Power Consumption and Performance Analysis of A 72 V 2000 W Electric Motorcycle Conversion Using Votol and Nanjing Controllers

Abstract

The increasing adoption of electric motorcycles, particularly conversion-based systems, has highlighted the importance of improving energy efficiency and optimizing motor controller performance. This study evaluates the power consumption and dynamic performance of a converted electric motorcycle equipped with a 72 V, 2000 W brushless DC (BLDC) motor using two programmable controllers, Votol and Nanjing. Performance was assessed through chassis dynamometer testing at constant speeds of 25, 30, 40, and 50 km/h to measure torque, power output, and energy consumption. A 30 km road test along the Gianyar–Tabanan route was also conducted to examine energy use under real-world riding conditions. The results showed clear differences between the two controllers. The Votol controller delivered higher low-speed torque (19.57 Nm), providing better acceleration and throttle response, which are advantageous for stop-and-go urban traffic. In contrast, the Nanjing controller demonstrated slightly higher energy efficiency at 50 km/h, consuming 14.24 Wh compared with 14.98 Wh for the Votol controller. During the road test, the Votol-equipped motorcycle achieved an average energy consumption of 0.029 kWh/km. These findings demonstrate that controller selection significantly influences both vehicle performance and energy efficiency, providing useful guidance for optimizing converted electric motorcycles for daily urban transportation.