Interesting news out of BRP on electrification.

[BryanSD]

For those curious, this was the video that sparked a renewal of this thread. While BRP is announcing the introduction of EV vehicles begin in 2024, I've seen other announcements that say it will take up to 2026 before electric is seen throughout the entire product line. Can-Am and BRP have also replied in social media that gas engine Spyders/Rykers aren't going away anytime soon. Personally, I want both in my garage, a gas-powered Spyder and an EV Spyder.

 

[ollicat]

I'm a retired electrical technician from a power company and no way in hell will I ever buy an electric car or motorcycle after working 37 years with batteries!!! This is all a bunch of crap this global warming bull ----! All it's doing is filling certain peoples wallets. The vehicles might be good for a couple years but after that look out and open up your wallets for repairs. That's all I've got to say.

Right on!

 

[Schreckftw]

That Ryker concept picture looks like they want the motor in the front. Look at those fenders!. Also seeing how awesome my BRP Go app is I totally trust this will be the best electric vehicle ever! Did my sarcasm come through in that? lol

 

[rv6a]

I can't wait until they come out and I can begin running my bike on coal and natural gas from the power companies.

 

[Raven]

Hope they have better luck than Harley Davidson.:barf:

 

[BryanSD]

Hope they have better luck than Harley Davidson.:barf:

Harley Davidson finally got smart by branching off it's EV motorcycles to its own company as Livewire. The same goes with it's EV bicycles, Serial 1 (although those can be found at some dealerships). They're both important product lines (and products I would buy if I had the money) but a completely different customer and (perhaps more important to the success) sales culture found at HD dealerships. EV is still a niche product and it's no surprise the traditional HD dealership (and customer base) didn't really want to see them there. I think Ford dealerships and Can-Am dealerships may face the same problem of not knowing how to pivot from gas to electric. Although Ford seemed to do pretty decent in educating dealers with it's Ecoboost and Hybrid engines so who knows.

By the way, it's reported that for 2019-early 2021 that the entire EV product line brought in $74 million in revenue. They're EV bikes for kids they sold were at $41 million in revenue while their EV motorcycles made $30 million in revenue. This is before Livewire broke from HD (and since then brought in a new EV motorcycle at $20,000 instead of the outrageous $30,000 for the original Livewire).

 

[Motorcycledave]

BRP has announced today that they will be introducing electric versions across all their product lines by the end of 2026.

http://news.brp.com/news-releases/n...E1MkJ5NCMUCggvGUJrrOqFtQEWfsCbcK632BUx6IPauPQ

Call me crazy but If they make all the BRP products as shown they "in my opinion " will loose the market on the Spyders and others
Out here in the west, everything is miles away, I see dead electric cars on the side of the road all the time with a truck and generator charging them up.... WAY more money than a regular tow truck that brings yo a can of gas and off you go. Harley out here can't give away the idea of electric bikes

 

[Eranical]

A friend bought into the hype and got himself a used Tesla. He tried a road-trip to NYC relying on the car navigating him to charging stations on time. All was great until one station he reached was having a power outage. He had to use a regular old gas guzzler tow truck to get to the next charging station hyea:

 

[Big F]

this is indeed an interesting announcement. did they say they would be discontinuing the gas version or did I miss that?
BIG F

 

[JohnRuckus]

For those of you who are resistant to the change to EVs, it's going to happen with or without you. Change is inevitable. As a company, they have to prepare and plan for the future. Even if that is just what many consider trendy thinking. They have to cater to the public and their shareholders. As a publicly traded company, they have to prioritize making profits and satisfying shareholders. Of course this can all blow up in their face.
With this said, there were many naysayers regarding the Y configured trike that many of us enjoy riding(even with the lists of complaints often posted online), but now look at us. A whole community of enthusiasts who keep debating is the spyder a "real" motorcycle lol.
They know that not all of their current customers will want to jump to electric. So, they want isolate you. They'll cater to both demographics and eventually phase something out.
Long story short, there is too much potential to make lots of money in the EV market for them not to dip their toes in.
This will be an interesting post to review in the next decade to see where we are technologically and the thoughts of those who have commented.

 

[BryanSD]

this is indeed an interesting announcement. did they say they would be discontinuing the gas version or did I miss that?
BIG F

On social media, BRP and Can-Am have said they have no plans to discontinue the gas version of current lines. What is left unanswered is whether BRP (and Rotax) plans to continue to invest in research and development in new gas engine designs or not. It may be what we have in ICE now for the Ryker/Spyder is what we have for the future. I think it's a smart move for Can-Am to initially focus on a new product line (the two-wheel motorcycles) set to release in 2024 and see how the market are for those before marketing an EV three-wheeler (planned for no later than 2026). Electric dirt bikes right now seems to be the booming market right now, with almost all legacy motorcycle manufacturers have one already or plan to have one on the market soon. Motocross bikes looking for instant torque, light weight designs, and less concern for touring range makes them a candidate for EV versions to be introduced.

 

[NEXUS]

Would a hybrid be out of the question?

I recently picked up my Ford Maverick XL hybrid with no accessories was $20,000.00
Cheaper than the Spyder I own now. I'm getting 47 miles a gallon which is really hard to believe.
It has fast acceleration with no shifting gears.

This thing is really a motor running a generator that charges a battery with a continuous transmission.
Would the platform of the Spyder be too small for this? Would you really need any transmission for this
Just run it off the electric motor or rear hub motor? The battery pack would not have to be very big.

I'm not ready to step into a totally electric vehicle or motorcycle yet without a network of charging Stations.

But if you could get 47 miles a gallon out of little 4 door pickup. What could you get on of a hybrid Spyder ?

Would you buy one if it had the same power as the one you have now and would get 80 miles to the gallon.

 

[seaweed]

Update

Big news is here to elevate Can-Am
https://news.brp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/brp-announces-return-can-am-motorcycle-all-electric-lineup


Valcourt, Québec, March 25, 2022 – BRP Inc. (TSXOO; NASDAQOOO) announces today that the iconic Can-Am brand is returning to its motorcycle roots with a product line-up that will be completely electric. To mark the 50th anniversary of the beloved Can-Am brand, the Company will launch a family of electric 2-wheel motorcycles.

"With the motorcycle industry shifting to electric, we saw an opportunity to reclaim our motorcycle heritage and to re-enter the market. This new product category is extremely important to us, and we are thrilled that Can-Am motorcycles are the first EV models in BRP’s electric lineup to be confirmed to consumers. Many of us have very fond memories of riding the early dirt bike models, and now we look forward to building on the rich history of the Can-Am brand to inspire and impress a new generation of motorcyclists and electric vehicle enthusiasts”, said José Boisjoli, President and CEO of BRP.

The first Can-Am motorcycle was introduced in 1973 and immediately reigned over motocross and endurance racing. The instant success elevated the brand to an iconic status right from the start. Half a century later, the new products have been developed with many different riders in mind, more specifically for those who crave adventure, seek the thrill of the open road, long for a quiet ride in the country or want to liven up the city streets. Riders can expect these new state-of-the-art electric Can-Am motorcycles to be perfect for everyday commuting and, to stay true to the track & trail heritage of the brand, recreational on- and off-road riding.

 

[BryanSD]

I recently picked up my Ford Maverick XL hybrid with no accessories was $20,000.00
Cheaper than the Spyder I own now. I'm getting 47 miles a gallon which is really hard to believe.
It has fast acceleration with no shifting gears.

This thing is really a motor running a generator that charges a battery with a continuous transmission.
Would the platform of the Spyder be too small for this? Would you really need any transmission for this
Just run it off the electric motor or rear hub motor? The battery pack would not have to be very big.

I'm not ready to step into a totally electric vehicle or motorcycle yet without a network of charging Stations.

But if you could get 47 miles a gallon out of little 4 door pickup. What could you get on of a hybrid Spyder ?

Would you buy one if it had the same power as the one you have now and would get 80 miles to the gallon.

I didn't realize the new Maverick pickup was a hybrid...glad you're liking it. With regards to a Spyder Hybrid, about 10 years ago Can-Am did develop a concept version. Not sure why Can-Am decided not to pursue the hybrid version and go all-in on electric instead. Video below shows the Spyder hybrid.

 

[NEXUS]

Wow,
I did not know this.

Thanks

Nexus

 

[2dogs]

"California could ban all gas-powered generators and mowers by 2024." Check it out for yourself if you don't believe it. The current plan is to ban the sale and importation of ALL small gas engines by 2024. The definition of a small gas engine is not been clearly defined as of yet. Right now the plan is to ban sales by 24, possession and use of small gas engines is still up in the air.

 

[JohnRuckus]

"California could ban all gas-powered generators and mowers by 2024." Check it out for yourself if you don't believe it. The current plan is to ban the sale and importation of ALL small gas engines by 2024. The definition of a small gas engine is not been clearly defined as of yet. Right now the plan is to ban sales by 24, possession and use of small gas engines is still up in the air.

That will play out very interestingly. Vouchers for people to purchase newer non gas powered generators and small engine operated machines? Tax credit?

 

[BryanSD]

"California could ban all gas-powered generators and mowers by 2024." Check it out for yourself if you don't believe it. The current plan is to ban the sale and importation of ALL small gas engines by 2024. The definition of a small gas engine is not been clearly defined as of yet. Right now the plan is to ban sales by 24, possession and use of small gas engines is still up in the air.

From what I read, the sales of small-gas engines (mowers, snow blower, leave blower, etc) would be banned by 2024 and portable gas-powered generators by 2028. Well at least it bans the sales and not the use. Despite having converted to all battery-powered for my mower, snow blower, and outdoor tools and never wanting to go back to gas...that 2024 deadline isn't feasible in my opinion with today's supply chain issues.

And I think that's just plain nuts to ban the sale of portable gas generators as there is really no practical substitute. There is nothing portable with so called "battery storage generators" and most of them will be drained in power within 12 hours of use. I know too many people that owe their life and property to portable gas generators after a winter or summer storm hits us here in the central United States. It can take a week or two before power is restored.

 

[2dogs]

From what I read, the sales of small-gas engines (mowers, snow blower, leave blower, etc) would be banned by 2024 and portable gas-powered generators by 2028. Well at least it bans the sales and not the use. Despite having converted to all battery-powered for my mower, snow blower, and outdoor tools and never wanting to go back to gas...that 2024 deadline isn't feasible in my opinion with today's supply chain issues.

And I think that's just plain nuts to ban the sale of portable gas generators as there is really no practical substitute. There is nothing portable with so called "battery storage generators" and most of them will be drained in power within 12 hours of use. I know too many people that owe their life and property to portable gas generators after a winter or summer storm hits us here in the central United States. It can take a week or two before power is restored.

Sounds like you have a good grasp on the situation and experience on both sides of the equation. These proposals headed for legislation are seemingly drafted by legislators who likely live in highrises and have chauffeurs who transport them to and from work. In the area I live generators have been the primary survival tool over the past year. Power outages still plague rural residents who need power for health reasons.

 

[ARtraveler]

I got the BRP advertisement about the new electric bikes.

2024...we will look forward to seeing what they come up with. I am still interested in miles per charge and price point.