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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Portlanders blast EPA for Willamette River cleanup plan ... Forest Service, Finicum supporters at odds over memorial ... Residents complain during pot hearing ... Portlanders blast EPA for Willamette River cleanup plan ... Forest Service, Finicum supporters at odds over memorial ... Residents complain during pot hearing ... Battery-powered savings increase with improvements in technology Brammo developed its first battery pack in 2008 in preparation for the June 2008 Isle of Man GT. Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM Updated Jul 1, 2012 at 2:35 AM Posted Jul. 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM Updated Jul 1, 2012 at 2:35 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Brammo's Long Run » Social News Brammo developed its first battery pack in 2008 in preparation for the June 2008 Isle of Man GT. Since then, the Ashland electric motorcycle firm has led the advances in electric motorcycle battery technology. "The battery cost was very high initially," said Brian Wismann, Brammo's Product Development Director. "The cost is much more reasonable now, but it's still the biggest cost component of our bikes. We've seen the technology go from the extraordinary — which could only be afforded by the military or NASA — to something that is still premium, but affordable to consumers." The key element, Wismann said, in lowering costs was producing cells here instead of importing them from China or Korea. The present lithium ion cells can produce about 200-watt hours per kilogram, a big gain over the 40- or 50-watt hours for lead acid batteries 20 years ago. "Within 10 years we will easily see it doubling up to 400-watt hours per kilogram," Wismann said. "Coupled with improvements through the entire system and everything around the batteries — the motors and rolling resistance of the tires — it means we will be able to double the range we have today." While a Nissan Leaf typically covers 3.5 miles per kilowatt hour, a Brammo motorcycle will roll 10 to 15 miles. A Nissan Leaf operating on a freeway has a range of 60 to 70 miles between charges. "At the end of the day, that's what is important to customers," Wismann said. "How far can they go on a battery charge, not necessarily how many kilowatt hours they have." — Greg Stiles MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM Updated Jul 1, 2012 at 2:35 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501