The Origin dual-sport has a city range of 90 miles and a combined range of 70 miles. Cruising at average speeds above 55 mph, I got around 50 miles of range. That’s enough of a difference to notice in everyday use. The knobby off-road tires probably didn’t help those numbers, either.
Both bikes come with the same 8.9 kWh battery pack. In the city, the Pulse offers 11.2 miles per kWh. That slightly beats the efficiency of its closest competitor, the Zero S (starting at $14,995), which offers 154 miles of city range from a 14.4 kWh-capacity battery and has an efficiency rating of 10.7 miles per kWh.
And if you prefer retro styling, let’s not forget Maeving, which WIRED loves, with its new sportier urban EV option, the RM1Swhich has a top speed of 70 mph and a maximum range of 80 miles, but with two important advantages: the batteries are removable and interchangeable, and it costs less than $9,000, considerably less than the Can-Ams.
Both Can-Am motorcycles are equipped with a Level 2 AC charging port (SAE J1772). Charging is available up to 6.6 kW. Can-Am claims the motorcycles will charge from 20 to 80 percent in approximately 50 minutes. When asked about future NACS-compliant versions (SAE 3400, also known as the Tesla port), Can-Am stated that it would keep pace with market developments and offer adapters if necessary.
Braking and reversing with active regeneration
One particularly interesting feature that Can-Am has added to its bikes is active regenerative braking. Passive regenerative braking on electric motorcycles has been around for years. The rider releases the throttle and the bike slows down on its own using the electric motor. The positive result of this system is that the motor sends the electricity created by this deceleration back to the battery.
But Can-Am has added something else to the mix. On both of its bikes, this active regeneration means that after releasing the throttle, the rider can rotate the throttle past its neutral position by up to about 6 degrees to allow for additional regenerative braking. It’s an interesting solution to the challenge of how to maximise a motorcycle’s efficiency without adding regeneration to traditional friction brakes.
