A recent report from Navigant Research examines the global markets for electric motorcycles and scooters and the related battery technologies, including global forecasts for electric two-wheeled vehicles and the batteries used in the vehicles through 2024.

Taken together, increasing interest from large manufacturers and decreasing battery costs offer an opportunity to drastically change the current market landscape for electric motorcycles and electric scooters. With well-known players such as Yamaha and Harley Davidson poised to expand offerings into this space, and low battery costs making products more affordable, sales of these vehicles are expected to experience stable and continuous growth in the coming decade. According to a recent report from Navigant Research, sales of electric motorcycles and scooters are expected to total 55 million from 2015 to 2024.

“The acquisition of Brammo by Polaris Industries may have kick-started the entrance of large market players into the electric motorcycle market, and other companies are now gearing up to participate,” says Ryan Citron, research analyst with Navigant Research. “Meanwhile, in terms of battery costs, units that would have cost more than $1,000/kWh just a few years ago can now be had for about one-third of the price, and the cost of lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries is expected to continue to decline throughout the forecast period.”

Increased use of Li-ion batteries, which offer vastly improved power densities and longer lifespans over sealed lead-acid (SLA) batteries, is expected to be a key technology trend as the market for electric motorcycles and scooters grows, according to the report. While SLA batteries are expected to account for 92.3 percent of electric scooter batteries and 89.8 percent of electric motorcycle batteries in 2015, those figures are expected to decline to 78.9 percent and 65.5 percent, respectively, by 2024.

The report, Electric Motorcycles and Scooters, examines the global markets for high-powered and low-powered e-motorcycles, e-scooters, and the related battery technologies. It provides an analysis of the key market drivers, barriers, and technology issues related to electric powered two-wheel vehicles (e-PTWs), as well as the impact of incentives. Global forecasts for e-PTWs and the batteries used in the vehicles, segmented by region, technology, and internal combustion engine (ICE) motor size equivalent, extend through 2024. The report also examines the market for gasoline motorcycles and scooters, battery market issues, the effect of electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment, and major industry players. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the Navigant Research website.

About Navigant Research

Navigant Research, the dedicated research arm of Navigant, provides market research and benchmarking services for rapidly changing and often highly regulated industries.  In the energy sector, Navigant Research focuses on in-depth analysis and reporting about global clean technology markets.  The team’s research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research and demand assessment, and deep examination of technology trends to provide a comprehensive view of the Smart Energy, Smart Utilities, Smart Transportation, and Smart Buildings sectors.