The other day, I received a tip about an electric motorcycle concept from designer Paolo De Giusti and it’s definitely one of the nicer electric concepts I’ve seen. Everyone seems to be turning out designs and there have been a couple of recent electric motorcycles introduced headed for production, but this design just looked right so I thought you might want to take a look. According to De Giusti, this bike would have a large electric motor in the rear hub and a smaller motor up front.
It’s called the Big Battery SE and, as the name implies, it uses a single large battery pack that is exchanged when discharged. How well that would work without charging or battery stations located in many convenient spots is open to debate, but the bike itself shows electric designs are coming into their own.
De Giusti has a number of other designs, several based on Moto Guzzis and they look pretty sweet. A single cylinder turbo diesel that draws on early Guzzi singles for inspiration is nice and some front swingarm variations of a Guzzi 850 look interesting, too. This fellow is doing nice work, it’s worth checking out.
Thanks for the tip, Laurent!
Link: Paolo De Giusti
Dano says
It’s easy to forget that the addition of another drive wheel via another motor is such a “right” thing to do. Especially if it was a system that allowed the selection of one or the other or both motors, depending upon the road surface and curves, that would be a fun ride. Design the electronics so even if a single motor was selected it could allow for re-generative braking from both therefore extending the battery range. While they may never fully replace the machines we have and love, they will fill a void. If it was capable of 100 miles before requiring a recharge, by plug in, I would consider it for the daily commuter. My commute today is 50 mile one way on the HD Dresser. Oh ya, it would need a radio also! Pretty bike.
pabsyboots says
very nice, its neat how the power and energy storage needs of electrics a re giving designers pause to rethink, i like the twin hub motors especially the ‘assist’ smaller front, ultimately they would be in the frame for less unsprung weight but nice nevertheless
very talented
John A. Mc Dowell says
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/08/the_hybrid_mini.php
I am sure, with a lot of changes to “downsize”, this idea would work.
Miles says
I am all for the looks of the design, they are fantastic.
I am not convinced Hub motors are viable for a real street ridden machine.
I have yet to see a hub motor that will take the long-term abuse a road wheel needs to, and/or be of a light enough weight for performance and ride quality.
So a hub motor scooter, OK; a hub motor serious transportation device, not OK.
It still takes my breath away, could you imagine pulling up on it? You would be the most popular person in town.
Kenny says
Not so sure about the hub motors not being able to take the abuse, a good motor should be able to take a sizable amount of it, at their simplest they’re just a permanent magnet, a couple of bearings and a few electromagnets or “poles”. And even if they aren’t up to the job, thats what the “D” in R&D is for.
Granted that doesn’t take the control system into account but….well that problem has already been sorted.
What I think would be the interesting part is how you would cool these hub motors, lambo style wheel spokes or oil cooling (which would add to the unsprung weight problem).
Well thats my ramble for the day.
Very cool design Paoli, I hope someone puts the magic to the metal.
todd says
Or you can buy a real electric bike right now with 100 mile range and 100 MPH capability; the Brammo Enertia:
http://www.brammo.com/home/
-todd
Jersey Mayhem says
whats the deal with most concept vehicles having such funky headlights…..I mean come on an all electric bike is cool, and im stoked to try one out, but the functionality goes away when you design an all electric motorcycle with no front fairing….im not a aerodynamics expert but i know that on my buell lightning i get beat up from wind, and my mpgs suffer, but on my buell firebolt i have great mpgs and not beat up as much from wind. So wouldnt the range on an electric cycle be greatly hindered..?
Also, I think alot of people LOOK at these electric concepts and see the funky designs and dont realize that the engine/battery packs, can be put into any frame style.
We need someone with computer skills to design an electric dual sport, and an electric elctra glide for the rest of the non sport bike riding class…That would really spark the interest of many riders, and non riders.
Just my $0.02
ps- that duc 1000 ul he desgined is sweet
Chris says
todd- the Brammo with the 100MPH speed and (up to) 100 mile range is the recently announced Empulse; the Enertia is significantly slower and has less range.
Thom says
Kinda reminds me of the original Katana 1100. I like it.
ralph p. crilly says
215 c.i.d. awesome.I WANT!! no money. too bad.still awesome.
Carlo says
Battery swap is the way to go, as I always said when commenting articles about electric bikes on the kneeslider. There are no stations, yet. But I think they’re MUCH more feasible than hydrgen stations and MUCH more effective than charging your car/bike via plug.
[btw, it’s Paolo de Giusti, not Paoli. Paoli is the plural of Paolo :D]
kneeslider says
Carlo, Paolo vs Paoli, … fixed, Thanks.
matt g says
Funky Akira bike- but why do electric bike designers love putting that milk crate/ industrial dish washer palette as the engine cover? 🙂
jim says
It looks as if electrobikes are forging a style all their own — the milk crate/industrial dishwasher vibe might shake out as the way to distance themselves from fuel bikes. Plus, those batteries generate a lot of heat, so the bike needs good airflow to make it all work. Swapable batteries are the way to go — any gas station could build a charging station easily. Each battery has its own meter and the customer pays for the kilowatt hours. What about solar-cell charging? Once the original cost is amortized, the rest is mostly gravy. This approach would require standardization across the market, but with the industry in its infancy, now is the time to think about these things and act accordingly. The concept could easily translate to electric cars as well — who says a car must have one great, thumping battery? Why not build it to use a a dozen or so replaceable batteries that lift out and lift in? Pay by the battery based on its kwh capacity, and actually pay an attendant to swap them and maybe clean the windshield. It’s becoming clear that electrics require new ways to think about transportation; electrobikes still will have two wheels, a place to sit and a means of steering, but they will go their own way in terms of style and function. Electric cars will follow the same pattern. Considering all the R&D that is going into electrics, our beloved fuel-burners might go the way of the dinosaurs sooner, not later. There is a great deal of resistance (sorry) to electrics, both political and commercial, but the concept is proving itself and has legs. The market will shake itself out, and I believe we’ll see electrics in the garage sooner than we imagined.
Paolo De Giusti says
Hi
I often read Kneeslider articles and it was a happy to find my drawings.
Thanks for the compliments and criticisms.
I answer a few questions:
The bike is called “naked” because it has no wind protection dedicated to the pilot but
the concept of a naked electric bike is maybe a bit different.
The lack of protection is sought, the sportsmanship, the spirit of speed comes from the feelings of the rider, the rider is not enclosed in an aerodynamics envelope , the bike is very long and the rider is forced into a reclining position, it becomes part of the bike.
jim in his last post was well described future.
Here you can see a picture of the service station,with standard batteries for cars and motorcycles.
http://www.muee.eu/PAOLO%20DE%20GIUSTI%20DESIGN/automatic%20supply%20station.jpg
“shared battery” is really a good system
It works with any kind of vehicle.
you can reuse the old network of petrol stations (indeed, probably for years you will find in stations togheter fuel with batteries)
The state can control and tax the energy for transport (although I hate this, but this is the current situation)
Each time the batteries will evolve technologically also vehicles that use them will increase performance.
contact me for any other curiosity, you can write on this article or send an e-mail.
Ciao Paolo
p.s.
thanks to Paul Crowe for the article !
sluggish says
I’m actually more interested in the turbodiesel. I can get biodiesel in my town now…
There are two big issues with shared battery packs. The first one is standardization. Will every motorcycle use the same battery pack? How do we make that work? The second one is ownership: it’ll have to be some kind of leasing arrangement. Would you hand over your brand-new battery pack (retail cost $4000) in exchange for a used one with 65% of the capacity? No, and neither will anyone else.
Paolo De Giusti says
Hi sluggish
I certainly can not impose a global standard to the transport industry ; )
but a standard will reduce the costs of research and production,so it is logical that this will be the way.
“Batteries not included” ehehe you do not buy batteries with your motorcycle. every time you change the battery, you’ll pay only for energy used and a small amount of the fee. The service station will ensure the efficiency of the batteries, and it will repair the broken cells (which is impossible for a vehicle with built-in batteries )
sluggish says
It’s a logical solution….but there’s a big catch. The big catch is: who makes the money?
It’s a chicken-and-egg problem. There’s no incentive to a company to build and lease the battery packs unless there is a large user base. But there’s no user base without the battery-swap stations…
So. Logical, but politcally and economically challenging. Good luck!
todd says
Um, there’s money in owning a station and buying pumps for gas. Chevron (for example) will finance the development in the hopes of royalties. Each gas station will buy a number of batteries and Twinkies, charging whatever amount the price has been fixed to recently plus tax. They make boat loads of money. If you don’t want to pay the station’s mark-up for the kW, you charge at home and only swap batteries on long trips.
-todd
Paolo De Giusti says
In a realistic and a little pessimist scenery, Fuel network could be converted and reused, there will be an increase in revenue due to the elimination of transport costs , no tank truck etc.. (considering that probably to stabilize the market, electric price per km will be not so far from gasoline cost).
States also save considerable sums because they will reduce the environmental cost of private transport, which currently pays you with your health.
(Anticipating your objections, a power plant that produces energy for 100 cars pollutes much less than 100 different cars with 100 different engines)
Charging batteries at home probably will become impossible or illegal, for example, in Italy there would be the State bankruptcy without fuel taxes. Actually the price is 1.4 euro per liter and about 60% are taxes.
Twinkies are snacks ?
Carlo says
Ciao Paolo,
I’m an Engineer too so this energy challenge has always fascinated me. It’s nice to see that people in the know like you, put into facts what I always suspected being the only viable solution to actually see electrics on the road one day.
Also, it warms my heart to see that a country like Italy who has seen the birth of many great artists, philosophers, writers, architects, engineers and you name it in its past, is not yet totally down the drain but we still have something to offer to the world and not all of our talents are working for foreign companies or universities. Keep up the good work!
todd says
That’s true, it is illegal to use your home-brew bio fuel. You can be fined for tax evasion if you decide to drive down the road. I don’t know how they justify allowing electric (or otherwise) vehicles charged up at home to drive on public roads if they won’t allow the bio diesel crowd to do it. I’m sure big government is coming up with something like putting GPS transponders in your vehicle and charging you per mile what and where you go.
-todd
Thom says
@Todd- It’s not illegal to use your home-made biodiesel, you jut have to pay taxes for what you produce first… And the government gives you a tax credit for it, so while it’s not free, it’s better than buying at the pump, and definitely not illegal.
Thom says
Oh, and BTW- If a bike like this could be produced with a price at least on par with its ICE counterparts, I WOULD buy one. I realize this is just a concept, but the styling hits all the right buttons for me. Here’s hoping there’s something like this on the road soon.
Bjorn says
Paolo,
That is an inspired piece of design, it’s the first lust inspiring eBike I’ve seen.
To those of you who are suggesting possibly valid reasons why eBikes are not yet viable; I’m sticking my fingers in my ears and saying, “La la la la.”
I’m in love.
Ciao, Bjorn.
Jeremiah Zillig says
I am curious about how the additional un-sprung weight effects the ride.