Best Buy shifts into electric vehicles sales

Coming to shopping aisle near you: the Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle.

(Credit: Brammo)

Would you like an electric bike to go with your new DVR?

Best Buy has started selling electric vehicles, including the Enertia electric motorcycle from Brammo, according to reports.

The company in May started offering electric bicycles, scooters, and Segway transporters at 21 of its West Coast stores, according to the Los Angeles Times. This month, the home products retailer will add the Enertia motorcycle to create an electric vehicle line with a range of speeds and range.

Although it may sound like a stretch to offer refrigerators and electric vehicles under the same roof, company representatives said that there is growing interest in electric transportation among its customers.

"Our business is already connecting in people's homes and lives with technology, appliances and computers," a Best Buy representative told the LA Times. "One of the things that's important for the future growth of [our company] is staying ahead of where technology is in people's lives."

From a product point of view, electric vehicles have a strong kinship to consumer electronics, according to Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher, who approached Best Buy about distributing the Enertia.

"What we're selling is a lot closer to consumer electronics than to transportation," Bramscher said at the Pacific Crest Clean Technology Conference in March. He said that the Enertia includes a built-in Web server, to run open-platform software applications with the potential for add-ons like onboard cameras that could download images to travel blogs.

The Enertia charges in about three hours from a regular wall outlet and can go up to about 50 miles per hour. It gets the equivalent of 373 miles per gallon and costs less than one cent per mile to run, according to Brammo.

With a retail cost of $11,995, the Enertia isn't likely to sell in high volumes like popular consumer electronics. But Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn said the move is part of the company's efforts to diversify its product mix to stay on top of new technologies.

"I'm not sure how it's going to do either," Dunn told The Wall Street Journal. "But I like the muscles we're exercising."

The Journal also reported that Best Buy is exploring selling home energy management systems that program air conditioning, lights, and appliances to cut energy use.

[BK216]

u know that's not that bad of an idea/concept for BB. Kinda pushes the paradigm of an "Electronics Store" to a new level, and its smart considering how electric vehicles are the future.<br /><br />Even though I'm not the biggest Best Buy fan, smart move BB, smart move....just dont mess it up

[Vegaman_Dan]

Will Best Buy have a consumer loan / bank center in the store as well to help you with financing? It's one thing to buy a $1000 refridgerator. It's quite another to spend $12K on a toy bike.

[dragonsky1]

Well, our Best Buy location regularly has people drop that much on a home theater system, so there are definitely people out there than can afford it.

[Saltiva]

They are getting a Government Bailout to cover this expense!

[rickhigginshtbr]

I'd love to go to BB and be able to check out a Tesla ;) Although it's highly doubtful, but could be interesting...

[jcmark42]

I'd be interested in getting one to get to and from work, but $12k is way out of budget for me.

[jbuerge]

At the current price of this device, it is little more than a toy for the rich and would-be famous. While there may well be a market for such items, this is 'fluff' for a store that has thus lost a bit of integrity, in my opinion.

[bill45colt]

Several cars are available for $8-13000. ANd they will carry 4 people, have rain protection, radios, air cond, and some cargo area and a little crash protection. I would think its not going to get many sales until the price gets below $3500

[bill45colt]

And what we have here is basically a strengthened up bicycle, with lights, and electric motor, and large battery. Id think you could electrify a used motorcycle by adding a 12v golf cart battery with the proper chain sprockets for speed, add golf cart motor and controls and have about the same thing.

[monkeyfun14]

How many golf cart batteries and motors.<br /><br />Can go 50 miles per hour and do it for over 300 miles on a single charge?

[whatsat]

@monkeyfun14 <br /> <br />The range of these is nowhere near 300 miles on a single charge. The range is actually 35-45 miles per charge. The article said it had a MPG equivalent of 373 miles per gallon.

[Vegaman_Dan]

40 miles on a single charge, 3 hours to recharge. That's a serious limitation right there. Even golf carts can do far better, but true, they don't go 50 mph either. But then on the flip side, you can't carry your clubs on a motorcycle. :)

[Mergatroid Mania]

@ bill45colt <br />It's obviously not a bicycle frame. Just look at it. It looks like a motorcycle frame. Although I agree the range isn't all that great and the price is way too high. I would have thought they could get a better range out of a motorcycle (actually it is a motorcycle, since they were incorrectly named in the first place. Motor is electric, and engine is gas, therefor this is a motorcycle by definition).<br />You could never use one on the highway. Not only is it too slow, but who wants to go only 45 miles and then wait three hours to recharge it? They might be OK for short city trips, but not at that price. Better off with a scooter.

[lori763]

Makes sense to me.

[queticomn]

Yes an Best Buy is loosing its focus which was consumer electronics. Best Buy is cannot compete with low cost online retailers such as Amazon an newEgg because of their huge overhead. I would also rather purchase an item such as this from a local motorcycle shop rather than a retail store. Furthermore Best Buy is known for their horrible customer service and who is about to mortgage the house for a electric bike. h@!

[monkeyfun14]

Actually retailers do have an advantage over online stores.<br /><br />Especially in return policies.<br /><br />Buy from online retailers: Product ships DOA customer has to ship back wait a week or 2 to use product.<br /><br />Buy from a retail store: Product is DOA customer simply takes 10 minute trip back to store and gets new one.<br /><br />Also you tend to get a more secure feeling when buying from a physical store.

[queticomn]

Only advantage of a physical store is speed. BUT, when it come to Best Buy, they keep such low stocks in the store many times when a person goes to their store to look at an item its NEVER on the shelf to look at. So almost all the time when i need something that day i hear to T@RGET.

[queticomn]

goto T@RGET. I wish cnet would give us a chance to edit.

[dragonsky1]

Just so you know, most Best Buy stores will price match Amazon now. And quite often Amazon will be more expensive anyway. It really varies quite widely on the product and time, and just shows that people really need to research before they buy. Most people just assume Amazon or Walmart will have the lowest price and don't look anywhere else. There's even times where I've seen the lowest price at Sears.<br /><br />Also, have fun trying to return a broken TV to Amazon. I've seen them refuse more than a few returns when they TV screen arrived cracked or broken, because the customer had already signed for it. Trust me, if you order a TV online, open it and check it before you sign for the delivery. It can turn into a big headache if you don't.

[ubnyan]

The price tag is too high for regular consumers but it is quiet understandable since new products/technologies are always prices very high at first. Give it about 3 years and if they want to compete with other alternatives (e.g.scooters) they will price it at less than 5K.

[MissKristelle]

Man, I used to work there, and that would SUCK to go through the sales training. <br /> <br />Where would you put that thing... Car Audio?

[Vegaman_Dan]

List price: $11995.00 <br />Speed: 0-50 mph <br />Charge Rate: 3 hours <br />Run time: 40 miles <br />Battery charge life cycles: Unknown <br />Battery replacement costs: Unknown <br /> <br />That's a lot of money to pay for what is essentially a toy. But then if you can afford $12K for a motorcycle that is electric only, then it's not about the money, it's about being seen with one so it's more of a fashion accessory than motor vehicle.

[monkeyfun14]

Thats not even considering the price to repair these things or get new batteries when they wear out.

[sharmajunior]

BB Motors all the way...LOL

[MarkjMayhew]

is best buy offering customer service for the electric vehicles on it's @twelpforce acct on Twitter?!<br />http://twitter.com/markmayhew

[kieranmullen]

Given their poor track record from online reports, I would hate to see the Geek Squad get their mits on these.

[owlafaye]

Essentially, a neat bicycle for $12,000...you can get an economical auto for that. This will fail in the marketplace and disappear with a whimper.

[tek-ed]

Yet another reason to *NOT* shop at Best Buy...

[jt-oznel]

The problem with plug- ins is that depending on where the power comes from, it may not be any better for the environment then a standard car. For instance, if you plug it into the outside of a coffee shop, but the coffee shop gets it's electricity from the coal power plant a few miles away, you're still polluting. However, you're polluting indirectly. I'm 13 and I realize this. If in several years, everyones energy comes from a cleaner, more efficient source of energy such as Nuclear, solar, wind or hydrogen, then this could be a more practical way of transportation. I'm not against this idea. But i think it's a bit early seeing as most of our country is based off of coal energy.

[ClaireEvolution]

It shines a little differently when you look at the Enertia in it's natural light. Best Buy is the perfect setting due to the amount of foot traffic, and electronic reputation. In addition, Geek Squad is being intensely trained to work on all aspects of the powercycle and will be utilizing the existing garages Best Buy once had for sound system installment. It's max 50 mph speed, 45 minute charge, light weight and easy to handle model make it ideal for the daily commute. <br /><br />Brammo is hoping to make this the iPhone you ride; with a customizable dashboard and personal features, the opportunities are endless- like all electronics. Yes the price is high- but so was the first iPod. The price will naturally come down with time. The battery is warranted for 2 years and will last for 1,700 charge cycles - roughly five years. Then, they will live in less performance based electronics such as wheelchairs.<br /><br />The best part about the Enteria is it has a surprising amount or torque- the thing that is required in all entertaining forms of transportation. I guarantee you will have a huge smile on your face if you ride one of these things.