Gasoline vs Electric prices in:

[DonTom]

Fernley, NV.

I stopped to charge up in Fernley, NV on the way back to Reno from Cold Springs Station (90 miles) just to make sure I had more than enough juice to get home (another 36 miles) and to take a break on my 2025 Energica Experia electric motorcycle.

One gallon of gasoline is equal to the same amount of energy as 33.7KWH. But my Experia motorcycle battery is only 22KWH. A big difference in efficiency between gas and EVs. ICV=12 to 30% efficient. EV=77 to 90% efficient. So the efficiency also needs to be compared to be accurate with the 33.7 KWH vs. one gallon of gasoline to compare. Most of my riding today was at 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, so not real great range.

I have no idea how efficient my EV bikes are, but they are generally less efficient than EV cars but a lot more efficient than any ICE vehicle. Motorcycle wind aerodynamics are very lousy at freeway speeds compared to cars. Motorcycles push more wind than do cars.

"Motorcycles have significantly higher drag coefficients (0.60–1.0) compared to cars (~0.35), meaning they experience nearly double the air resistance per unit of frontal area. "

Here are the prices there in Fernley, NV today (Pilot Travel Center Gas Station in Fernley, NV):

Here is the CCS DCFC price per KWH:

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

BTW, these CCS DCFCs are new, and work with EV-GO, which has Auto-Charge Plus. This means I just plug in and walk away. I do not press a button or anything to start the charge. The charger itself knows it is my bike and automatically bills my EV-Go account.

These can charge at 350,000 watts, but I was using less than 20,000 watts which is still a lot for a motorcycle battery.

And these have shade, which will be nice for the summer, unlike the WalMart CCS chargers one mile away that have no shade at all.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

Using the DonTom method of 7 miles per KWH on a motorcycle at mostly freeway speeds:

0.53 cents per each 7 miles.

Or $5.30 for every 70 miles.

In an average EV car, that will be around $5.30 for every 35 miles on a DCFC.

11.05 cents per KWH for a Reno home charge:

Motorcycle:
11.05 cents for each 7 miles.

$1.105 for each 70 miles.

EV Car:

11.05 cents for every 3.5 miles.

$1.105 for every 35 miles.

IOW, the big fuel savings are with the EV home charging. Not so much savings with DCFC on the road.

But if having a lot of time parked, can find many free to use EV charge stations, charging at perhaps as high as 12KW at an AC charge station, instead of as high as 350 KW, such as at the Fernley Pilot chargers with the EVs which can charge at 350 KW.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Edd505]

I want to see you sleep, cook, eat in the M/C. I'll keep the diesel truck and pull my apartment with me.

 

[DonTom]

I want to see you sleep, cook, eat in the M/C. I'll keep the diesel truck and pull my apartment with me.

I do the same. I carry my smallest electric motorcycle on the hitch of my motorhomes. But yesterday's ride was on one of my two largest electric motorcycles.

But when I was a lot longer, many of my motorcycle trips were with a tent, backpack, etc. and never expected to be RVing when older. Never even thought about it.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

This is the motorcycle I used for yesterday's 253 mile ride (2025 Energica Experia, my newest motorcycle):

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[RayIN]

Electricity is the most efficient use of power, virtually 100%. The back-story question is now efficient is the electric generating station, and total costs involved.

 

[DonTom]

The back-story question is now efficient is the electric generating station, and total costs involved.

Varies greatly by location.

I know a couple of people who home charge only by their own solar setup.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[John From Detroit]

I want to see you sleep, cook, eat in the M/C. I'll keep the diesel truck and pull my apartment with me.

I have seen campers designed to be pulled by a motorcycle (Very small tent type)

But how many here remember Compuserve. BACK then there was a Compuserve user who made a cross country trip.. He was using compuserve on a shared account to send his story back to his office where his secretary did any necessary cleaning, proofing and finally publishing he was published by Compuserve. American Youth Hostels, and in Bicycle magazines.

IT WAS A PEDAL BIKE.. Yes Human power. Not a motor bike.

 

[RayIN]

Varies greatly by location.

I know a couple of people who home charge only by their own solar setup.

-Don- Reno, NV

That goes back to what power was used to create the solar panels, accessories, and wiring.

 

[DonTom]

That goes back to what power was used to create the solar panels, accessories, and wiring.

Yep, just as with any other technology.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Bigfootford]

$ .53 per KWH? Dang... So to charge one of my 100ah 1,280 WH batteries would cost .53x 1250wh $636?
Somethings not right.
Of course not! A tesla's voltage is at <>400v.
Just being silly.

 

[DonTom]

Somethings not right.

Your math.

1.28KW is your 1,280WH battery, so about 64 cents to charge from empty to full.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Bigfootford]

You are correctum!
My floating point glitched a bit!
Heeyaaa!

 

[DonTom]

A tesla's voltage is at <>400v.

A KWH is a KWH at any voltage.

CCS chargers can charge as low as 200 VDC and as high as 1,000 VDC.

My Energica battery is 306 VDC, so it allows DCFC.

My Zero motorcycles only have a 117 VDC battery at max charge, so they cannot use CCS at all.

But with an AC input charge, my Zeros can do at least 6.6 KW charging. The Energicas, up to 22KW on a CCS DCFC, but only 3.3 KW when using it's own AC input charger.

So the type of charge stations in route determine which bike I take and where I want to stop for a recharge.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Brad Buchanan]

I do the same. I carry my smallest electric motorcycle on the hitch of my motorhomes. But yesterday's ride was on one of my two largest electric motorcycles.

But when I was a lot longer, many of my motorcycle trips were with a tent, backpack, etc. and never expected to be RVing when older. Never even thought about it.

-Don- Reno, NV

You should be congratulated for world class virtue signaling.

Electric bike on a motorhome...very nice and I might buy an electric bike for my bulldozer, though it might end up under the tracks.

 

[DonTom]

Electric bike on a motorhome...very nice

The big advantage is it is easy for one person to get up on the cycle ramp. No clutch, no noise and uses it's own power to slowly go up it with very excellent slow speed throttle response. Less than 1 MPH and steady is not an issue on my smallest Zero electric motorcycle. Many other advantages too.

But it has a short range. 40 miles on the freeway, but closer to 100 miles off the freeways. That has never been an issue on my RV trips. Besides, I can often charge on the way if I want to go farther. The small battery charges up fast.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Brad Buchanan]

The big advantage is it is easy for one person to get up on the cycle ramp. No clutch, no noise and uses it's own power to slowly go up it with very excellent slow speed throttle response. Less than 1 MPH and steady is not an issue on my smallest Zero electric motorcycle. Many other advantages too.

But it has a short range. 40 miles on the freeway, but closer to 100 miles off the freeways. That has never been an issue on my RV trips. Besides, I can often charge on the way if I want to go farther. The small battery charges up fast.

-Don- Auburn, CA

I regularly trailered my 680lb. Honda.

Silly me....just pushed her on by hand.

 

[DonTom]

I regularly trailered my 680lb. Honda.

I do not tow anything, 400 lbs limit on my hitch M/C carrier. That is the difference.

-Don- Auburn, CA

 

[Arch Hoagland]

I wonder if Sturgis is set up for an influx of electric motorcycles.