One of the coolest electric bikes yet: the EV-X7 Prototype
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, On Two Wheels
Here's one electric vehicle where limited range no longer seems unpalatable. Designed and built in China by a company called Axle Corporation, the EV-X7 is driven by an electric wheel hub motor and has a top speed of 93 mph. This, of course, is a snail's pace compared to modern motorcycles, but then again, this doesn't burn an ounce of fossil fuel. It also looks like something the police force in Minority Report would patrol the suburbs with, were it painted black. The above video is in Japanese, but the basic idea is that they think their potential commercial product will revolutionize personal transportation, to the point that one day we will see this and others like it (such as the more conventional style scooter at the end) running around everywhere. This was not a spirited test drive, but the sporting nature of the vehicle is obvious.
This bike does show, along with the PML Flightlink motors soon to be found in the production ZAP-X, Volvo ReCharge, Lightning GT, and PML Flightlink's own Mini, that the trend in electric vehicle propulsion may turn towards hub motors. What will have to be proven before these motors have an effect on people's health and safety is that the motors can function as well or better than conventional brake technology.
[Source: ITN Source -- Thanks for the tip, Sean!]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-08-2007 @ 10:26AM
K said...
FYI: The video is in Japanese, not Chinese.
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11-08-2007 @ 10:44AM
Domenick said...
It's Japanese, ばか. I thought ABG covered this already but I can't find the story.... Anyway, here's a version of a video in English from the summer of 2006.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUXhJZZRUIg
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11-08-2007 @ 2:00PM
GoodCheer said...
I know this is picking nits, but "the sporting nature of the vehicle" is NOT obvious unless they can increase the corning clearance significantly. Even with the very gentle riding shown in the video the 'floorboard' were almost touching down.
All the same, I like it.
Anyone remember Akira's bike?
http://www.evolvingtype.com/teddy/archives/images/kanedas%20bike.jpg
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11-08-2007 @ 2:04PM
scatter said...
Are hub motors and mechanical brakes mutually exclusive?
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11-08-2007 @ 2:27PM
Charles S said...
I've been trying to find out more about this SUMO motor since it was reported last year. However, since the big announcement, there has been no updates, not even at Axle's website. Too bad.
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11-08-2007 @ 5:07PM
matthijs said...
@scatter I hope I understand the question. I know that hub motors are currently obstructed by German law to displace mechanical brakes. I seems that there is no room to fit both mechanical brakes and a hub motor. This will also create a lot of unsprung weight. Siemens is working on a in-wheel motor with a conventional breaking system.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8tLQ2-yKT4Y
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11-08-2007 @ 6:22PM
Seth said...
I don't see a problem having a hub motor (with, I'm assuming, regenerative braking) on the back wheel and standard dual-disc brakes on the front. Since what, 90% of the braking effort is expended by the front end of a vehicle, having mechanical brakes on the rear is kind of redundant. Unless of course you're trying to break it loose for a "Tokyo Drift" or something.
Unsprung weight is probably the biggest issue with a hub motor, but I'm not sure it's of much concern to non-racers.
And, yeah, the first thing I though of when I saw this was "Akira!" -- even more so when he took the hood off the front (like how the bike kinda unfolded in the middle to let you climb in in the anime).
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11-08-2007 @ 7:44PM
Allen said...
@ GoodCheer
My first thought was of the bike in Akira, too - but it was actually owned by Kaneda, not Akira. Otherwise, good call.
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11-09-2007 @ 4:45AM
scatter said...
Thanks Matthijs
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11-09-2007 @ 7:07PM
Rick said...
AKIRA!
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