moto future
FUTURE
BRIEFS
It will be hoped that Harley ’ s investment in Bay Area E-bike specialist Alta Motors has a happier ending than the prior involvement with San Francisco E-sportsbike manufacturer Mission Motorcycles . Harley ’ s Project Livewire was , in large part , based on a bike built by Mission Motorcycles , which went broke not long after its work for Harley .
Taiwan has announced that it is to phase out gasoline powered motorcycles by 2035 – five years earlier than gasoline powered cars . With a population of just 23 million people , Taiwan is reported to have some 14 million motorcycles .
As part of its Electro Mobility Strategy , BMW is investing € 200 m in a new “ battery cell competence center ” that will open in 2019 near its Munich headquarters in Germany . Among other objectives , the center will harness the group ’ s research so far into battery-cell development and production , the fifth generation electric drivetrains ( integrated electric motor , transmission and power electronics in a single component ) that are slated for automotive debut in 2021 , and Rare-earth-free electric motors and components .
Californian lithium-ion battery manufacturer Antigravity has had a huge reaction to the launch of its “ game changing ” Re-Start battery technology ( built-in jump-starting feature thanks to what company president Scott Schafer describes as “ intelligent onboard voltage monitoring that puts the battery to sleep before it is drained dead – retaining enough reserve energy allowing the rider to re-start and drive away .”
As Royal Enfield continues to spread its sales networks and product lines for European and North American expansion , it is reported that the company is also making “ considerable ” investments to explore “ a number of ” electric motorcycle and related concepts .
British three-wheel sports tourer manufacturer Morgan Motor Company , which uses U . S . made S & S X-Wedge 60- degree V-twin engines in its core models , is thought to be close to production of an allelectric Roadster in partnership with Frazer-Nash Energy Systems , owner of the legendary British Bristol Cars marque .
KYMCO unveils “ Ionex ” open energy platform
At the Tokyo Motorcycle Show in March , KYMCO unveiled what it describes as a “ game-changing electric scooter solution that eliminates all barriers to going green ”. The Ionex scooter charging architecture is the world ’ s first multi-function open energy platform - a rechargeable Li-ion battery system that KYMCO says has the potential to eliminate waiting times , massively improve battery portability and deliver a range of up to 200 km . The system uses shared outlets and public charge locker infrastructure to charge removable battery packs that are housed in an ergonomically efficient smart energy bay that is said to make doing so a lot easier than has been the case so far . Weighing less than 5 kg and with a carry-friendly design , the under-floor battery placement is said to help the electric scooter achieve the lowest possible center of gravity possible while creating “ the largest under-seat storage ever ”. Each KYMCO Ionex scooter has an internal core battery , so it can still be ridden with the
Energica reports good Q1
Italian electric sportsbike specialist Energica says it closed the first quarter 2018 with a current order book that exceeds the total of sales of the previous year . Recently announced by Dorna as the “ spec ” bike for the 2019 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup , claimed to be the world ’ s first electric motorcycle competition , Livia Cevolini , CEO of Energica Motor Company S . p . A ., said that “ in the first few months of 2018 we have achieved an extraordinary result - our order book overtook total 2017 sales in just three months . “ This result was achieved thanks to the launch of our third model , the old school electric Eva EsseEsse9 , and the involvement in the MotoE project . During 2017 we strengthened our presence in the U . S ., appointing Stefano Benatti as CEO of Energica Motor Company Inc ., who promoted the Energica operations already underway in California and worked on new commercial partnerships in Los
portable batteries removed . The core battery is kept constantly fully charged by the removable batteries . Ionex automatically selects the optimal battery to charge the core battery and decides on the right battery to supply power . It makes all batteries work seamlessly work together . KYMCO claims that the Ionex energy architecture eliminates the two primary obstacles riders face in making the decision to “ go green ” – range anxiety and the ( currently ) limited number of charging stations . The batteries can be homecharged , and during the day an extensive Ionex Charge Point Network will mean riders can hand over their battery to have it charged ; most charge points
Angeles , Santa Monica , San Francisco and Texas . “ In Europe we improved our sales network adding new commercial agreements in Germany , France , Italy and started negotiations in Eastern Europe , Ireland and the United Arab Emirates ”. Last year Energica became the first E- Bike manufacturer to join the CharIN e . v ., an automotive industry can fully charge a battery in less than an hour . Ionex also offers extra batteries for rental , these can be stored under the seat . Additionally , the Ionex Power Outlet Network are locations where riders can use the public outlets to charge their battery ; KYMCO says it has designed the charger to be easily portable and to fit neatly in the scooter . “ To scale everything to the next level , the Charge Point Network , Extra Battery Rental and Power Outlet Network all embrace the spirit of the sharing economy . Everyone is invited to take part in this open energy network . Aside from raising their public image , participating businesses can draw potential customers to their establishment ”. www . kymco . com
consortium that was created to develop and promote the Combined Charging System ( CCS ) as the standard for charging batterypowered electric vehicles of all kinds . Last year the company also achieved three important patents concerning crucial components used on each of its production bikes – the VCU ( Vehicle Control Unit ), Supply Unit heat management and its eABS technology .
14 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - JUNE / JULY 2018