The new Experia is touted as a “green tourer” but it sports an adventure bike aesthetic.
Story updated June 1 with pricing and pre-order information.
Italian electric motorcycle maker Energica, which was recently purchased by U.S.-based EV firm Ideanomics (IDEX), revealed a fourth model that is a departure from its current model line but is also a welcome addition.
Called the “Experia,” the new machine is being billed as an all-electric “touring” motorcycle, but it has a decidedly “adventure bike” bend to its style and accessories. Energica says it should be available in Autumn this year, starting at €25,590 + VAT or about $27,500USD. Current Energica models range in price from about $23,000 up to over $30,000 depending on model variations and options selected. The Experia is available for pre-order at this time. In a press release received by Forbes.com, Energica said the Experia will be available to order on “1st of June 2022 at all Energica stores worldwide.” A U.S. dealer in San Francisco is listed.
It’s tough to tell the Experia is an electric motorcycle from most angles.
Energica says the new Experia is a complete ground-up redesign from its other offerings, which include the EsseEsse9 urban-focused machine, the Ego sport bike and the Eva Ribelle naked bike, which is similar mechanically to the Ego. Energica has been building and selling electric motorcycles for over a decade, albeit at low volume. Their recent acquisition by Ideanomics will mean more production capacity going forward, according to an interview with company principals by Forbes.com.
The Experia will feature 102 horsepower and 85 pound-feet of torque, which is a lower output than the Ego and Eva models, but should still result in stout performance, including 3.5 seconds to 60mph and a 112mph top speed. Energica says the smaller motor on the Experia is 22 pounds lighter than the Eva and Ego motors. Stated weight is 573 pounds/260kg.
Long legs and a tall stance hint that the Experia might wander off the pavement with the right … [+]
The lower output should also enable the Experia to travel farther on a charge held in the bike’s new 22.5 kWh lithium polymer battery pack, the largest battery currently available from an electric motorcycle maker. Energica claims the battery features advanced “RESS (Rechargeable Energy Storage System) geometry” which makes the battery more compact while also increasing capacity. Stated range is 130 highway miles, 256 urban riding miles and 160 miles of mixed riding. Comparatively, electric motorcycles from Zero and Harley-Davidson have smaller batteries and shorter ranges; this author went 87 miles on a Zero SR/S on a range-to-zero test (below). The Zero SR/S does offer more performance potential than the Experia, however.
Style-wise, the Experia presents a sharp silhouette more reminiscent of a dual-purpose adventure machine than a pure sport tourer. Angular body work, a tall profile, hard-sided panniers and a dual-sport style fairing seem to indicate the Experia could wander off the pavement given dirt-worthy tires. As stock, the Experia will ride on Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tires on 17-inch cast wheels front and back. Large dual 330mm front Brembo brakes with ABS will team with a 240mm rear Brembo setup and Bosch IMU to add cornering ABS to the control package.
A 5-inch TFT LCD will hopefully show GPS.
A 5-inch color TFT LCD display will let riders tweak numerous settings, including ABS, traction control, and four ride modes that include Eco, Urban, Rain, Sport. Three more modes are user-programmable. Riders can also choose from four regenerative braking profiles that feed power back into the battery while the bike is slowing. There’s also cruise control as standard, and a slow-speed reverse feature. Suspension consists of Sachs ZF fully adjustable forks and monoshock with 150mm/5.9 inches of travel front and rear.
A key feature for Energica models including the Experia is Level III DCFC Fast charging capability, which Energica says will recharge the Experia to 80 percent in 40 minutes. Slower Level II and Level I (A/C outlet) charging is also standard.
The Experia comes as somewhat of a surprise to the electric motorcycle market. While U.S. riders may take issue with the 130 miles of stated highway range, the longer legs may tempt European riders used to shorter distances between cities and the wider availability of chargers as EU countries move aggressively toward EV adoption.
In April, following the announcement of Ideanomic’s acquisition of the motorcycle maker, Energica’s CEO, Livia Cevolini announced the company was expanding with a new internal program, Energica Inside, in a bid to supply other EV makers with Energica hardware and know-how around battery, motor controller and general EV technologies.
