Two Wheels

There is now a Super Charger for electric motorcycles

Compact 8-kW Unit Designed To Integrate Into Zero S And DS

Long distance traveling on electric motorcycles, what with their smallish battery packs and meager on-board chargers, can pose a something of a challenge. Those who do it – multiple-record holder Terry Hershner, for instance – tend to advocate for increasing charging capability over simply carrying more energy along. What's the point of packing a huge battery if it takes forever to recharge it, they reason. Toting multiple chargers to take advantage of level 2 stations, however, also brings its own weight and packaging drawbacks. Now, there may be a reasonable solution from DigiNow, in the shape of a compact 8-kilowatt (nominal) charger.

Designed in collaboration with eMotorWerks, producers of the JuiceBox EVSE wall units, the Super Charger easily integrates into the "tank" area of the S and DS models from Zero Motorcycles (as illustrated in the photo of a prototype installation above), or, alternatively, be placed in a tail case or saddle bag or any model. The unit works with the stock 1.3-kW charger to provide up to 9 kWs of continuous energy flow, allowing owners to recharge their bikes in under an hour from a 50-amp level 2 station with a J1772 connector. European customers can, of course, opt for the more regionally-appropriate Mennekes plug.

Charging standards being what they are, or, in this case, are not, your fill-up time may vary. Most public level 2 chargers may only give you 6.6 kWs, while there are also some out there that will only serve up 3.3 kWs. A few may be ready to hand out as much as 7.5, or possibly even 12 kWs. For home installations, though, output can be tailored to suit your needs, and on a 70-amp 240-volt circuit, DigiNow's CTO and motorcycle racer Brandon Nozaki Miller, tells AutoblogGreen the Super Charger can offer up as much as 15 kWs of juice.

Deliveries from the first, limited production run are promised for November 24th at an introductory rate of $2,944. To help make that medicine go down, we understand that eMotorWerks will give a generous discount on one of their Juicebox EVSE units if purchased together.

While we ponder the prospects of a more open road for one of our favorite modes of transportation (and whether Tesla will have anything to say about the name), feel free to peruse the official press release below for more details and ordering information.

Show full PR text
DigiNow is pleased to announce the release of the first production onboard or offboard Super Charger compatible with Zero Motorcycles

The Super Charger is the result of the collaboration between DigiNow and eMotorWerks, an experienced and effective team of power electronics engineers. The innovative design leveraged open collaborative input from some of the best experts around the world. We have been able to produce a Super Charger which can drop perfectly into a Zero's Tank area and charge a Zero in most use cases in under an hour. Hollywood Electrics has also played a significant role in making this charger a reality. Their support and excellence in everything electric motorcycle-related has been extremely valuable since the first DigiNow charge tank iterations in 2013.

With the DigiNow Super Charger Charge Tank, an owner has the ability to charge their motorcycle at up to 12kW peak power and up to 9kW continous power (while utilizing the onboard charger at the same time). This is 7-10 times more powerful than the stock charger and results in charging a battery from 0% to 80% in under 1 hour.

The Super Charger comes with a swappable J1772 connector in North America, and a Mennekes Connector in Europe. This will allow users to utilize the largest EV charging infrastructures in the world.

With the included J1772 connector, riders will be able to utilize the full power of virtually any J1772 charging station. This means a rider is able to remove their onboard charger to save weight and increase range and still charge at 7.5 kilowatts. The Super Charger is half the weight of the Zero Power Tank and provides the ability to be used both in the tank and in a tail case. This means that a rider could have both a Zero Power Tank and the DigiNow Super Charger installed on a bike for a true touring electric motorcycle. Which is exactly how electric evangelist Terry Hershner @electricTerry will be using this charger!

The Super Charger can also be used as an offboard charging station. Plug it into any NEMA 14-50 power outlet and enjoy up to 10kW continuous output power. Many locations have these outlets already, or can have the outlet easily installed. This means that dealers, homeowners and popular riding destinations can install these chargers developing the potential for an electric motorcycle Super Charger Network.

The install for a Super Charger is as simple as dropping it in the tank area or tail box and plugging it into the auxiliary charge port. For most people this should take less than 45 min, and far less for experienced technicians. Once installed, the stock Zero Power Tank cover will fit directly over the Super Charger. Dealers like Hollywood Electrics can order the tank cover for you and install the Super Charger as well.

An introductory pricing for the Super Charger is set at $2944 USD and a very limited number of units will be available from this production batch. The first models will be shipped to owners on November 24th, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. As an extra incentive for users, eMotorWerks has agreed to extend a generous discount on its award-winning JuiceBox EV Charging Station when purchased together with the Zero Super Charger.

Add a Super Charger to your Zero and ride into the future of Electric Motorcycle Touring!

About DigiNow
Founded in 2010 DigiNow is a technology company focused on improving human machine interfaces, and bringing useful technologies into existence. DigiNow has been bringing improvements to the Zero market since 2012 when their CTO set the first production motorcycle landspeed record on a Zero. DigiNow is also well known for building bionic eyes to help the blind see with Second Sight Medical.

About eMotorWerks
Founded in 2010, eMotorWerks is a leading designer and manufacturer of EV Charging products. Its SmartCharge and QuickCharge DC charging systems are used in hundreds of vehicles worldwide, and it's JuiceBox EV Charging Station shipped over 6,000 units over the last 20 months. For more information on eMotorWerks, please visit www.emotorwerks.com.

Share This Photo X