This week, we’re sharing a lightly edited interview with Bill Bortzfield, the host of EVRider.TV.
Gail: Welcome to our solar electric trailer journey. Today we are so excited to have fellow YouTuber and EV owner Bill Bortzfield with us. I’m so excited to be talking to you and learning from you. But before we begin, Devin and I want to thank you so much for having us on your show.
Bill: Well, I’ll tell you, when I saw you guys with your Bolt and towing your Aliner and putting solar on it, you quickly intrigued me because I’m a big believer in EVs, just like you are. So I enjoyed the chance to get to meet both of you. And I want to say also welcome to Jacksonville, Florida, since you were both new residents of Jacksonville.
Gail: Thank you so much. I appreciate that so much. I’ll put a link to the episode in our newsletter for you to follow. Bill, we understand that you and your wife have three EVs. Tell us about those EVs.
[Note: we’ll add the link to Bill’s video as soon as he posts it. Check back!]
Bill: Yeah, we’ve got this Zero SR/F motorcycle made by a California company. They’ve been in business for more than a decade now. We also have a Ford Mustang Mach-e. My wife Susan drives a Mini Cooper SE EV.
Gail: Nice. I love those Mini Coopers. So how did you come about buying all EVs?
Bill: Well, it goes back to my time at the Florida Times-Union. I was doing automotive coverage. I got invited to Tesla’s supercharger opening back when Tesla still had a public relations department. They offered to let me take a Model S P85 out on the back roads of St. Johns County.
When I felt that torque, I was blown away. There was nothing like it I had ever experienced. I had driven Dodge Vipers and Porsches and Ford GTIs, but nothing prepared me for that Tesla. I couldn’t afford to run out and buy a Model S, but I could afford a Zero. It’s got a similar feel when it comes to torque and handling.
I believe that electric vehicles are The way we need to go in terms of the environment. I mean, climate change is the biggest threat we face right now. So, while electrics aren’t perfect, they are certainly a step in the right direction.
Gail: Yeah, that’s exactly how we feel, too. What year is the Zero?
Bill: It’s 2020. I got it back in 2019.
Gail: And what’s the model?
Bill: It’s called a Zero SR/F. Zero has quite a few different models. This is what I would describe as their current generation framework. Its sister models are called the SR/S, which is more of a sport touring motorcycle. You can get optional luggage, and it comes with a fairing and then it has another in the line called the SR, which is the base model.
Gail: Oh, I just love it. It’s just absolutely a gorgeous bike. How fast can it go?
Bill: Well, I don’t know from experience because I’m not about to go in excess of 100 miles per hour to find out. But I will say that no motorcyclist will be wanting for power on an SR/F. For motorcyclists who might be watching this, in terms of torque, I mean, you’re talking about Ducati, levels of torque.
You’ll get to 60 in approximately low to mid threes--somebody that knows what they’re doing. And it’s a very easy ride because, just like cars, electric motorcycles have no manual transmissions.
It’s direct belt drive. So, it’s just twist and go. You get that throttle right down low and just go.
Gail: What’s the fastest you’ll admit to having gone?
Bill: 70 miles per Hour.
Gail: Okay. I love it. Good answer. Good answer. So how far can you go on a full charge?
Bill: On a full charge? It’s really like electric cars. It depends on how you’re riding. I would say the most I’ve gone on this, I believe, was somewhere around 114 or 116 miles. That would be going down A1A, which as a new Floridian, you may not know, yet, but it’s a beautiful ride. It tends to be a stop-and-go, slower ride.
On the Interstates, if you were going with the speed of traffic, you might only see 75 miles to a charge. And the longest day I’ve driven is 371 miles.
Gail: Wow! Okay. Nice. And how long does it take to charge on a level two charger?
Bill: It depends on what option package you have. In my case, I have the mid-level charger, so to go from 10 to 80 percent would take me about an hour and a half. If you had the fastest version of level two charger, you could knock that down to an hour. So this one has a six-kilowatt charger on it, but they also sell a model with a 12-kilowatt optional charging package called a rapid charger.
Then they also have a software store where they’re going to sell upgrades this fall. I’ll be able to up the charging speed somewhere around 6.6 kilowatts. If you had the 12-kilowatt charger, you could go up to about 13.
Gail: Yeah, we have found that when we stop in charge, we also use that as a bathroom break or go in and get a meal or a drink or something so that our charging is no big deal.
Bill: What I do on a motorcycle is I find that a lot of towns and cities have level two charging stations in their urban cores. So, I usually plan my trips to take advantage of that. I lead a motorcycle group as well. One of the things that we like to do is ride to cities and towns. We’ll get a meal together.
I’ll take them to Fernandina Beach or Saint Augustine. We’ve gone up to Savannah, Saint Simon’s. No, not Saint Simon’s on this one. That was a different motorcycle, Jekyll Island, Georgia. Taking them over to Gainesville. Places like that.
I find that about the time we get at lunch, I usually get a recharge for the return trip.
Gail: What is the approximate cost per mile for the fuel on your bike?
Bill: Well, here in Jacksonville, as this is being recorded, the residential kilowatt rate is $0.12 a kilowatt. This holds a max of 14.4 kilowatts. So basically, a charge would cost me roughly $1.20 from empty to full. That would be good, as I say, for roughly 100 miles, depending on how I’m riding.
Gail: Oh, wow. What a good deal nowadays. That’s fantastic.
Bill: And you know, give you a quick example. I went down to South Florida, to Boca Raton and back on the Zero in the spring. And that didn’t cost me a penny because every beach town I visited happened to have free level two charging.
Gail: Nice. Wow, what a nice trip. That’s one you will always remember.
Bill: It was Fun. For your Viewers, if anyone is interested, there is an entire episode on that on my EV rider.
Gail: Good, good, good to know. Devin and I used to own a Harley Davidson; let me get this right, Sportster 1200. How does the Zero compare to that?
Bill: Actually, that’s a pretty good comparison in terms of weight, size, and displacement. I can’t tell you the weight of your old Sportster off the top of my head, but I can tell you this one is 498 pounds.
Gail: Many bikers—now, you know, Harleys are noisy—many bikers think that that noise keeps them safe on the road with other cars going around them. The Zero is quiet. How do you protect yourself from other cars?
Bill: Well, you know, first off, to me, as a motorcyclist, it’s all about defensive driving. You will not catch me on the road ever without a helmet, without long pants, without gloves. It’s all about what you were taught when you first got your license about being very defensive in your riding.
I always look for the whites of people’s eyes. I always look for escape routes. I try never to allow myself to be boxed in, in traffic where if somebody does something unexpected, I can’t maneuver around it. As a motorcyclist, you never count on the other person seeing you. You just can’t.
For those that believe that loud pipes save lives, well, you know, when you think how many people are on their phones, listening to their radios, have their windows up, have the air conditioning going and all the rest. Being defensive and riding safely with a full-face helmet and armor is a much better defense when riding a motorcycle.
Gail: Perfect protection. Absolutely.
Bill: Well, nothing’s perfect, but...
Gail: It’s better than... You have to be defensive when you ride a motorcycle. For sure. What are some of the best rides you’ve ever taken?
Bill: Well, boy, I would say back before my EV days, back when I lived in California, going from Palm Springs up to Big Bear down to San Diego and back up the Pacific Coast Highway would probably be what would rank at the top of my list.
Stunning beauty in a very different way is riding across the desert from Palm Springs, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Here in Florida, I think A1A running along the Atlantic Ocean is just stunning in a different way than it is out in California. I’ve been very blessed to ride in some different environments throughout my lifetime. I’ve lived in multiple states since I’ve been a motorcyclist.
Gail: Tell us about your fabulous EV Rider channel on YouTube.
Bill: Well, I just started that less than a year ago. I decided the time was right to retire from my media career in journalism. I worked for several of the Jacksonville news outlets and Houston and California.
And I just decided I wanted to do something fun. What’s more fun than having an excuse to get on the motorcycle and jump in my cars! I’m a big automotive aficionado. Although I’m an EV proponent, I love all types of motorcycles and cars. So, for example, last week, I did an episode on a couple of people who had BMW i8s, which are plug-in Hybrids. I still go to classic car shows. I still love muscle cars from the seventies.
I’m excited about what’s coming down the pike with all the EVs. I’ve already been fortunate enough to drive a, you know, Ford F-150 Lightning and a Mach-e GT Performance. And this gives me an excuse to get out there and enjoy all the technology coming our way.
Gail: Yeah, and it’s coming fast, and it’s nice to get in on it. Please tell us how we find EV Rider on YouTube.
Bill: Yeah. So EV Rider, if you want to watch it on YouTube, you type in the EVRider channel. You can find me on the web at EVRider.TV. I’ll plug the website because occasionally, I’ll put things on the website that didn’t necessarily make it into the videos. For example, you might find some additional facts and figures about an automobile if I do a car review. Every once in a while, I’ll do a story without video on EVRider.TV.
Gail: Okay, now you know how to get a hold of Bill. That’s wonderful. It’s a great channel. I’ve watched it.
Bill: Well, thank you.
Gail: I love it. Thank you so much, Bill. It has been a joy to interview you and learn from you. I’m excited for the future of EV cars and motorcycles. I’m excited for all of that. Your channel, as I said, is spectacular. So, again, we want to thank you very much for being here with us today.
Bill: Well, thanks for taking time out of your day. And for your viewers, of course, we are doing a cross episode on the Bolt and the Aliner at EVRider.TV. I hope folks will check that out as well. And I look forward to continuing to watch your journeys, especially your camping journeys and your solar trailer.
Gail: Thank you so much for joining us this week.
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