A motorbike costs less than a car and is easier to ride and park in the increasingly congested city roads. The leisure or lifestyle bike design is driven by speed, shape and cult appeal. The bike for the emerging markets has to emphasize economy and convenience of battery recharge. Innovative approaches to bike design for each market are emerging, as designers are looking beyond the shapes and forms followed so far for the petrol bike market. Some of the eye-catching e-bike designs of 2011 are reviewed below:
Concept electric motorcycles
1. AMPLIO Electric Motorcycle concept
Toronto based designer Sebastian Tymockzo has incorporated a battery swap feature in his Amplio concept bike. The 10 kWH Lithium Ion battery pack is built into an aluminum rack at the base of the bike. The bike is ridden onto a battery swap station and the rider remains seated while the spent battery is exchanged for one that is fully charged. The spent battery will be automatically plugged into a recharging panel. The swap stations will be built and maintained by Better Place, the Palo Alto, California company that is building battery swap stations for electric vehicles. The battery swap can be done in under 3 minutes, similar to the time taken for filling gas at a petrol pump.
The concept bike has a range of 160 kilometers and has a built-in charger for plugging into a utility outlet overnight. However, the ease of battery swap may encourage e-bike owners to prefer that mode. The bike has no clutches or gears and speed variation is by rheostat controls on the bike handle. The drive is through a sealed brush-less AC synchronous motor. Regenerative braking on the rear wheel will conserve battery consumption.
2. Evolve Lithium and Xenon Electric Bike concepts
Evolve Motorcycles, the New York city based custom motorbike maker displayed two electric models at the Milan motorbike show earlier this year, named Lithium and Xenon, aimed at the leisure and lifestyle markets showing that electric bikes are finding acceptance even in these markets. The Lithium is styled as a sporting bike with a top speed of 100 miles per hour. The 96 volt 110 Ampere-hour battery will recharge in 3.5 hours and deliver a range of 100 miles.
The Xenon is modeled on the bike shown in the computer animation in the 1984 movie Tron which developed a cult following with comic books, TV serials and video games being made on the theme. The Xenon bike features large 32 inch hub-less wheels, encased in a fiberglass body. The Tron imagery is replicated by the blue organic light emitting diode strips around the wheel rim and as outline of the rider's position. The Xenon is powered by a 40 kilowatt motor that can reach bike speeds of 100 miles per hour. The 60 Amperehour Lithium-ion battery will recharge in 3 hours and deliver a range of 100 miles.
3. Steam-punk style Electric Motorbike for the year 2020
Mathew Law, the California based automotive designer has conceptualized this electric bike that looks as though it is inspired by Captain Marvel comics. The cylindrical container on the side houses the battery and the drive motor. The lighted LED strips ensure that the bike is eye-catching. The designer has not disclosed any details of battery capacity or range, but the form design is attractive.
4. Tesla E-max Motorbike concept
Motorcycle enthusiast Madella Simone has designed this unusual e-bike with the frame made of piezoelectric materials to generate electricity from the bumps and twists when the bike is ridden. In addition, a Halite fabric layer on the seat converts body heat into electricity. These supplementary energy sources will feed into the battery that powers the electric motors on the two wheels.
5. Modern Twist on the classic Peugeot
This is another concept e-bike by Madella Simone, who has adapted the form from the famous 1934 four engine motorbike the Peugeot 515. The bike has rear wheel drive from an electric motor located in the wheel hub and powered by a Lithium-ion battery pack under the rider's saddle. The designer has also eliminated the standard hub that connects the bike body to the wheel fork and replaced it with a spherical joint that permits easy wheel change
6. Electric Motorcycles concept with 4 wheel steering
Designer Wes Rhoad has designed this e-bike with twin wheels for both front and rear which he says makes for easier steering. The black and chrome design should appeal to the bikers.
7. Sora Electric concept bike
The Sora has progressed beyond a designer's concept into a vehicle that has gone into production last month. This e-bike is made by the company Lito Green Motion of Montreal, Canada and features a powerful electric drive that can achieve a top speed of of 200 kilometers per hour. The drive range is an impressive 480 kilometers (300 miles). The engine delivers a max torque of 80 Nm. On-board computer controls monitor cell voltage distribution in the Lithium-ion battery pack and feature settings for optimum range or peak torque. A GPS map device is also provided. The bike is priced at a steep $40,000.
8. Superhero Motorcycle
This concept e-bike as described by the designer Jean Baptiste Robilliard has a rugged appearance. The bike frame houses the electric motors and batteries. The e-bike incorporates a kinetic energy recovery system similar to F1 cars, where the energy from braking is recovered to recharge the battery.
9. Star Wars inspired Honda Chopper concept
This Peter Norris concept bike draws inspiration form the movie Star Wars.The white body components and the shape of the rear lamp holder to look like turbo-boosters are derived from the movie image . The bike uses feet forward seating to achieve its low profile. It would be interesting to see if Honda would actually produce this vehicle.
10. The Detonator
This concept e-bike, designed by Daniel Simon, comes with a price tag of around $100,000 in its limited edition release. The motorbike can reach a speed of 120 miles per hour and is said to achieve a range of 80 to 100 miles with only one hour of charging by using advanced Lithium-ion batteries. The driver position is well behind the front wheel and steering this vehicle could be a challenge to an average bike rider.
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