Practicality tends to take a back seat when you combine sci-fi cult status with custom chopper building – and there’s no room for a pillion passenger on the Lightcycle. We first spied Parker Brothers Choppers Lightcycle project last year when it surfaced in gas-powered form, now the company has released video of a fully-electric version of the neon-packing two-wheeler in action. The electric motor may be quieter, but this one’s still guaranteed to turn heads.
Two new electric smart vehicles will debut in showrooms next year. The third generation smart fortwo electric car will be available within twelve months in more than 30 markets. Driven by a 55 kW electric motor it will have a top speed of more than 120 km/h and a range of around 140 kilometers, with the ability to be fully recharged, in the right circumstances, in less than an hour.
The performance of electric motorcycles may not yet be on par with their fuel-snorting brethren, but our outings on this new breed of two-wheeler have convinced us that they are well on the way. Now San Francisco start-up BRD is throwing its hat into this rapidly expanding ring by announcing plans for battery powered bikes designed to “outperform their gas equivalents.” Called RedShift, the motorcycles are slated for production in 2012 and will come in “dual-sport” and “urban” variants with both promising performance that would put them in the same ballpark as a gas-powered 250cc 4-stroke.
Akshat Yagnic
Designed by Dutch brand Orphiro, the Orphiro electric cruiser is an electric monster that will provide enough to chill your spine and also provide convenience in riding. Since pollution is a major concern in the present scenario, bikes such as the Orphiro, which are driven by electricity are being built so that the environment is not harmed and those who love bike riding can enjoy to the maximum.
We have seen numerous electric vehicles, both conceptually and in production, which tend to exclusively cater to a limited urban domain. With the increase in overall congestion, a low emission alternative is certainly a welcome sight in such cramped quarters. But what such conceptions can lack is the purist attributes of efficiency of their gas guzzling cousins, specifically relating to normal range. And in bid to solve the issue, the German automaker has envisaged the BMW Motorrad Concept Vehicle, an all-electric maxi scooter with an extended range of over 100 km.
With funding from the German Federal Ministry of Transport, BMW has sought to conceptualize a vehicle with an intrinsic high range and greater efficiency of performance. For that combination of sustained output with maximum speed, the developers have thought of an engine system that totally excludes those ubiquitous hub motors. Instead of that, an advanced ‘high-performance electric machine’ would be placed behind the sturdy battery component. Additionally a secondary electric drive will be incorporated, by which power transmission will be achieved from roller chain to the real wheel. Moreover, a regenerative braking system will be integrated, which according to the company can accentuate upon the overall range by a whopping 20 percent.
BMW E-Scooter Zero Emission Electric Scooter by BMW
An external electronic system will feature an interactive mechanism, which would display (and collect) data relating to temperature and voltage of the battery cells. The entire battery system could be recharged by using simple household sockets, thus preventing the requirement of exclusive charging stations. Additionally, the scooter would utilize an innovative and efficacious air-cooling system, which can save interior space.
The clear cut distinction from perspective of design in the BMW E-Scooter concept is in relation to its chassis. Unlike conventional maxi scooters, the main frame in this case is just incorporates the aluminium battery cover at the vehicular base. This creates a low center of gravity for better steering and controls. Moreover, from the vast experience drawn from its previous designs, BMW will surely integrate the state-of-the-art safety features, not just catering to controls but also to intrinsic mechanisms such as high voltage engineering.
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Honda’s first electric vehicle to hit the road in Europe will be a scooter. The auto manufacturer began testing its zero emissions scooter in Barcelona this week as part of a test program to help Honda analyze how the new technology performs with European driving patterns. The EV-neo is already available for lease in Japan, and the Barcelona City Council will be the first EU customers to receive the e-scooters.
The Honda EV-neo zero-emissions electric scooter. (Credit: Hona)
Driving at 18 mph, the Honda EV-neo has a range of 21 miles. It’s not far, but the electric scooter comes with a portable rapid charger to replenish drained batteries to full capacity in 30 minutes. Unlike most rapid chargers, the EV-neo’s fast charger uses a stepped-down method to charge the battery to 100 percent capacity. When connected to the scooter and a wall socket, the device, which is about the size of a large briefcase, uses high current charging to quickly replenish the battery until it’s almost full, and switches to low-current charging to complete the charge. In vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i (formerly i-Miev), rapid charging is limited to achieve only 80 percent battery capacity to avoid overheating. The stepped-down charging method should give EV-neo drivers fast charging capability at full capacity without battery degradation.
The rapid charger is technically a portable device, but it will probably be kept in the driver’s garage and used for fast turnarounds. To recharge the scooter’s battery once they get to a destination, drivers can use the standard charger. The standard charger is stored under the bike seat and takes about 3 and a half hours to recharge an empty battery.
Motorcycles account for 30 percent of all vehicles in Barcelona. The Barcelona City Council will lease 18 EV-neos for a year, and daily monitoring of the vehicles will report on riding distance, charging time, and load conditions. Honda began leasing the e-scooter in Japan in April, and expects to sell approximately 1,000 in the first year. The base price for the EV-neo starts at approximately $5,633 U.S. dollars. No plans to sell the electric scooter in the EU or U.S. were announced.
Ecotricity green bike Ion Horse 140 MPH Wind Powered Electric Superbike Created By Kingston University. A team at Kingston University London (KUL) wants to attend with their creation, a wind-powered electric superbike, the famous Isle of Man TT circuit in order to grab the $16,000 prize. Called ‘Ion Horse’, the electric bike will be the first of its kind to complete a 100 mph average lap.
The $240,000 “Ion Horse” is powered by lithium polymer cobalt cells that get the bike to reach 60 mph in just three seconds and a top speed of 140mph. It also features a unique new direct drive system expected to give the team the success they wish. For the moment, the Kingston team has not made public other details about this system.
Britain’s first green energy company, Ecotricity, has also contributed to the development of this electric bike. Besides this, it will completely powered by wind energy coming from Ecotricity’s 52 windmills. A few months ago, Ecotricity founder Dale Vince unveiled a wind-powered sports car dubbed Nemesis, that is able to reach a top speed of 170mph.
“The Ion Horse is the culmination of years of cutting-edge technology coming together for one purpose – to take the TT’s 100mph lap record. But it’s also a design showcase for what electric bikes could be like, and thanks to the support of Ecotricity, completely powered by wind energy,” said Paul Brandon, Kingston University London Ion Horse team manager.
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