and provides the ability to be used both in the tank and in a tail case. This means that a rider could have both a Zero Power Tank and the DigiNow Super Charger installed on a bike for a true touring electric motorcycle. Which is exactly how electric evangelist Terry Hershner @electricTerry will be using this charger! The Super Charger can also be used as an offboard charging station. Plug it into any NEMA 14-50 power outlet and enjoy up to 10kW continuous output power. Many locations have these outlets already, or can have the outlet easily installed. This means that dealers, homeowners and popular riding destinations can install these chargers developing the potential for an electric motorcycle Super Charger Network. The install for a Super Charger is as simple as dropping it in the tank area or tail box and plugging it into the auxiliary charge port. For most people this should take less than 45 min, and far less for experienced technicians. Once installed, the stock Zero Power Tank cover will fit directly over the Super Charger. Dealers like Hollywood Electrics can order the tank cover for you and install the Super Charger as well. [© gas2.org] ... https://www.facebook.com/ElectricTerry Terry Hershner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Hershner ... https://hollywoodelectrics.com/ Hollywood Electrics INFO @hollywoodelectrics.com 323-654-8271 901 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046 https://www.facebook.com/hollywoodelectrics http://www.motorcycle.com/features/diginow-zero-super-charger-2.html DigiNow Zero Super Charger Game-changing battery charger able to charge e-bike batteries to 80% in less than an hour By Troy Siahaan October 12, 2015 [images http://www.motorcycle.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/12166603_10205089202770665_1621962269_n_feature1.jpg http://www.motorcycle.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/12162924_10205089201250627_767254533_o1.jpg http://www.motorcycle.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/12163036_10205089201690638_1753404677_o1.jpg http://www.motorcycle.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/12165948_10205088498913069_676712125_n1.jpg http://www.motorcycle.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/12164880_10205088513593436_883422024_o1.jpg http://motorcycle.com.vsassets.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/11989443_10205088511993396_19302176_o1.jpg When it comes to putting the Super Charger to the test, there’s none better than Terry Hershner for the job. He’ll be receiving the first production unit and putting it through the wringer. Here you can see a prototype installed in his top case. http://motorcycle.com.vsassets.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/12165948_10205088498913069_676712125_n.jpg The Super Charger can also be used at home as an off-board charger. Hershner’s dog, Charger, not included. ] DigiNow has today announced the launch of the Super Charger, which is able to bring any Zero Motorcycle since 2013 to at least 80% charge, in most use cases, in under an hour. The Super Charger can also be used to recharge batteries in other electric vehicles, including the Victory/Brammo, Lightning Motorcycles and even electric cars. The Super Charger project was spearheaded by DigiNow’s Chief Technology Officer Brandon Nozaki Miller, who you might remember from our The Life Electric series, along with the assistance of eMotorWerks, an experienced team of electronic engineers in Mountain View, California. When used in tandem with the onboard charger, DigiNow claims the Super Charger can charge at up to 12kW peak power and up to 9kW continuous – that’s 7-10 times more powerful than the standard Zero charger, allowing a completely drained battery to reach 80% charge in under 60 minutes. Of course, since most users don’t completely drain their batteries on each ride, this means a full charge could be achieved in even less time. [image] The naked Zero DS on the left reveals where the Super Charger would be positioned on a Zero not equipped with the Power Tank option. With the bodywork attached (right), the Super Charger is hidden from sight. A J1772 connector is included with the Super Charger for North American customers (European customers get a Mennekes connector), allowing a rider to take advantage of the network of Level 2 charging stations around the country. In fact, Miller says he would personally remove the stock Zero onboard charger, which weighs 10lbs and only provides 1.3kW, and use the Super Charger exclusively, accepting the 20-lb weight penalty for the vastly superior 7.5kW charging power it provides at J1772 stations. When plugged into a NEMA 14-50 power outlet, the same outlet used for a household clothes dryer and the one found at many RV parks, charging power increases to 10kW continuous. The Super Charger is able to be used either onboard a Zero or off, and can work in conjunction with the charger already equipped on the S, DS, SR or FX. For S, DS and SR models. The unit fits nicely in the compartment normally reserved for the Power Tank range extender in the faux gas tank, and weighs approximately half as much. FX models, and those who already have the Power Tank installed will have to use an aftermarket top case in order to fit the Super Charger. This is the setup electric evangelist Terry Hershner will be using on his Zero. Because the Super Charger is portable and able to be carried in something like a top case, a major benefit of the Super Charger is its ability to be used on virtually any electric vehicle, two wheels or four. It can also be used as an off-board charging station when plugged into a NEMA outlet. Miller says the connectors are modular to support the use of the Super Charger on a variety of electric vehicles, including older Zeros. “Their batteries are so small,” he said “they can be charged in no time.” He gave the example of a prototype Super Charger unit he tested on his 2012 Zero S with the ZF6 (6 kWh) battery, claiming that bike could go from fully flat to fully charged in under 40 minutes. “Charging from 30% to 90% would be ridiculous,” he said. “Like stop, plug in, go pee, then go ride again.” This isn’t DigiNow’s first foray into building Zero accessories, having built a Bluetooth dongle to connect a smartphone directly to the bike’s brain. However, its history with Zero has mostly been racing related. The small company isn’t tied up in bureaucracy whenever a change is called for, which gives Miller and his team the ability to be flexible and pivot quickly from one project to the next. Introductory pricing for the Super Charger is set at $2944, and a very limited number of units will be available in the first production batch ... [© motorcycle.com] http://www.examiner.com/article/diginow-s-fast-charger-for-zero-ds-s-sr-electric-motorcycle-enables-long-rides DigiNow's fast charger for Zero DS/S/SR electric motorcycle enables long rides October 12, 2015 David Herron [image] DigiNow and eMotorWerks have teamed up to support long distance electric motorcycle rides A new age of electric motorcycling has dawned thanks to a product announcement on Monday from DigiNow and Electric Motor Werks. The two companies have jointly developed the DigiNow Super Charger Charge Tank, a super-high-speed charging unit designed for electric motorcycles made by Zero Motorcycles. The Super Charger Charge Tank drops into the Power Tank area of the Zero S, Zero SR and Zero DS, and when installed a 1 hour or so charging time is possible. The 2015 Zero SR with Power Tank, 15 kiloWatts total energy storage, is rated for 94 miles range at 70 miles/hr, or about 77 miles range for Zero SR's lacking the Power Tank (12 kWh energy storage). Zero's 2016 models are due to be announced shortly, and are expected to bump the range up a bit. With the Charge Tank installed a 9 kiloWatt continuous charging rate is possible, for a 1 hour (or so) full recharge time. The 9 kW charge rate is available at high power 240 volt outlets, like the NEMA 14-50 outlets at RV parks. The typical charging station is limited to 6 kiloWatts charging power, which would increase full recharge time to about 90 minutes. Either way, that's much faster than the stock 1.3 kiloWatt charger supplied by Zero which they claim requires over 10 hours for a full recharge. This combination of range and charging time delivers the autonomy needed for long range road trips. Terry Hershner, the trailblazer for long range riding on Zero SR's, estimates that with the Charge Tank installed a rider can easily travel anywhere there's enough 6+ kiloWatt charging stations. That's anywhere east of the Mississippi River, and along the west coast. In those areas, enough charging stations are installed to enable a long distance ride hopping from station to station. In between those areas, the mountains and deserts of the west, charging stations are far enough apart that 90 miles range won't cover the distance between stations. Since 2013, Hershner has taken several cross-country trips with a highly modified 2012 Zero S. A year ago, he completed a 1000+ mile trip in under 24 hours earning him the title Iron Butt Terry. To make those trips he added several additional battery packs and chargers, with the bike weighing nearly 1000 pounds when fully configured. The Charge Tank implements the critical element of Hershner's bike, the fast charge time, at a fraction of the weight and size. A rider will be able to carry regular gear (clothes, sleeping bag, tent, etc) in saddlebags and top case, while staying well within the weight design limits of the Zero S/SR/DS electric motorcycle, and enjoying a 1 hour or so recharge time. Another critical element of Hershner's bike was an aerodynamic fairing to reduce wind drag and extend the Zero S/SR/DS's effective range. He believes such a fairing installed on a stock Zero would extend its range enough to cover those distances in the western US. Such a fairing is not (yet) available as a product. The Charge Tank is designed so every connector is modular. It is available with either the J1772 connector for U.S. charging stations, the Mennekes for European charging stations, and it can be directly connected to a NEMA 14-50 outlet. The output-side connectors can be changed so that, in theory, the Charge Tank could be integrated with other vehicles including electric cars, according to DigiNow CTO Brandon Miller. The company plans to make available interface information so others can customize the product even further. Miller has been improving Zero Motorcycles bikes since 2012, and selling products through DigiNow. That year he set a 102 miles/hr land speed record for light-weight electric motorcycles. The introductory price for the Super Charger Charge Tank is $2944. A limited production run will be made, with initial deliveries expected by November 24. Installation as simple as dropping it into the Power Tank area and connecting it to the auxilliary charge connector. The process should take less than 45 minutes, according to DigiNow. For Zero's with the Power Tank filled by a battery pack, the Charge Tank is carried on the tail in a topcase. To sweeten the deal, Electric Motor Werks is offering a generous discount on their JuiceBox EV Charging Station when purchased together with the Zero Super Charger. To order, contact DigiNow.it, [ mike @diginow.it ] [Examiner.com Entertainment | AXS Network | © 2015 AXS Digital Group] ... https://www.facebook.com/digiNow-Inc-221483624638337/timeline/ digiNow Inc http://www.gizmag.com/zero-motorcycles-2016-lineup/39803/ Zero motorcycles announces improved 2016 models Loz Blain October 15, 2015 ... Triple-speed charging with the Charge Tank accessor If quicker charging is your priority, you can install the US$1,988 Charge Tank accessory, which works with all 2016 S, DS, SR and DSR bikes, as well as their 2015 counterparts ... [image http://img.gizmag.com/zero-electric-motorcycles-2016-s-sr-ds-fx-dsr-fxs-16.jpg (j1772 L2 tank connector) ] ... http://www.cycleworld.com/2015/10/14/2016-zero-electric-motorcycles-review-new-models-first-look-photos-specs-pricing/ 2016 Zero Motorcycles – FIRST LOOK REVIEW Zero electric motorcycle lineup grows and goes farther. October 14, 2015 By Mark Hoyer ... RANGE EXPANSION How far you can ride on a charge remains the biggest challenge for electric vehicles. Zero this year has boosted energy density with more efficient cell chemistry. The S and SR models with the $2,674 2.9-kWh Power Tank extra battery and the 13.0-kWh main pack offer a claimed range of 197 miles in the city or 98 miles at 70 mph. Capacity per volume is increased a claimed 4 percent. POWER TANK VS. CHARGE TANK How fast the battery can be charged is another electric-vehicle challenge. For 2016, Zero offers the $1,988 Charge Tank, a Level 2 charging system designed to work with the J1772 standard plug in use at public charging stations. Using this system, Zero’s 9.8-kWh packs can be charged to 95 percent in about two hours, and the 13.0 takes about 3 hours. It is a dealer-installed option that also can be fitted to 2015 models. Zero’s Charge Tank takes the space where the 2.8 kWh Power Tank extra battery goes, so you choose extended range or faster, more convenient charging. Charge time to 100 percent with the standard 1.3-kWh integrated charger for the 13.0 pack is 8.9 hours, and with the Power Tank added, it takes 10.8 hours ... [© 2015 Bonnier] For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-3k-DigiNow-L2-6-10kW-fast-charger-for-e-motorcycles-tp4678108.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
