WMS launches new electric warranty

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SHORT CUTS

STILL CHEAPER THAN FUEL

ELECTRIC BIKE OWNERS MUST HAVE BEEN amongst the smuggest people on the roads recently, first during the national fuel shortages in September 2021, and then earlier this year, when petrol prices reached nearly £2 a litre. And even now, with electricity prices hitting alltime highs and petrol prices falling, the cost of running electric vehicles is still significantly cheaper. According to a report commissioned by the RAC, approximately 80% of charging takes place overnight, when electricity is cheaper. And it says that even when the energy price cap goes up, costs are still far lower than running a petrol-powered machine.

WMS launches new electric warranty

CONSORTIUM EXPANDS

THERE’S STILL A QUESTION OVER HOW motorcycles can easily transform from petrol to battery electric power. One possible solution remains the idea of a common, interchangeable design of quickly-swappable battery packs shared amongst all electric bike makers. The industry set up a consortium to examine the issue back in 2021, and at a meeting in Austria this summer, it announced growth from the four founding members to a total of 21 member firms.

The original startup members were Honda, KTM, Piaggio and Yamaha, but they’ve now been joined by another 17 firms. The new members are a mix of small, largely unknown firms as well as some much bigger household names like Samsung and Suzuki. The full membership is now AVL, Ciklo, Fivebikes, Forsee Power, Hioki, Honda, Hyba, JAMA, Kawasaki, KTM, KYMCO, Niu, Piaggio, Polaris, Roki, Samsung, Sinbon, Sumitomo Electric, Suzuki, Swobbee, Vitesco, VeNetWork (Atex, Fantic, Motori Minarelli) and Yamaha.

There’s not much in the way of concrete progress from the SBMC’s press release. But with all those names on board, it seems fair to hope that there’s something on the way soon. Aftermarket warranty supplier WMS Group, has announced it is launching a new bespoke electric vehicle warranty product. The new Safe and Sound Electric policies cover the unique EV components, including battery, motor, ECU, motor controller and charging controllers.

Neil Monks, sales and customer service director, said, “Understanding what problem our customers need to solve is an enormous advantage when it comes to new product development and can

dramatically improve the odds of successful innovation. Our recent dealer panel research revealed a real gap in the market for a specific EV warranty and it was clear that an overwhelming number of our dealers wanted to see this brought to market to help with the increasing conversation about sustainability.” For more information on WMS’ two wheeled products go to: www.wmsgroup.co.uk/dealers/ motorcycle-warranty. Sunra on a shoestring

It’s perhaps no surprise to hear an electric bike firm like Sunra preaching the benefits of battery-powered two-wheelers. But the UK head office of the firm has been crunching some numbers to back up its claims and it reckons that running one of its machines, the ROBO-S, for 3300 miles a year could cost less than £5 a month in electricity. Meanwhile finance is available to make Sunra bikes available to own from just £77 per month.

Logan Black of Sunra UK commented, “It’s been interesting to learn more about the habits of our customers and at the same time look more at the affordability picture too. Not only do we understand our customer base better, but it’s been interesting to see how running and finance costs are considered alongside daily purchases, such as something as simple as a cup of coffee.”