Rise of the electric motorcycle: Top 10 all-electric scooters & superbikes of 2019

Electric mobility options are here to stay. The race amongst top car manufacturers to roll out the most practical all-electric car is real - and so is that of the two-wheeler industry. With countries like Germany and the UK already mulling a ban on internal combustion engine, it is only time when other follow suit. Electric two-wheelers have come a long way and we can't ignore them anymore for they now promise real-world performance not just in terms of range, but also design and appeal. Here' we've lined up 10 top 10 all-electric two-wheelers from around the world that we've seen so far:

Harley-Davidson Livewire: The iconic American motorcycle manufacturer with its loud V-Twins had been working on an all-electric motorcycle for over five years and actually went on to become the very first manufacturer in the mainstream industry to launch it. Harley-Davidson says the Livewire does 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds with a range of almost 200 km. Harley-Davidson announced the price in January this year - $29,799 or Rs 21 lakh approximately without duties.

Vespa Elettrica: Vespa is one of the few names in the market that instantaneously bring make us imagine that the classic appeal of the yesteryear, but turns out the Italian scooter manufacturer is ahead in the electric race with its Elettrica scooter. It guarantees a range of about 100 km. There have been talks of Vespa Elettrica's launch in India but so far there is no confirmation from the manufacturer.

Energica Ego: A very prominent to fact to describe the Ego is the fact that it is the basis for racing machines that will be used in MotoE series, due to debut in 2019. The electric class will see riders like Britain’s Bradley Smith battle with well-known names such as Randy Depuniet, Maria Herrera and Sete Gibernau.

Zero SR/F: A very proper looking streetfighter, Zero SR/F was launched in Amsterdam in February 2019 when the manufacturer claimed that it offered "industry-leading power, control and connection". Zero have faced several challenges in the electric motorcycles but they now claim that they sell more units compared to their competition combined. Zero don't come cheap though with an entry-level model costing GBP 16,490 (approximately Rs 15 lakh).

Zero DSR: Zero have a street bike and they also worked on an adveture motorcycle called DSR Black Forest with luggage carriers, 293 km of range as standard, and optional upgrades for better range. Adding a Charge Tank would cost extra. Currently, adventure touring on an electric motorcycle sounds like an impractical and expensive affair but we've got to start somewhere and the direction seems good.

Super Soco TC-Max: The Soco aims to match the performance of a petrol four-stroke 125 while delivering much better economy. It can do a top speed of 100 km/h and boasts of similar torque as the Energica at 180.3 Nm, with a range of about 128 km/h. The Super-Soco TC-Max is available for special order from April 2019.

Upcoming electric two-wheelers: Honda CR-E: Motocross motorcycles are even louder than regular road bikes, but Honda is working on a silent one based on the CRF250R. This one should be one fantastic twist-and-go. (Photo: electricmotorcycles.news)

Lightning Strike: What better name for an electric motorcycle? Especially if it looks like this. It'll come in three trims - a standard one with a 10 kWh version with 112-160 km pf range and Strike Mid & Carbon Editions with 15 & 20 kWh.

Jaguar Land Rover-backed firm, Arc unveiled their Vector project at EICMA, 2018, with a range of high-tech features including a helmet with heads-up display (that is also the key) and a jacket that warns you of impending danger using vibrations to “tap you on the shoulder”. It gets a 133 bhp motor and a range of a claimed 579 km.

Curtiss Zeus: Despite only currently offering a 2163cc V-twin petrol bike for sale, Curtiss are an electric bike manufacturer. They have only released prototypes and concepts so far, including a café racer and bobber variant of their Zeus concept.