Welcome to Charging Cycles
Charging Cycles is one of Wisconsin's leading advocates for the promotion of electric motors over small internal combustion applications for all types of individuals, businesses, non-profits and government agencies.
Small fuel burning engines have fewer opportunities for reasonable emissions control systems. Using an electric motor in place of a small gasoline engine offsets emissions to a greater degree than other more costly pursuits.
Emissions for small engines are harder to reduce.
A typical pre-2000 motorcycle produces more HC, CO, CO2 and NOx than a passenger car.
Highway use for one mile:
1.14 grams of NOx Nitrous Oxides
39 grams of CO Carbon Monoxide
161 grams of CO2 Carbon Dioxide
0.82 grams of HC (Hydrocarbons (unburned fuel))
With a 100 year 534 Global Warming Potential (GWP) CO2-e per highway mile for a motorcycle a car by the same test is only 356 GWP CO2-e per highway mile.
Adventures in Electric Motorcycle Ownership and Riding.
What Electric?
2013 Zero S
2015 Zero SR
2020 Zero SR/F
2020 Harley Davidson Livewire
Why Electric?
Seeking an a renewable fuel for transportation.
Almost BioDiesel.
I used BioDiesel in my Car (weather permitting), and I used to use BioDiesel in my Lawn Mower. It was great to be on the cusp of self sufficiency, occasionally mentally calculating how many acres of soybeans I would need to keep up with my commute. With mixed results on the emissions of BioDiesel which was followed by Diesel-Gate, I lost my allegiance to diesel. The Palm oil deforestation concerns continued to rise and affirmed transportation shouldn't be BioDiesel.
Changed to electric lawn mowing, and electric motorcycling.
Too few diesel motorcycles in the static marketplace. Could not find a diesel motorcycle to fit.
100% BioDiesel is hard to source - even though Blue Honey did a good job
Currently 50% of our electric comes from renewable sources and that could increase with an investment in solar panels. Full Spectrum Solar.
Where Electric?
Zero is USA's largest manufacturer (for now) of Electric Motorcycles.
Year End Odometer
https://cleanairyardcare.ca/sustainability/environmental-facts/
A conventional lawn mower pollutes as much in an hour as 40 late model cars for an hour. Source: EPA statistics for Replacing Gas Power Lawn Mowers Assuming that a typical car travels 18,000 km per year. Replacing just 33 gasoline lawn mowers would reduce as much pollution as a car produces all year.
https://www.peoplepoweredmachines.com/faq-environment.htm
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a new gas powered lawn mower produces volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides emissions air pollution in in in one hour of operation as 11 new cars each being driven for one hour.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-pick-a-lawnmower/
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), traditional gas-powered lawn mowers are a public nuisance to say the least. Using one of them for an hour generates as many volatile organic compounds—dangerous airborne pollutants known to exacerbate human respiratory and cardiovascular problems—as driving a typical car for 350 miles. The EPA estimates that, with some 54 million Americans mowing their lawns on a weekly basis, gas lawn mower emissions account for as much as five percent of the nation’s total air pollution. Beyond that, homeowners spill some 17 million gallons of gasoline every year just refueling their lawn mowers.
Lawn Mowers and Trimmers:
Cub Cadet RZT Zero Electric Riding Mower - https://www.cubcadet.com/en_US/view-all-riding-lawn-mowers/rzt-s-zero/17AVCEDS710.html
Stihl
WORX
Chainsaws:
Stihl https://m.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/battery-saws/
Craftsman