Here’s more information on the hydrogen motorcycle I mentioned last night. Called the ENV (emissions neutral vehicle) it has a top speed of 50mph and a range of 100 miles. Of course, this will improve as the technology is advanced.
Built by Intelligent Energy, they designed the ENV to look very clean and simple and combined with a sound level about the same as the computer you’re reading this on, this would be a completely different riding experience.
If you’re young and interested in motor vehicles in any way, be sure to include a lot of alternative energy technology as you learn. This type of vehicle and similar technologies will be coming fast.
More here.
"hoyt" says
Sound being turned on or off based on rider input is intriguing. Think about the times riding was just what you needed to turn your day around. Having the sound on or off may expand the “medicinal” effect riding can have.
…riding that winding, hilly, open country road on something that is quiet as this computer would be a cool experience (with a helmet it would be virtually silent). It might feel like you are more one with the bike – sounds weird, but I’m willing to rip around on one. [especially with how oil is being managed these days]. check out the gliders at the next airshow you attend. “The sound of silent flight”
thseen says
I have a project for hydrogen motorcycle that product oyxgen to the athmosphere.
ernie says
what size of a tank is on this thing
johny amerika says
If this bike is running on hydrogen that has been stored in a chemicaly bonded state, then more or larger tanks can be purchased for it. A company called United Nuclear is developing a system of products that will allow you to make your own hydrogen, and store it in a tank designed for high capacity and dispersal in a useable state. Some tank configuration, two wheels and a motor, a fuel puwp powered by the sun, and your off.
Styg Merritt says
I am VERY interested in the hydrogen powered ENV motorcycle. I’ve tried to email the company and the email was not delivered.
Do you know how I can contact Intelligent Energy.
I live in south Florida and have sold my gas-guzzling Ford pick-up truck. I now ride a mountain bike to work, 12 mile round trip, daily. I would love to have something like this alternative fuel motorcycle to commute to work near the beach.
Think of what a hit this would be in the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area!
Thank you!
Pavment says
I hope this takes off. I live in the inner city and having something like this would be invaluable. For six thousand dollars I’d buy one today. Seriously, compared to one gallon of gasoline the ENV can travel three times the distance? Is this thing for real and why aren’t we selling these today? I think the OIL industry needs a swift kick in the behind especially when ExxonMobil paid its retired CEO Lee Raymond a $400 million package. As far a retirement packages go, that’s beyond unreal. Our they gouging us? You bet they are.
I don’t know about you, but I welcome Hydrogen vehicles and any other methods of transportation that can perform as well as combustible engines and that can take our dependency off of foreign resources. Especially when it will hurt the pockets of those who have been pillaging ours.
TomLeeMullins says
This is way cool. If it can power a bike like this, why not a cabin scooter? It would be an all weather scooter.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cabinscooters
lance says
pavement said it best. complete truth
Steve says
I forsee vehicles like this being very popular within the next 10 years. Especially since technology will progress much further. Already, there is a hydrogen powered scooter for sale in Germany (I can’t remember the name), and the motor used is a modified piston engine. The tank it uses freezes instantly during an impact, so there is no risk of explosion.
Bill Crow says
Is the hydrogen system for this motorcycle “carbon neutral?” If not, real environmentalists would have to be against hydrogen cars and motorcycles.
I’ve heard reports that hydrogen cars are not carbon neutral.
chris says
Most hydrogen is made by electrolysis, which requires electric power. The “carbon nutral” nature depends on the source of the electricity. Hydrogen can also be stripped directly off of hydrocarbons, producing cabon dioxide as a side product, not carbon nutral. If your power plant is using a fossil fuel source you are likely producing more CO2 at the power plant than if you were running an efficient gas motor. This is mainly due to energy losses at each conversion.
Fuel to heat to steam to turbine to generator to power transmission loss to electrolysis to hydrogen to bike power (fuel cell electric or heat combustion).
majide says
I think its a great idea, but there are a lot of stupid people in CARS out there. If its silent, that is not the best thing. I ride myself and loud pipes have saved my life many times over. But I want one.
jason says
i been following this project for 3 years now im having a stroke waiting to buy one, and since this is hydi-oxide(chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxigen creating water and releasing electric discharge(just likemlightning in nature)) there is no carbon’s involved in the process(depending on hydrogen yes they may be preduced durring hydrogen production.
When these hit market first thing i do is install cermaic lined tank uned wheel well to condense the water vapour exaust back to liguid and install a electrolosis system under seat to turn my exust back to hydrogen, recycling fuel supply baby:D
pleas please release this allready
Brunengo says
The whole Electric-Bike experience is pretty cool. My neighbor and I were going through a U-Build-It electric bike phase a while ago; and it was always fun. The best way visualise it, is to get on a regular bike, pedal it up to 20 mph and coast…. You’ll move without noise. I think the US needs to relax it’s requirements for road-going vehicles of this nature- and allow those “new-adopters” of cleaner, friendlier transportation easier legal access to the roadways. The more people riding these things to and from work, the less Hummers will be on the road. I’ve had more than enough of my share of yuppies piloting overgrown SUVs because “it makes them feel safer”- crud, what about the rest of us?!?
S Walton says
Living in San Francisco…I would buy one if it was reasonable. Seems like a good alternative and like pavement said…anything to get us off foreign oil. (as long as we can still do wheelies)
Mapelli A. says
I’m seventy years old, since 1951 I,m found of engines ( Vespa ). I,ve designed a new I.C. engine able to improve mechanical efficiency of approx. 3 points and to reduce virtually to nil vibrations and lubricant consumption.
I think this is important in hydrogen I.C.E where the cost of combustible is very high. Are you intersted in my project ? My email is verganimapelli@alice.it
SockMonkey says
Personally, I feel that adding noise would be rather silly.
One of the disadvantages of the motorcycle is that the engine noise and helmet effectively deafen the rider. With a silent engine, ear holes in the helmet become practical.
steve says
Unfortunately it looks like yet more marketing hype. Here we are in mid 2007, and still no sign of any production models.
When I checked out the bike website the price has increased to 10K USD, and a lot of the technical numbers just dont add up, such as how you can get 100 mile range using a 6KW Motor (is that Max power, or continuous) and just 2.4KW of Hydrogen?
To put that into perspective 1 HP is about 750 Watts, so they have enough Hydrogen to deliver a constant 3 HP for 1 Hour, or 1 HP for 3 Hours.
To get a Human powered bicycle to maintain speeds of 20-30 mph requires something like 250-350 Watts, and thats with exceptional aerodynamics (Lance Armstrong on a carbon fiber TT bike).
I guess its possible that with great aerodynamics and exceptionally light weight they may be able to achieve 40-50 mph on around 600 Watts, and from that get to 100 miles in around 2 Hours?
Bill says
Yet a Tomos Moped can be modded to do 50 MPH at 49 CC and still get 100 MPG. wokka wokka wooka.
Bink says
great idea. roblem is, like ll other great inventions over hte last 50 years (more than that is you count the true diesel engine) that would eliminate the need for oil, their patends are purchased by big oil companies and we will never see them. Look into what industry has given the most money to colleges and think tanks over the last 100 years. You got it, big oil. Kinda like the big bad wolf getting his scientists to work on building the better pig house.
As for the niose factor and holes in the helmet. It is wind noise that causes hearing loos for bikers, but engine noise. Not all bikes are that loud and most that are never see more than a couple hundred mile per year. The true riders have quiet bikes and cover hundreds (even 1000 or more) miles in a day. FWIW