Best Buy Entering Motorcycle Biz: Report
By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 3/2/2009
Ashland, Ore. — Best Buy may begin selling motorcycles at five West Coast stores this spring.
According to a report in Greentech Media, the CE chain will carry a $12,000 electric motorcycle in select West Coast stores starting in May, with Geek Squad workers possibly providing repair services in empty car A/V installation bays.
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Best Buy may begin carrying the $12,000 Enertia battery-powered motorcycle in May. |
The bike, called Enertia, was developed by Brammo, an Oregon business that Best Buy’s venture capital arm invested in last year.The 7-year-old company said it designs and manufactures sustainable specialty vehicles and "performance products for the next generation of transportation."
CEO Craig Bramscher told attendees at the Pacific Crest Clean Technology Conference last week in San Francisco that Geek Squad agents will perform "level one" repairs on the bikes’ brakes, tires and electronics components, Greentech said. The latter include a built-in Web server, open-platform software applications and possible add-ons like onboard cameras that could download images to travel blogs.
"What we're selling is a lot closer to consumer electronics than to transportation," Bramscher said.
The Enertia uses six lithium-phosphate battery modules that take about three hours to charge using a standard electrical outlet. The bike is highway legal with a 45-mile range and a maximum speed of 53 miles per hour, and the company is working on a two-seater model with a range of about 100 miles and a cruising speed of 75 miles per hour that may also be sold through Best Buy, Bramscher said.
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This reminds me of why I don't have solar panels on my home.
My average electric bill is around $60.00 per month.
The payback "break even" time of 20 years is stupid.
$12,000.00 for this toy, come on. At $1,500.00, it might make sense......
Steven Hilson - 2009-9-3 19:32:00 EDT -
Best Buy starts selling motorcycles.... and in a parallel universe.... Bed-Bath-And-Beyond starts selling computers.... Abercrombie&Fitch looks into selling major appliances.... and to thumb their nose at the world of convention.... Home Depot announces they'll start carrying high-end women's clothing and accessories!
Adam C - 2009-2-3 22:20:00 EST -
Cool. Smart move diversifying into up and coming areas of business. I don't see this as abandonning your core at all...just adding to it. Stop being so negative!
Pablo Zenreich - 2009-2-3 21:24:00 EST -
12,000.00 to go 45 miles at a time. Who's going to buy that? thats just CRAZY
Don Helm - 2009-2-3 15:37:00 EST -
Just go ahead and forget your core business. Ask Circiut City...remember when they invested in Divx? That made more sense than this does and divx was a factor in sinking CC.
Rick Bender - 2009-2-3 15:32:00 EST
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