Why do so many people want to be hatin' on home electric vehicle conversions? When we featured Andrew Angellotti and his DIY Mazda pick-up truck conversion, a lot of people felt the need to criticize what this boy had done. Granted, there were some who defended him as well, but the very fact that people took the time to denegrate what he'd done was strange to me. Guess I shouldn't be surprised that something similar happened to Travis Gintz, the guy behind the eVFR (above).

It's taken quite a while to get to this stage, but Gintz wrote in to let us know that his electron-powered Honda VFR is finished. The other day, he took it to EV Awareness Day in Portland, Oregon. As Travis writes on his blog:

The first question out of everyone's mouth was "How far does it go"... to which I replied "15-20 miles on crappy used UPS batteries I got for free". I initially wanted to go with larger lead [acid batteries], but since these were free, I wanted to develop/test the mechanical first, and then upgrade to lithium in the fall. Its all working and now I can shop for alternatives to lead. Most people scoffed a little, I didn't care, Its quite a feat in a motorcycle, especially keeping it stock looking. I know what the end result will be.... LiFePo and AC will eventually find their way into that bike. It will perform well, and range will be 30-40 miles.

Compare this positivity to the negative comments some people feel the need to leave. Gintz said that the bike is now completely assembled, except for the turn signals and will be registered to be street-legal soon. We talked a bit with Travis about his project and you can read our interview after the jump.

UPDATE: picture updated at Travis' request.

India, the seventh largest but second most populous country in the world, has good reason to encourage electric vehicle sales, considering that its automobile market is growing very rapidly. Pollution could become a much larger problem than it already is if steps are not taken to manage it now. India's government realizes this fact, which led it to recently waive the excise duty for electric cars. Up until now, though, the tax has stood at 8 percent for electric bikes. Not anymore, as both two- and three-wheeled electric bikes are now duty-free, enabling them to be more cost-competitive against the gasoline-powered motorcycles they compete with. According to The Economic Times, electric cycles currently cost between Rs 20,000 to Rs 36,000. After the excise waiver goes into effect, the price for electric bikes should drop by Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,400.

[Source: The Economic Times]

At the INTERMOT show in Cologne, Germany, running from October 8-12 this year, there will be a special section at the Innovation Centre which will showcase alternative drive two- and three-wheelers. The show will include vehicles that are already on the market, like the Vectrix scooter and electric E-Max scooter, and future vehicles, like a natural gas-powered Suzuki and hybrid Piaggio MP3, on display. A solar-powered test track powered by Salon AG will be on-hand for visitors to test out some of the latest electrically-driven machines and to recharge spent electric vehicles.

INTERMOT organizers believe that now is the time to put alternative energy on display, and they are intending to highlight the fact that environmentally friendly does not necessarily equal low performance. Besides alternatively-powered vehicles, the exhibit will also display eco-friendly parts, accessories and clothing related to the two-wheeled industry. The entire list of all INTERMOT exhibitors can be found at this link.

[Source: INTERMOT]

Click on the image for more high-resolution shots of the E+

Electric bikes are becoming an increasingly intriguing option for commuters who live relatively close to work or for avid outdoor enthusiasts. As battery and motor technology forges ahead, the speed and range of ebikes surges with it, as evidenced by the new Electric Motion Systems E+. Although DOT requirements force a road-going electric bike to twenty miles per hour, tops, the E+ is actually capable of thirty when traveling off the beaten path. With no pedaling at all, the E+ can manage twenty miles on a single charge of its 36 volt nickel metal hydride pack, which is mounted in the front hub. Pedaling along can more than double the range. A 750 Watt electric motor comes standard, mounted to the rear hub, while a 1000 Watt upgrade is available. The E+ uses its own aluminum frame and comes equipped with a decent SR Suntour front suspension fork.

Other cool details include the ability to dial in resistance to your pedal strokes for fitness reasons and a built-in security system which makes the bike all but impossible to pedal. All of these propriety features and high specifications do not come all that cheap, though, with the E+ starting at $3,495.00, available with either a cruiser or mountainbike frame.


[Source: Electric Motion Systems]

Three months and $3,000 is what it took Instructable's poster Stryker (aka Ben) to build this great electric motorcycle. Unhappy with rising gas prices and ready to learn, Ben took a 1984 Honda Interceptor 700, gutted the gasoline components and added a 72V Advanced DC motor and 6 Yellow Top Optima batteries. He's explained the process here and here.

If a company offered this bike for sale, it wouldn't sell in great numbers. The 70 mph top speed is fine but it can only go 10-15 miles on a charge. Considering that Stryker lives just three miles from work, though, that "limit" is nonexistent for what he wants the bike to do. Of course, three miles is well within bicycle distance for some people, but the fun of creating a zero-emission motorcycle should not be dismissed. Don't believe me? Stryker is selling this bike so that he can build another.

[Source: Instructables via The Kneeslider]

Covering a conference like EVS23 can be a bit draining. There is so much to try and capture and post on that by the end of the event, I'm looking forwards to falling asleep in my cramped airplane seat on the way home. The last day of EVS23, though, brought with it a special treat: a chance to test out the Brammo Enertia all-electric motorcycle (see video above). With shadows still long on the parking lot pavement, Brammo's lead engineer, Aaron Bland, guided me through the bike's capabilities and gave me some riding tips. Ever since I crashed a Vespa back in high school, I have trepidations on any two-wheeled device that's not a bicycle, but this thing felt good. Not to spoil the surprise, but I'll admit right at the start that if I were to ever buy a motorcycle, the Enertia would be a serious contender for my wallet's contents.

Anyway, back to the ride. Aaron drove around the parking lot a few times. Of all the people at Brammo (and, indeed, the planet), he said, he's the guy who has put the most miles on the Enertia bikes, which, as you can guess, means he hates his job. Once I filmed a few scenes of the bike in action, it was my own turn at the handlebars.

Aaron warned me that the bike might jump at the start, because its throttle map is one of the key sticking points that needs to be resolved before the production model is unleashed on the world sometime next year. Even with his warning, and me moving my hand ever so slightly, the bike did hop a bit as I started. It wasn't uncomfortable or scary, just a "hup!", and then I was on my way.

More, much more, after the jump.

Not too long ago, we introduced you to an electric motorcycle from a Swiss company knows as Quantya. At that time, we wished that the machine was available here in the States so that we could take a ride on one. Guess what? Our wishes have been granted! Not only is the bike available here, but we got a chance to ride the latest version of the machine in Arizona. Although we didn't have an opportunity to take the bike off-road, we got to terrorize the neighborhood with it... and we sure had fun doing it. Powered by a custom pancake-style motor from Lemco along with a custom LiPo battery pack featuring 48 volts and 40 Ah, the machine has no problem getting out and moving. According to the manufacturer, you'll get about 25 miles at a steady 40 miles per hour with the standard pack. The bike weighs in at 195 pounds and feels very light. The Marzocchi 35 mm Shiver fork works perfect in this application, as does the Sachs single shock.

We'd have loved to have a chance to compare the bike directly with a gas-powered bike, but weren't able to arrange it. We can say for sure that the bike has no problem overpowering the rear tire or lofting the front end over obstacles. Power output felt about equal to a good-running 250 four-stroke bike. Expect the electric off-road bike to be priced under ten grand with on-road versions expected to follow shortly.

In the video above, NextGear talks to Brammo, the maker of the Enertia electric bike, at EVS-23 and they say the bike will be released the second half of 2008. Here is exactly what Brammo said about the release date:

We would like to be building and shipping these bikes towards the second half of next year. We will be able to give a firm date, I would say towards the beginning of next year but right now we are not giving you a hard date but we will say second half of next year.

The NextGear interview includes a close look at Enertia's organic display and Brammo talks about why they choose the Valence battery. Brammo also talks about making the bike and the company history which includes making an Ariel Atom for Jay Leno.

The Enertia will cost about $12,000 which is a little more than the Vectrix scooter. You can see a video of Enertia below the fold.

Related:

• The Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle
• MSN Autos gets first ride on the Brammo Enertia electric cycle

[Source: NextGear]

You may never have heard of the French automotive company Matra. You've probably seen some of their designs and cars that they have built for other companies such as Renault, though. For instance, the strange and strangely popular Renault Espace minivan was initially made by Matra for Renault. They also have a rather successful history of racing, in Formula 1, Formula 2 and at Le Mans. The moped-like bike you see above and here in our gallery seems to be from the same company, although they do not produce cars anymore. The bike is electric and also allows for pedaling. The range of 60 miles or so could be increased with human power. Although limited to a bit less than 30 miles per hour, the bike can likely go faster, but it would lose out on being considered a moped and therefore would require a motorcycle license. This electric bike should be available for sale in Europe in the not-too-distant future, but no word on whether it'll make it to the States.

Interesting features of this electric bike include the disk brakes and their unusual mounting-system. The bike also supports regenerative braking. My guess is that batteries are stored in the rack above the rear wheel, but the round enclosure around the hub of the front wheel probably has batteries in it as well, while the other one at the rear is likely the motor. Looks like a fun little commuting machine!

[Source: Bikes in the Fast Lane, thanks Mike!]

Let me get this fact off my chest before I write anything else: this thing is flippin' expensive! Alright, now that we're through with that, let's analyze this electric bike, known as Pi. The frame is an aluminum monocoque, meaning that it is a single piece made up of metal which is all a similar thickness. Moving on to the electrics, the batteries are nickel metal hydride, not the better-but-pricier lithium ion. The motor is a 36-volt brushless DC model which produces about 1 horsepower, or 750 watts. Of course, add your human power to that power amount if you are willing to pedal. In case you were wondering, you are capable of producing much less than one horsepower! If you are willing to pay the $7,500 (!) asking price, you can find the bike at Design Within Reach.

If you do manage to cough up the money, you will be rewarded with an electric bike capable of less than 30 miles per hour box-stock. The bike has the power to go faster and can be geared to do so, but you'll need a motorcycle license for that. The asking price does include a designer helmet... The circular frame is probably where the name came from, you think?

One very cool piece of technology buried in that aluminum frame is the NuVinci planetary gearbox. This piece of hardware allows the bike to change gear ratios without actually manually switching gears. Click here for more on that. If you can afford the bike, you may also be able to spend the extra $1,800 for the solar charger, which further lowers your carbon footprint. Speaking of that footprint, just about any electric bike will offer similar CO2 output, but the Pi from Electrobike is designed with the reduction of emissions in mind, so you can feel good about that. Unless you get the gas/electric hybrid model (which will get its very own dedicated post later), which seems to fly in the face of the rest of the concept. If anybody actually does get one of these, make sure to let us know about it. It'd be interesting to compare it with a Segway, which is another really expensive way to get from point A to point B.

Related:

• A very nice (but very expensive) automatic commuter bicycle option

[Source: Electrobike and LA Times, Thanks for the tip, Domenick!]

While it is not uncommon for electric bikes to have a front hub motor or for them to have batteries mounted on the rear racks, these are the first pair of wheels that I have seen with solar panels integrated into them. I think that the idea is pretty cool, and can't really think of another place on a bike where there is enough real estate for an effective amount of solar cells to be mounted. Wheels like these are likely a bit more aerodynamic, but could pose a bit of an issue if there are heavy side-winds. Still, with this bike you could pedal when the going was easy and engage the motor when the going gets tough - and all the while never need to gas it up or plug it in.

[Source: Therapy Products via Reuben Miller - thanks!]