The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) continues to extend its support to the growing electric vehicle market by adding “Highway” range test procedures to the previously adopted MIC recommended practice for determining the “City” riding range for electric highway motorcycles.
Additionally, the MIC received agreement from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Motorcycle Technical Steering Committee to consider an SAE standard protocol for electric motorcycle range, based on MIC’s recommended practice.
The new MIC recommended practice adds a “Highway Commuting” range test procedure and two constant speed tests that could be used to supplement the previously developed MIC “City” Riding Range Test Procedure for stop-and-go operation, published in March 2011.
The “Highway Commuting Range” for electric motorcycles with a top speed of at least 55 mph is based on “50% stop-and-go” (city riding) and “50% constant speed” operation. For vehicles capable of maintaining a constant speed of 55 mph for 10 minutes, both a City Range value and Highway Commuting Range value will be reported. Reporting of range values for the constant speed tests is optional.
“The electric vehicle segment of the motorcycle market is at a crucial point,” said MIC general counsel Paul Vitrano. “As an organization that promotes the prosperity of the motorcycle industry, we have a rare opportunity to provide support to this fledgling segment of the market. This new MIC protocol for determining range for electric motorcycles is a step in the right direction toward providing consumers with reliable information they need to make purchasing decisions.”
The MIC test procedure is limited to use on street-legal electric motorcycles with a top speed of at least 26 mph. In all three range test procedures, additional elements taken into consideration include tire pressure and vehicle weight, as well as ambient temperature, humidity, wind speed and more.
For more information about the MIC, visit www.mic.org.
