The price of gasoline hasn’t skyrocketed as some expected, and discussions of race and marriage have trumped climate as political topics du jour. But regardless of this month’s headlines, electric vehicles increasingly occupy the thoughts of forward-thinking vehicle designers. Battery- or hybrid-power machines are growing in numbers and importance to our two- and four-wheeled lives, and they represent new turf for creative thinkers, a new set of problems begging new architectures for motorcycles, and certainly new styling opportunities. The electric motor and battery pack have not, as of yet, been made into beautiful objects, as was the case with motorcycle engines of yore (before the late 1980s, when enveloping plastic bodywork all but killed that requirement). But there’s still hope. For now, the trend for electric bikes is to cover the guts, and focus on wrapping it all in appealing, evocative shapes. 
Japanese designer Koza Netu, with his firm Znug Design, proposes a rethink of the typical electric bike with his Zecoo. He’s abandoned the typical fork and tube-frame chassis in favor of an all-aluminum beast, with a single-sided swingarm in back and hub-centric steering up front. While a swingarm up front has proven perfectly functional on motorcycles since 1905, and been tried more recently by Yamaha and Bimota, this layout has always suggested a future which never appears—not because of technology, but buyer disinterest. Simply put, motorcyclists are conservative with their money, and seem to prefer typical layouts. I almost said “traditional,” but “since 1905” is one hell of a tradition—just ask Harley-Davidson! The Zecoo weighs a claimed 280 kg (616 lb.), due primarily to the lithium-ion batteries hidden under the slick nosecone. Range is a claimed 160 kilometers (96 miles), no doubt with the “throttle” used a less than max volume. The heart of the machine is a Zero electric motor, with a claimed 144Nm (106 pound-feet) of torque, available to your wrist in a flat line from zero revs to top speed, with current draw plotting about the same curve. The weight of the Zecoo and its hub-centric steering should help create a stable and smooth ride, albeit at the expense of the sparkling acceleration that makes electric vehicles kick butt in drag racing (seen that Tesla vs. Porsche video?), or on Pikes Peak. 
Netu is a reformed automobile designer, having worked with Toyota prior to establishing his own firm. His training as a maker of shapes that move though space is obvious. For better or worse, designers who cut their teeth on cars or toasters are rewarded for big statements made with big shapes; sexy, overscale appliances earn design-school awards and design-museum approbation. But we motorcyclists are a curious breed. We love bold images on Instagram, but what we choose to ride is another matter. As with the Bimota Tesi and Yamaha GTS1000, bikers aren’t pounding a path to a feet-forward future. The new Zecoo lands aesthetically between a hot custom Honda Rukus and an Akira film prop. It’s a welcome statement of possibility for the electric bike genre, and the proposed production limit of 49 machines sounds about right for the target audience. I won’t be standing in that line, preferring instead to wait for the genius who sorts out making battery packs and electric motors sexy in themselves, and frees us from enveloping bodywork. Electric naked, anyone? 
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