To explain simply what an electric motorcycle is, it is a two wheeled vehicle that, instead of using petrol, uses an electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery. In other words, it does not generate direct emissions, it is much quieter and requires less maintenance compared with a traditional motorcycle. As you can see, they represent a sustainable and efficient alternative that is well suited to life in the city, where emissions and other factors are increasingly being restricted. So, let us look at all their characteristics.
Characteristics of an electric motorcycle
Motor
The electric motor, which may be located in the rear wheel hub or integrated into the chassis, stands out for:
- Delivering torque instantly, which provides smooth and powerful acceleration.
- Being more compact and requiring fewer moving parts than a combustion engine.
- Hardly needing maintenance, as it does not use oil or filters
Battery
The battery is the electric motorcycle’s fuel tank. They are generally made of lithium ion, the same type of technology used in electric cars and in many electronic devices. The important factors to bear in mind are:
- The capacity (kWh). It determines how much energy it can store and therefore how many kilometres it can travel.
- Charging times, which can vary between 3 and 8 hours using a conventional socket. If it is fast charging, this will be much shorter, but we advise only using it temporarily because it can damage the battery if you use it often.
- Useful life. They usually last between 1000 and 2000 full charging cycles before experiencing a significant loss of capacity.
Average range in kilometres
This is one of the most important points. On average, an electric motorcycle will offer between 80 and 150 kilometres per full charge, depending on the model. If they are among the latest models, they can exceed 200 km, although obviously they are more expensive. Therefore, if you are only going to use it for city travel, it is perfect because journeys are usually short. If you want to know which are the best, we recommend: top 10 electric motorcycles with the greatest range.
Speed
The electric motorcycle is not designed for very high speed, but rather to adapt well to city traffic. Most models offer top speeds between 45 km/h (typical scooters) and 120 km/h if they are high performance models, depending on the category and the type of licence required. There are some sports versions that do exceed 200 km/h, but that is not the norm.
In addition, they usually come with integrated technology to improve the user experience considerably, for example:
- Connectivity with mobile apps to monitor battery status. There are also other typical functions such as GPS or remote locking.
- Riding modes eco, normal and sport to adapt how the motor responds.
- Regenerative braking. It allows energy to be recovered when braking, which slightly extends the range.
Advantages and disadvantages of electric motorcycles
Advantages
- Zero direct emissions, so they help reduce pollution in cities.
- Economic savings. The cost per kilometre travelled is much lower than with petrol.
- They do require maintenance, but less because they have fewer moving parts and there is no need to change the oil or filters.
- They are very quiet and run very smoothly, so they are perfect for travelling around the city without making noise.
- There are certain grants for buying an electric motorcycle. In 2025, you have aid of 1300€ if you buy one and scrap a vehicle that is more than 7 years old, or 1100€ if you do not hand in an old car. This can increase by 10% if the applicant has reduced mobility or if you are registered in municipalities with fewer than 5000 inhabitants.
Disadvantages
- More limited range. It is sufficient for the city, but it does not match petrol for a long journey.
- Charging time, which is obviously much longer than stopping to refuel.
- Charging infrastructure. You depend on the availability of sockets in your garage or parking space and on public chargers.
Are there electric motorcycles that do not require a licence?
Yes, there are electric motorcycles equivalent to mopeds (L1e) that reach up to 45 km/h and do not require an A or A2 motorcycle licence. In many countries, it is enough to have a category B driving licence or even a specific AM permit from the age of 15 or 16. They are among the best options for young people who want to start riding motorcycles, as well as for urban delivery riders and people looking for sustainable mobility without dealing with a more complex licence.
What range does an electric motorcycle have
Range is one of the most decisive factors when choosing an electric motorcycle. However, there is no single figure, as it depends on several elements:
- Battery capacity. The greater the capacity, the more kilometres you can travel.
- Weight of the motorcycle and the rider. The greater the total weight, the more effort the motor requires and the faster the battery is consumed.
- Riding conditions: speed, the type of road (urban or highway), gradients or even the use of sudden acceleration influence the real range.
- Ambient temperature, since batteries perform less effectively in very cold climates.
With all this in mind, on average, an urban electric motorcycle offers between 80 and 150 km of range, exceeding 200 km in more advanced models.
Which electric motorcycle should you buy?
We would advise you not to focus on the brand itself, but rather on what you are going to use it for, your budget and your needs. Our recommendations are these:
- For daily urban use: lightweight models with a range of 90 to 100 km and a top speed of up to 80 km/h. They are affordable and easy to recharge at home.
- For mixed journeys (city and some highway): better if it has more power, with at least 120 km of range and a speed of 100 to 120 km/h.
- If you want advanced models, then I would say that the brand does matter. We recommend Zero Motorcycles, which has some models with more than 200 km of range and high speeds as well. For example, they have the SR/S model, which has 275 km of range and a speed of 200 km/h.
- If you do not have a motorcycle licence, choose those that are equivalent to mopeds.
In the end, the most advisable thing is to calculate roughly how many kilometres you travel each day, whether you have a charging point at home or in your garage, or whether you can carry out an electric vehicle charger installation, and what your budget is.
Now you know what an electric motorcycle is, how it works, the advantages and disadvantages of electric motorcycles, and what you should bear in mind when choosing the most suitable model. They are a real alternative to traditional urban mobility, quiet, economical and environmentally friendly. If you want to know more, we recommend this article: what electric mobility is.
