Hold My Wrench, Tesla, a New Electric Hog is Roaring In
Image Credit: Zeno.
We all know Tesla. Love 'em, scratch your head at 'em; they certainly woke everyone up to the idea that electric cars weren't just glorified golf carts. But sometimes, the most interesting things come not from the main stage, but from the folks who were quietly tightening the bolts backstage. Enter Zeno, a new kid on the electric block, masterminded by a chap named Michael Spencer. Apparently, he used to help Tesla get its Model 3s and Ys out the door and sprinkle Superchargers around like fairy dust. Now, he's decided to tackle something a tad more accessible.
First creation? The Emara. And no, it's not going to win any beauty pageants against those svelte Italian electric superbikes that cost more than my first house. At first glance, the Emara is modestly attired. It's the sensible, hardworking cousin in the electric motorcycle family. But this little two-wheeler is packing some rather clever ideas.
Image Credit: Zeno.
The Emara runs on a 4 kWh battery, which is never going to take you across the country on a single charge. That battery powers an 8 kW motor, which translates to about 10.7 of our good old American horsepower. Zeno says this setup will give you about 62 miles of real-world range. That's plenty for nipping to the shops, commuting to work (if your work isn't, you know, 60 miles away uphill both ways), and generally buzzing about town. Top speed - charming 59 mph. You won't be outrunning the highway patrol, but you'll certainly keep up with city traffic.
Surprisingly, it even comes with four ride modes, so you can decide if you're feeling zippy or if you need to coax every last electron out of that battery. It's thoughtful. Like it knows you might have forgotten to plug it in last night. Oops.
Image Credit: Zeno.
But here's where Zeno is clearly thinking outside the charging box. You can buy the Emara outright, battery and all, for about 119,000 rupees in India, which is roughly $1,425. Annoying, I know. Less than a fancy handbag for some, and it actually goes somewhere. Or, if you're feeling a bit more commitment-phobic with your batteries (and who isn't these days?), you can grab the bike for just 79,000 rupees (around $945) and opt for a battery subscription.
This subscription thing is quite the trick. You can pre-pay for your battery usage – about $18 a month for enough juice to cover 30 miles a day, or around $30 for 75 miles a day. Or, if you're more of a "pay as you go" kind of person, it's about $0.62 per kilowatt-hour. And if you're on the subscription, you can just swap your nearly-empty battery at a Zeno station. No waiting for hours while it sips electricity! For those who do want to charge at home, a standard plug will get it done in six hours, while a fast charger at a public station (with a Type 6 connector, for those taking notes) will juice it up in a snappy 1.5 hours.
Image Credit: Zeno.
All great, but I wonder what this bike is really for. The Emara has a high-mounted mudguard, a little flyscreen, and a very practical 7.5 inches of ground clearance. The seat is a long, single piece, perfect for whatever you need to put on it. And the chassis can apparently handle up to 550 pounds! That's me, a friend, and a serious amount of shopping. It can even tackle 30-degree inclines, so it's not just for flat-landers. Slap on some optional storage boxes, and you've got yourself a proper little cargo hauler.
Zeno isn't just dreaming of conquering the Indian market, where two-wheelers are the lifeblood of daily transport. They're looking at Africa too, where a dependable, affordable electric motorbike could make a real difference for countless delivery riders and moto-taxi jockeys. And you know what? With folks from Tesla, Ola Electric, Ather, and even Apple in their corner, they might just have the secret sauce to make it happen.
Image Credit: Zeno.
Here's a question for you: Could something like the Emara catch on here in the U.S. or even in Europe? In Europe, lightweight electric two-wheelers are already zipping around, especially in cities that are becoming increasingly friendly to bikes and less so to big, snorting cars. They get it. But here in America? That's a tougher nut to crack. We still have a love affair with our big, rumbling cruisers and screaming sportbikes. A utilitarian commuter? It hasn't quite had its Hollywood moment.
Yet, with gas prices doing their usual yo-yo act, cities getting more congested, and a slow but steady warming to the idea of practical EVs is coming. If Zeno can really deliver this kind of capability for under $1,500, it could certainly get some sales. I'm thinking delivery services, college students, or anyone in a city who just wants to get from A to B without selling a kidney for a parking spot or a gallon of gas.
The electric future is often painted in sleek chrome and carbon fiber, but maybe a big part of it will look a lot more like the Zeno Emara: simple, affordable, and just plain useful. That actually doesn't sound half bad. It might just be the sensible electric shoe that fits a whole lot of people.
