Electric motorcycle gang storms the Capitol

November 7, 12:30 AMPortland Green Business ExaminerPaul Fox

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The Enertia electric motorcycle in a race--Photo by Brammo

Brammo, the electric motorcycle start-up located in Ashland Oregon was in Washington D. C. to urge congress and the executive branch to grant equality in funding to all electric vehicle manufacturers so that makers of electric two-wheeled vehicles can also benefit from the numerous government incentives designed to spur the growth and adoption of electric vehicles.

To state his case, Brammo's Founder and CEO, Craig Bramscher, met with members of Congress last week and with Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu at the Clean Energy Economy Forum hosted by The White House. The meetings were part of an effort to present policymakers Brammo's commercially-available emissions-free motorcycle at a time when the government is looking for clean transportation solutions. For additional support Bramscher was accompanied by Best Buy senior vice president of Emerging Business Rick Rommel. Rommel said, "Best Buy is committed to supporting customer adoption of clean energy technologies by making it convenient for them to learn about and see these exciting alternatives within our stores. We appreciated this opportunity to share our perspective with leaders in Washington, and look forward to a continuing dialogue."

Brammo produces a product ( the Enertia ) that looks good and is capable of speeds greater than 60 mph. It can go about 40 miles on a charge and takes about 3-4 hours to recharge. Brammo describes the Enertia as a commuter bike. The bike is doubly green in that it uses no fossil fuels and greatly reduces the level of noise pollution associated with conventional motorcycles.

Within the last year Brammo has grown from 12 employees to more than 50, most of the jobs in the high-tech arena.