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Call for incentives to build electric bikes

2019 Savic electric motorcycle prototype orders incentives
Denis Savic with his Aussie electric motorcycle

The Australian Government should offer incentives for the fledgling electric vehicle industry in the wake of the demise of domestic automobile manufacturing, says Savic Motorcycles.

Founder Dennis Savic (pictured above) plans to kickstart production of Australia’s first full-size electric motorcycle, the Savic C-Series, this year.

He says the process of accessing a government investment grant or low-interest loan was too arduous.

“We would like more help from the government through grants,” he says.

“But the process is so long and arduous that it simply takes too long to get through, and the timing/circumstance has to be borderline perfect.

“I looked at it and found the process so arduous that I would lose far too much time to make it worthwhile,” Denis says. 

“But I understand why their process is significant.”

He says he would also like to see tax and other incentives for electric vehicles as are offered in other countries to help his fledgling industry.

2019 Savic electric motorcycle prototype orders
Denis Savic

“As far as giving specific ideas on incentives, I’m afraid I’m probably not experienced enough on government capability and legislation governance.”

In come countries, incentives to riders consist of tax rebates, free tolls and exemption from CBD bans.

Incentives call

His call for incentives for the industry and riders comes in the wake of the recent announcement that Holden would exit Australia next year.

“We’re an Australia electric motorcycle business,” he emphasises.

“We developed our own technology and we’re kicking off production this year. 

“We need all the help we can get, but we’re lucky to have really supportive investors and first customers.”

Government incentives he would like to see include the Accelerating Commercialisation grant on a dollar-for-dollar basis, rent support and additions to the R&D claim. 

Show and tell2019 Savic electric motorcycle prototype orders giants

Meanwhile, potential Savic customers can get a better look at the bike and more technical details this week during a special Facebook “Show & Tell @ Fab9” this Friday at 6pm (AEDT).

This is a first for us, and we’re excited to delve into some of the engineering details and features our vehicles will have,” he says.

“We will also share a few stories of our tougher times and other challenges.”

Denis says they should have a Savic C-Series running within a week with a prototype ready in about a month for testing.

They are currently (pun intended) looking for premises in Melbourne to run their research and development as well as production in collaboration with a Taiwan facility.

Savic C-Series

Savic Motorcycles will make 49 C-Series cafe racer electric motorcycles available from November in three variants.

Specification Alpha Delta Omega
Power 60kW 40kW 25kW
Torque 190Nm TBC TBC
Range 200km TBC TBC
Charge time 4-6 hours TBC TBC
0-100km/h 3s 900ms TBC TBC
Price (+ORC) $22,999.00 $15,999.00 $10,999.00

That’s much cheaper than the Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle which launched last year in the US at about $US30,000 ($A44,000).  It will be available in Australia late next year. Pricing is yet to be confirmed.

Denis says he hope to make his bikes available for test rides at the Australian Motorcycle Festival in Wollongong in November.

Buyers of the first production models will also receive:

  • Exclusive company updates first;
  • Lifetime membership providing exclusive discounts for all future Savic rider gear; and
  • Live updates and images of their bike build as it happens.2019 Savic electric motorcycle prototype orders whirring

Each model comes with several battery pack options. The largest offered in the Alpha will provide range of up to 200km, while the smallest option in the Omega is expected to have about 50km range. 

Like all electric vehicles, peak torque is instantaneous and the Alpha will accelerate from 0-100km in 3.9 seconds.

By comparison, the LiveWire has city range of about 235km and highway range of about 150km and reaches 100km/h in three seconds.

Savic customers will be able choose a range of options in brakes, suspension, wheels, tyres and three colours – Spectre, Stealth, and Rustic.

Aftermarket upgrades will also be offered. 

The bikes feature a fully integrated, stressed, liquid-cooled motor and energy storage system.

Depending on the model and battery pack a customer selects, a single charge can provide up to 11kWh. That costs only $3 compared with about $15 for a petrol bike to travel 250km.

 

  1. Its all well and good to call for incentives to build electric bikes, but what is the incentive to buy one ? I like the engine noise and the vibration but rolling down the hwy so quietly that animals on the road do not hear you coming sounds like a recipe for disaster.

      1. Hi Mark.
        So not liking electric bikes means I have a closed mind ? So I should just ignore the limitations of these bikes over petrol powered bikes, you jest surely.

        1. Hi John,
          Didn’t say that. Just said we should keep an open mind.
          have you ridden an electric bike yet?
          I have and they are great. But I wouldn’t own one. Not yet, anyway.
          Cheers,
          Mark

      2. Most vehicle noise now is from the interaction between the tyres and the road, except for some heavy vehicles and obnoxious sounding v-twins with illegal exhaust systems fitted. Sit on a footpath sometime and actually listen to the noise of vehicles as they go past. It’s rare now that any of the perceptible sounds of most passenger-type vehicles come from the engine or the exhaust.

      3. Most of the audible noise now from most vehicles (other than heavy vehicles and obnoxious-sounding v-twins with illegal exhaust systems) comes from the tyres rolling against the road surface, so John’s comment really is contrary to reality.

  2. So he wants government grants and loans and subsidies, does he? Such a smartly groomed and shiny young man. Reminds of that fellow – who was he? Oh yes, Stuart Garner.

    1. Hi,
      No, he doesn’t.
      He says he found the process all too difficult and he has investors, anyhow.
      However, for the advancement of the fledgling industry he reckons grants should be easier for small businesses to access.
      Cheers,
      Mark

      1. Well, I can’t really accept that, as, in his own words:

        “We would like more help from the government through grants, but the process is so long and arduous that it simply takes too long to get through, and the timing/circumstance has to be borderline perfect. I looked at it and found the process so arduous that I would lose far too much time to make it worthwhile”.

        What he’s asking for is an easier process to apply for government grants. He says, he can’t be bothered to do it at the moment, but if the process were easier, he “would like” to go for it. I’m not sure what’s so difficult about applying for government grants for businesses in Australia. Perhaps the form is too complex? I doubt that. Or perhaps the process involves a certain amount of scrutiny into his accounts that he would rather not have to undergo?

        On a separate note, I also note that he’s asking for incentives from the government that will increase demand for electric bikes. It doesn’t seem that he’s willing to allow consumer choice to make electric bikes the default. He wants the government to wield the stick and carrot! So it does make you wonder about his products as well, given that he himself doesn’t seem to believe that they are good enough in their own right to earn their place in the market. I would ask, if he doubts his own products’ merit, as it appears he does, then why doesn’t he have an open mind about the merits of petrol-engined bikes? He should give them a try.

        1. Hi,
          Looks like you’re not only a future denier, but also a mind-reader. LOL!
          Incentives abound overseas, so why shouldn’t Australia try to protect and nurture new industries?
          Anyway, as he says, he has enough investors, so we wish him the best of luck.
          Cheers,
          Mark

          1. Hi Mark, I’m in my 40s, so as you will no doubt be aware, being thought of as cool isn’t a priority for me at all. Calling people “future deniers” because they take clear umbrage at coercive measures (because coercion is what Savic is urging the govt to do) to rally behind some commercial product is highly unlikely to have the intended effect on anyone over, say, 30.

            It’s always open to yourself or Savic to address the core argument: why, if the bikes are any good, they don’t appear to be selling themselves without the help of govt money and coercive measures.

            I note you have stated he already has investors. This strikes me as a somewhat bland assertion, and, if he already has plenty of money behind him, why did he need this article? Seems dubious. Supporting whatever he claims just because he’s Australian and this is an Australian business, well, isn’t that a trap others into which others have fell… [Norton, Britain]

  3. Will 19-inch front wheels be available, coupled with a 17-inch rear, to handle bad northern NSW roads? What about seat height for those of us who don’t fit in the “giant” category? Add a swappable battery so one can be charged from my solar system during the day while the other is in use and it’s starting to look almost feasible.

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