The Current News: Oct. 13, 2021

As part of the buildup to our Electric Revolution Live event in May 2022, as a follow-up of our Electric Revolution exhibit at the Petersen Museum, we are ramping up reportage on the EV scene.  It’s an ever-evolving, even frantic, landscape of electric vehicles, and it can be tough to keep abreast of all the latest bikes, batteries, and news constantly flooding the market. That’s why we’ve re-launched our weekly EV News Roundup to bring you cherry-picked stories that matter to you.

Hi readers and riders! Like we do every week, we’ve assembled an extensive list of valuable EV news that matters to you. This week sees several new releases, soaring stocks, fresh funds, and a new addition to our ADV:Overland Petersen Museum exhibit – the Tardigrade.  Let’s roll.

Exciting New Drops

The second week of October has seen some revolutionary new releases from EV brands both old and new.

• VanMoof recently announced a brand-new concept, the VanMoof V. The company’s first high-speed e-Bike is ready for pre-order and boasts two-wheel drive, a full suspension frame, next-gen tech, and advanced acceleration with top speeds of 50 kmph (31 mph).

• Kawasaki is dipping its toes into the e-Bike sector and plans to launch 10 two-wheeled EVs and hybrid bikes by 2025. More bikes are planned by 2035.

• Corrit Electric is dropping its first ever e-Scooter, the Hover, by the end of the month. The startup is currently taking pre-orders for the bike and will start delivering it to customers by late November. The two-seater scoot has a load-carrying capacity of about 250 kgs (551 lbs), a max range of 110 km (68 miles), and can hit speeds of 25 kmph (15 mph).

• Swedish EV maker, CAKE, is busy this week, releasing the first batch of electric bush bikes to curb illegal poaching in Africa. Dubbed the Kalk AP, the e-Bikes feature 18-inch custom off-road tires and a rear carrier to attach medical equipment, arms, and a first-aid kit to treat wounded wildlife.

Speaking of CAKE, the custom moto design company Hookie Co has just shipped its completed moon motorcycle, the Tardigrade, to the Petersen Automotive Museum for inclusion in our exhibit ADV:Overland. This otherworldly ride was originally conceived by Russian designer Andrew Fabishevskiy, and his vaporware sketches of a NASA motorcycle were compelling enough for Hookie Co to secure the rights to actually build it!  That was quite a process, using CAKE power, although much of the build technology involved was new, including DuPont Kevlar 3D-printed wheels and NASA developed hi-temp finishes.  It’s a notional machine and a lot of fun, not an actual off-world prototype, and is a perfect complement to the sci-fi legends already in the exhibit: the ‘chariots’ from the 1960s and 2018 versions of Lost in Space.  If you haven’t seen the exhibit, you must!

• Denmark-based startup, Offset Motorcycles, just announced its fledgling project, the OFR-M1. Featuring a minimalistic design, a 6.2KwH battery pack that offers 1.5 hours of riding time and can be charged from 0% to 80% in just three hours, and a radical flux motor that’s good for 25 kW and 59 ft.-lb of torque, this zippy little thing can go from 0 to 60 in just under 4.5 seconds.

The company’s founder, Michael Riis Eriksen, is so passionate about EVs that he’s already developing electric speedway. bikes for inclusion into European racing series. While the concept is challenging for die-hard Speedway fans, electric racers drastically cut down on noise pollution, which is the #1 problem with Speedway tracks today: neighbors complaints!  The bikes will also be more cost-effective for racers, as they will no longer need routinely rebuild their engines.  Thoughts?

Money and More Money

• Greaves Finance recently facilitated financing for EV production in India. The company is offering nimble financing options, low interest rates, and instant loan disbursement to support an obviously booming development sector.
• Stocks are soaring as homebased off-road e-Motorcycle company, Volcon, goes public. Under the symbol VLCN on Nasdaq, the company enjoyed a surge in share values, with a $9.01 jump at opening. Fluctuating throughout the day, shares reached a staggering $15.50 at one point! Volcon Powersports made history last year by creating the first American-built, off-road, fat-tire e-Motorbike. Now they’re bringing home the bacon.
• Russia-based tech giant Yandex recently acquired an Israeli e-Scooter rental company called Wind. The deal is slated to be finalized by the end of the year.

e-Bike and e-Scooter Safety Concerns Hit Hard in NYC

Earlier this week, the New York Times mused about the growing safety concerns as EV popularity continues to grow in the city that never sleeps. In 2021 alone, at least 17 people have been killed riding EVs in NYC.  Then again, 20 bicyclists were killed in the Big Apple in 2020…