Best Buy is getting into motorcycles – think Geek Squad in mechanics' coveralls. The consumer electronics store chain is going to start selling the Enertia electric motorcycle made by Ashland, Ore.-based startup Brammo at five of its West Coast stores in May, CEO Craig Bramscher said Friday. In time, Bramscher envisions the $12,000 Enertia, as well as Brammo's upcoming lighter-duty and heavier two-seater models, being sold across Best Buy's chain of 1,200 U.S. stores, as well as some of its 1,500 or so stores in Europe and its 270 stores in China. Speculation that Best Buy would sell Brammo's motorcycles began back in September when Best Buy Venture Capital participated in a $10 million investment in the Ashland, Ore.-based startup. Chrysalix Energy Ventures was another investor (see Funding Roundup: Solar and Wind Startups, Along With Tesla Motors, Seek Capital). Contributions by Bramscher himself raised that total to $12 million, he said. The idea of selling motorcycles at an electronics store isn't as crazy as it sounds, Bramscher said.

Many Best Buy stores are built with two garage bays that are "underutilized," he said at the Pacific Crest Clean Technology Conference in San Francisco. Also, given features like a built-in Web server and APIs that Brammo is opening to third-party application developers, "What we're selling is a lot closer to consumer electronics than to transportation," he said. He envisions add-ons like on-board cameras that can download images to travel blogs. Brammo is among a number of startups seeking to supply electric two-wheelers to the mass market – others include Vectrix and Zero Motorcycles. Others like Mission Motors are making expensive, high-performance models. Setting up distribution channels is a key challenge for startups like these, Bramscher said. That's why Best Buy could be a coup, he said. After all, all the motorcycle distributors in the United States see about 7 million customer visits per year – the same number that Best Buy sees at a single store in West Hollywood, he said.

And yes, Geek Squad employees will perform what Bramscher called "level one" repairs on parts like brakes, tires and electronic components on Enertia motorcycles, he said. For more complete repairs, for example "if you crash one," the motorcycles will go to a small number of central distribution centers Brammo is planning, he said. motorbike shop in ashton under lyne(The company is seeking a second round of funding, he said, though he didn't specify how much).motorcycle shops in folkestone The Enertia now has a 45-mile range and a maximum speed of 53 miles per hour, using a lithium-ion-phosphate battery provided by Valence Technology that takes about three hours to charge using a standard outlet, he said.motorbike shop albert embankment

But those range and speed limits are all right, considering that most people Brammo surveyed about their driving habits say they travel less than 25 miles per day for commuting and errands, he said. The Enertia is highway-legal, he added, and Bramm has about $3 million in pre-orders.1 motorcycle club bylaws Brammo's two-seater motorcycle is expected to have a range of about 100 miles and go 75 miles per hour when it's released next year, he said.motorcycles for sale in bentonville arLess then a year ago, Best Buy was enthusiastic about its selection of electric vehicles.  motorcycles for sale in bentonville arWith a focus on electric motorcycles, most notably those of Brammo, the sales of electric two-wheelers in many of its stores fit in nicely with the electronic retailer’s long-term sustainability strategy.  honda motorcycle parts modesto

Rumors were even swirling that Best Buy would start to sell electric cars.Now Best Buy has taken a step back.  The company recently decided to cease the sales of most battery powered bikes and scooters.  Despite the recent spike in gasoline prices, Best Buy could not move the electric bikes out of its stores and onto the streets.  Sales of scooters overall have actually risen 50% in the first quarter of this year–but those impressive figures do not include electric motorcycles.Plenty of issues lie behind the disappointing sales.  Despite Best Buy’s commitment to educate customers on the facts and myths about electric vehicles (EV), commuters were still confused.  Claims about recharge time, charge and cost fell on customers’ deaf ears.  Some vehicles were just impractical.  Currie Technologies’ E-Zip electric scooter, for example, boasted a 36V charger that allowed you to travel at speeds up to 15mph for a range of 12 miles.  To move around for less than an hour is great for a put-put golf course or to channel Will Arnett’s character Gob Bluth from Arrested Development, but for commuters who want a real commuting solution, US$600 was a high price to buy a big cool toy. 

Meanwhile, US$4 to $5 gas did wonders for the sales of gasoline-powered scooters and human-powered bicycles–just not for anything that required a battery charge.Despite the demise of Best Buy’s EV product line–only a few electric bikes will be sold at a quarter of its locations, and only during summer–the retailer is pursuing the EV market with a different approach.  The “Geek Squad” may well become the leader for the purchase and installation of EV charging stations, and will continue to install charging stations at its stores while adding electric cars to its fleet.  As for the rumors that Best Buy will sell electric automobiles–they are just rumors and as of now highly doubtful.The jury is still out on whether Best Buy is a leading or lagging retailer, but the company deserves credit for its work on recycling e-waste.  From purchasing green energy to its community work, Best Buy still holds its own.  In the end, its two-year commitment to electric vehicles did not result in sales, so the Geek Squad will make a difference by other means.