There is no doubt that electric vehicles are fast with 100% of torque available from go, but this drag race between a Tesla Model 3 Performance and Zero SR/F is all a bit ho-hummm.
Pointless drag race
Apart from the lack of earth-shattering noise usually associated with a drag race, it’s a pretty pointless exercise.
We’re note sure why InsideEVs Italia chose the Tesla Model 3 and Zero SR/F.
They’re not even the world’s fastest electric car and bike.
That honour goes to Tesla’s Roadster and the Lightning LS-218. That might have been a better match-uo for drag race.
Lightning LS-218
Check out the tech specs comparison below for the Model 3 and SR/F.
If you really are enthused about straight-line drag speeds, you can see you get a lot more bang (or whirring whistle) for your buck from an electric motorcycle.
Mind you, the same goes for a traditional motorcycle over a conventional car!
One of the biggest problems with the development of autonomous cars is the detection of small and vulnerable motorcyclists in traffic.
So the San Francisco chapter of the Iron Order Motorcycle Club recently volunteered the services of seven members to help develop Aurora Driver technology.
They spent a day riding around with cars driven in manual mode by testers from Californian autonomous vehicle company Aurora.
Some of the unique situations tested were detecting riders who were lane splitting, which is only legal in California in the USA, and stopping in an offset position, rather than right in front of a car.
The bikes included four Harley-Davidsons, a KTM, an Indian and a Yamaha cruiser.
Volunteers (Images: Aurora)
Autonomous cars
Detecting motorcycles is a bit of a headache for autonomous cars development.
In one incident in San Francisco last year a lane filtering rider was hit by a Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle being driven in autonomous mode.
Electric car company Tesla has launched its Version 9 software update to Autopilot 2.0+ hardware that has a more advanced “neural net” to detect smaller and faster-moving objects around the vehicle.
That is supposed to include lane-filtering motorcycles.
However, Tesla Model 3 owner Scott Kubo shot this video to show the difficulties it has detecting motorcycles.
There are several examples of lane-splitting riders in LA travelling at much higher speeds than the 30km/h lane filtering maximum in Australia.
The system struggles at times to detect them both day and night.
Tesla detects lane filtering rider in video, but not on the sidescreen graphic.
In some cases it mistakes a bike for a car and in others the bike is in the next lane and passing right through cars!
Scott says drivers also use their ears to detect motorcycles and suggests an audio sensor to help the camera and radar sensors.
The cause of the Energica blaze has not yet been determine. It could be a fault with the vehicles, an accident, or even arson.
However, electric car company Tesla has been plagued by instances of their cars bursting into flame.
Some have caught on fire in a crash, while others have ignited while being driven or being charged.
Tesla goes up in flames
Electric fires
Electric vehicles fires can be caused by impact, short-circuits, power surge, excessive discharge or heat.
They also cause special concerns for fire fighters.
Lithium batteries are obviously made with lithium which is highly flammable and stored in mineral oil.
While it is not toxic, it can cause nausea, diarrhoea, dizziness, muscle weakness, fatigue and a dazed feeling.
Electric vehicle and battery fires can also release sulphuric acid, carbon monoxide, copper and cobalt.
Fire fighters can’t douse the flames with water as the high voltage can cause an electric shock or electrocution.
Instead, they have to disconnect the power supply (usually an orange plug) and contain the fire to let it burn itself out.
Energica fire
Energica Ego electric race bike for the MotoE World Cup
It is now suspected the MotoE series, which was to start in May, will be delayed.
The incident occurred at the Jerez Circuit in Spain during the second full test for the Energica Ego bikes ahead of the season starter at the circuit in May.
No one was injured in the blaze, but a lot of gear, tools and computers were also destroyed.
MotoE is known as the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup and has 11 teams with 18 riders.
A San Francisco police officer riding an electric Zero Motorcycle recently pulled over a driver in an electric Tesla Model 3 in what must have been the quietest police pursuit of all time.
Zero posted an image of the historic moment on their Facebook page, but it may not be the last time this happens.
The Californian-based Zero has developed a DS Police motorcycle specifically for police and security agencies.
Fresno State University Police on Zero Motorcycles
They claim it is specifically useful to police because of its reliability, low maintenance, battery range and capacity, manoeuvrability, light weight chassis, economic feasibility and low environmental impact.
Zero Motorcycles global sales Vice President John Lloyd says they designed and engineered the police line-up “based on feedback directly from patrol officers regarding their needs and responsibilities”.
Stealth pursuit
But the biggest advantage for the cops is the quiet running of an electric vehicle that allows police to sneak up on criminals!
Some police departments have also found they can use them inside large shopping malls because there are no emissions.
So if they get into a Blues Brothers-style chase through a mall, bike cops can follow the criminals.
Zero in Australia
But don’t expect to be pulled up by a silent cop in Australia any time soon.
Zero DS Police Motorcycle come with pursuit emergency lighting and sirens, safety components and specially designed luggage compartments to carry gear, patrol items and emergency medical equipment.
The civilian model DS can be fitted with some of the police accessories, such as Givi top box, panniers and screen. Other accessories include heated seat and grips and a power socket, although all those limit the range of the bike.
Electric car company Tesla is further developing its Autopilot software that detects lane-filtering riders as shown in this driver’s YouTube video.
One of the biggest issues about the rapid move toward autonomous vehicles is how they will detect small and vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.
In one incident in San Francisco last year a lane filtering rider was hit by a Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle being driven in autonomous mode.
Tesla has now launched its Version 9 software update to Autopilot 2.0+ hardware that has a more advanced “neural net” to detect smaller and faster-moving objects around the vehicle.
That includes lane-filtering motorcycles.
In the above video by Tesla Model 3 owner Scott Kubo, there are several examples of lane-splitting riders in LA travelling at much higher speeds than the 30km/h lane filtering maximum in Australia.
The system struggles at times to detect them both day and night.
Tesla detects lane filtering rider in video, but not on the sidescreen graphic.
In some cases it mistakes a bike for a car and in others the bike is in the next lane and passing right through cars!
Scott says drivers also use their ears to detect motorcycles and suggests an audio sensor to help the camera and radar sensors.
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