There’s a lot to be “amped” about in this issue if you ask me. First, Contributor Eric Anderson talks about DBS, which isn’t a new television station, but rather it stands for Dead Battery Syndrome. It’s real, and chances are your customers have been short-circuited by it more than once. 

 

Then we get into another electrical issue with Editor-at-Large Robin Hartfiel. He flips the switch on the electric motorcycle to see if this segment has come to life in America yet. It may be a matter of time before it takes off on our shores, but in Asia, it’s a segment that is charging ahead. In fact, part of my trip to Taiwan included the EV Taiwan Show that was in the same hall as the 9th Annual Taiwan International Motorcycle Show, which is also, coincidentally, featured in this issue.

 

The quality of EV products manufactured by Taiwanese companies has become second to none as evidenced by the number of OEM suppliers with booths and manufacturers walking around the show. Suppliers to Tesla Motors, including electric motor maker Fukuta, electrical-mechanical control module maker Chrome ATE and auto fastener maker Sumeeko Industries took part in this year’s show. And Lightning Motorcycle representatives were walking the show as well to find key suppliers for their new LS-218.

 

There were several vehicles from weird little two-seat cars that looked like old English taxi cabs to electric bikes and scooters, and components galore. One of the most interesting products was a battery exchanger that was about the size of an ATM machine with 15 slots for rechargeable batteries. Company representatives said that the unit is designed to be placed outside of convenience stores, supermarkets and, yes, dealerships.

 

To get a fresh battery, you swipe a credit card and type in a code on the touchscreen. Then you drop the dead battery in the exchanger and moments later a door opens with your new, fully charged battery, and you’re ready to go.