Can-Am Pulse Electric Motorcycle: Specifications, Price, Availability

The dual-sport Origin has a city range of 90 miles and a combined range of 70 miles. Riding full throttle at an average speed of just over 55 mph, I saw a range of about 50 miles. That’s enough of a difference to notice it in daily use. The off-road knobby tires probably didn’t help those numbers either.

Both bikes have the same 8.9-kWh battery pack. In the city, the Pulse delivers a mileage of 11.2 miles per kWh. This is slightly better than the efficiency of the closest competitor, the Zero S ($14,995 and up), 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 love retro styling, don’t forget Mewing, which Wired LovesWith its new sportier City EV option, RM1sThat has a top speed of 70 mph and a maximum range of 80 miles, but it has two significant advantages: The batteries are removable and replaceable, and it costs less than $9,000—significantly less than the Can-Ams.

Both Can-Am bikes are equipped with Level 2 AC (SAE J1772) charging ports. Charging is available up to 6.6 kW. Can-Am says the motorcycles will charge from 20 to 80 percent in about 50 minutes. When asked about future versions supporting NACS (SAE 3400, aka Tesla port), Can-Am said it will keep pace with market developments and will also provide adapters if needed.

Active region breaking and backing up

One particularly interesting feature that Can-Am has added to its bikes is active regenerative braking. Passive regenerative braking on electric bikes has existed for several years. The rider lifts off the accelerator and the bike slows itself down using the electric motor. The pleasant byproduct of this system is that the motor sends the electricity generated by this deceleration back to the battery.

But Can-Am has also added something else to the mix. On its two bikes, this active regeneration means that, after the throttle is closed, the rider can turn the throttle about 6 degrees from its neutral position to enable additional regenerative braking. It’s an interesting solution to the challenge of how best to increase a motorcycle’s efficiency without adding regeneration to a traditional friction brake.