California sees motorcycle sales skyrocketing under electric mandate

California is considering an electric-motorcycle mandate that could lead to a much stronger motorcycle market in the state.

The proposed rules, which the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the powerful regulator that sets the state's emissions standards, is set to vote on Nov. 7, could lead to annual electric motorcycle sales that are eight times the number registered in the state today, CalMatters reports.

They would impose a credit system leading to 10% zero-emission motorcycle sales in 2028 and 50% in 2035, up from about 1% today.

At the same time, new emissions targets for gasoline bikes would lower their emissions for the first time in 25 years, potentially bringing them closer to the small cars and hybrids they currently lag behind in general gasoline efficiency.

BMW Motorrad Vision DC electric motorcycle concept

Zero-emission vehicle mandates are nothing new in California; the state is on track eliminate sales of most new vehicles with combustion engines by 2035. But this electric-motorcycle mandate is also predicted to lead to a gradual increase in overall sales.

Under the proposed rules, more than 280,000 new electric or hydrogen motorcycles are expected to be sold in California by 2045.

Motorcycles make up less than 1% of all vehicle miles traveled in California, but contribute an "outsized portion of smog-forming pollutants," CARB officials told CalMatters. Indeed, internal-combustion motorcycles have long been noted as potentially more polluting than cars, as they can more easily be missing emissions gear completely.

Honda EV Fun concept

Harley-Davidson got in trouble for emissions-gear cheating a decade ago, directly selling its customers "defeat devices." But it has seen the light on electric, and established motorcycle makers like Honda and BMW will join upstarts in convincing a new generation to ride electric.

Should this plan pass, one question mark is whether so-called "autocycles" with three wheels—like the one from California-based Aptera—will be included in the sales targets.

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