All Entries Tagged With: "electric bikes"

Brammo Empulse, A 100-Mph Electric Bike

Want an electric motorcycle with the muscle to stand up to its powerful gas counterparts?  Far from the cute and charming style long associated with battery-powered bikes, the Brammo Empulse is a beastly two-wheeler that’s as burly as they come, packing some serious power to boot.
Boasting “a more efficient battery, a more efficient controller [and] a more efficient motor,” the vehicle claims to reach speeds of up to 100 mph, easily besting the company’s previous consumer electric bike, the 60-mph Brammo Enertia.  Not only is it fast, the top model averages a generous 100 miles of driving range on a single charge too, making it a functional everyday commuter apart from being a sporty street racer.

The Brammo Empulse is powered by a liquid-cooled  AC Synchronous motor (a first for production electric bikes), putting out 55bhp and 59 lb/ft of torque.  It weighs a light 390 lbs, giving it one of [...]

Zerotracer: An Electric Bike With A Car-Like Cabin

No doubt, the race towards high-performance, eco-friendly vehicles are spawning some odd-looking machines.  The Zerotracer, a two-seater electric motorcycle that encloses its riders in a Kevlar shell, is actually easier on the eyes compared to many we have seen.
Designed by a group of engineers in Winterthur, Switzerland, the car-like cabin allows passengers to enjoy amenities not common to two-wheeled vehicles.   Instead of saddles, for instance, the bike gets tandem bucket seats, allowing for comfortable posture during rides.  The enclosed shell keeps outside noise to a minimum and, more importantly, allows occupants to enjoy the installed heating and stereo systems.  With a 250-degree plexiglass windshield on the upper area, it also affords the same panoramic view as regular motorcycles.

The Zerotracer boasts a 135 kW electric motor and a 400V batterythat helps it reach top speeds of 160 mph and a driving range of 280 miles per charge (probably less, if the [...]

Meguru, An Electric Car With Rickshaw Looks, Traditional Japanese Styling

We’re not sure how you can call the Meguru a car, but that’s exactly how it’s being pimped in its native Japan. More accurately, though, it’s probably best described as a battery-powered, motorized rickshaw that uses a couple of materials rarely used in vehicle manufacturing.
Bamboo was used to construct the floors, while the doors are actually fan-shaped Japanese paper. Sure, that sounds like something grade school kids tasked to “beautify” a rickshaw would do, but the electric trike (okay, car) was actually manufactured jointly by real companies, Yodogawa Group and Kinki Knives Industries Corporation.

The Meguru’s body is made from iron and coated with lacquer for a strange, antique-like finish. It can plug into the mains to top up power, with a two-hour full charge giving it enough juice to run up to around 25 miles. Top speed is a blistering (okay, not really) 25 mph, which [...]

M55 EVO-001 Bills Itself The Ferrari Of Electric Bikes

Hungary-based company M55 just developed a new motorized bicycle and they’re not holding back on the superlatives. In fact, they’re going so far as to bill the M55 EVO-001 as the “Ferrari of Electric Bikes.” Really.
According to the company, it’s taken three years and five prototypes to come up with their two-wheeled Ferrari, but they’re obviously stoked by the results. It’s hardly the sleekest-looking pedal-motor hybrid I’ve laid eyes on, but if it can perform according to the claims, they just might attract some serious fans.

The M55 EVO-001 will come in two models – a road-legal version and an off-road sport variant. The former will get a modest, mid-mounted 250W (.33 hp) motor, while the latter will rock a considerably more potent powertrain, pumping out 1300W (1.7 hp). Neither model supports manual acceleration, with the motor speed automatically adjusting, depending on how hard you hit [...]

Shadow Electric eBike Sheds Spokes, Wires, Non-Bright Colors

Daymak Inc. calls their Shadow eBike “the most advanced electric bike today.” The claim does sound a little lofty, but I’ll give them this: it’s definitely intriguing.  Not because of the ultra-bright yellow paint job either.
How? Well, it’s the first bicycle I’ve seen that’s both spokeless and wireless. You heard that right. There are no spokes on the wheels and there are absolutely no wires – not even ones hiding inside the frame. It’s not the kind of thing that will compel me to buy, but I’d certainly like to try one out.
The Shadow eBike is an electric-powered bicycle measuring 3.6 x 2 x 5.6 feet (H x W x L) and weighing 59lbs. Like we said, it’s completely free of wires and spokes, with the entire electronic mechanism hidden inside the closed wheels. How does the brake, throttle and [...]

Meet Moosshiqk, The World’s Smallest Electric Bike

You thought your monkey bike is small?  You might have to rethink your definition of small with the Moosshiqk (which happens to be Sanskrit for “mouse”), the world’s tiniest electric bike.
How tiny is it?  Let’s just say it’s small enough to fit in your laptop bag after you ride it to work.  Yep, it’s apparently the easiest way to save on parking fees too.  It’s so small it looks nothing more like a remote-controlled toy.  Surprisingly enough, it can be ridden, as proven by the video at the end of this post.

The Moosshiqk measures all of 12 x 18 inches (H x W) and weighs less than 9 lbs, making it no more uncomfortable to carry around than a skateboard.  Made with simple parts, it can be assembled and disassembled in under 60 seconds each.
Created by an Indian man named Santosh, the electric two-wheeler has only been driven for one [...]

Grace e-Motorbike Claims Street-Legal Status, Boasts Sleek, Indestructible Design

Motorized bicycles aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but there’s no better adjective to describe the Grace e-motorbike than “exciting.”   Combining sporty features and a tough face, it’s one of the sexiest two-wheeled pedal pushers I’ve seen in a while.
Billed as the first street-legal vehicle of its kind (honestly, I never knew motorized bikes weren’t road-approved),  it doesn’t look all that different from souped-up bicycles I’ve seen kids with deep pockets throw together.  However, a quick look at the specs sheet should allay any doubts.

The Grace uses a patented and ultra-light CNC aluminum frame throughout its body, which its makers claim is virtually indestructible.  Handmade in Germany, it incorporates various parts drawn from both Euro-fighter planes and Formula One racers.
One full charge of the frame-integrated battery lets you run at 45 kph for up to 40 kilometers without requiring any effort from your legs.  Push is provided by a 13kW motor that sits [...]

Electric Tandem Bike Powered By Pedal-Pushing Robot

Want to ride a tandem bicycle but can’t find a partner?  That wasn’t exactly the motivation behind Joules, but the pedal-pushing, tandem-biking robot should easily make the grade.
According to the creator, who goes by the totally non-anonymous name of Chris, the robotic cyclist was conceived after a challenge was issued by his son, a former bike pro.  The idea was to build an electric tandem that is powered by actually pumping the pedals, pushing the ride both around city streets and up inclines all by itself.  Of course, since it’s a tandem, you can add your own pedaling efforts, but why bother?

Joules, who sits on the stoker seat and is decked like a humanoid rider, is literally the electric bike’s drive system, working its human-proportional legs to get those wheels a-turnin’.  The rear-riding robot was built using 0.25-inch thick 6061 aluminum for majority of its body parts, most of which [...]