As part of the buildup to our Electric Revolution Live event in May 2022 (a follow-up of our Electric Revolution exhibit at the Petersen Museum), we are ramping up reportage on the EV scene via The Current.  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. 

Hello readers and riders! Can you believe it’s already December? That means 2021 is at death’s door while our Electric Revolution Live is quickly approaching!

The first week of December is brimming with tantalizing EV news, including a staggering new 283mph e-Motorcycle record, tons of fantastic releases, and even an oddly entertaining EV scooter treadmill (who woulda thought?).

Let’s roll.

Max Biaggi Sets an Astounding New Record

GP Star Max Biaggi sets a new two-wheeled EV land speed record aboard a Voxan Wattman, with a pretty awesome backdrop!  Vintagent fans might recognize the integrated LSR front fender from Alp Sungurtekin’s LSR Triumph – he invented the design in 2017. [Voxan]
An astonishing new speed record for EVs was set this week by Max Biaggi. The team set a total of 21 new records, including a new speed record for electric bikes weighing under 300kg. Taking place at Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre Launch and Landing Facility, Biaggi, aboard the Voxan Wattman, set a new benchmark at 283mph. The company implemented a new, more horizontal seating position for Biaggi to drastically reduce drag and boost aerodynamics. The bike is outfitted with a lithium-ion battery with a 5kWh capacity that can achieve 435 ponies and 1360Nm of torque.  We also not the similarity of the front fender’s integration with the fairing: as ‘dustbin’ fairings have been banned from many classes of Land Speed Racing (LSR) competition, Alp Sungurtekin invented this overlapping fender concept on his Triumph LSR racer back in 2017.   It’s very clever, and obviously works!  The Voxan effort makes two amazing EV speed records in one week, with the Rolls Royce plane setting the absolute speed record for an EV at 345mph.  We’re sure the bikes will get there soon enough!

Rad Releases

The stunning Ovoabike with leather accessories seen at EICMA in Milan last week. [Ovoabike]
  • Ovaobike unveiled three additional new concepts at the EICMA last week, including the MXR off-roading EV, the CT-X e-Scooter, and the CR-21 café racer.
Pretty Nito! The new Nito cargo design as seen at EICMA. [Nito]
  • NITO BIKES added the new CARGO & SHARE (C+S) to its already robust line of EV products. The new e-Scooter aims to seamlessly combine load capacity with The innovative design allows for greater strength and durability over time, enabling the investment in delivery fleets to be paid off over a few years. The e-Scooter is equipped with a 72V – 35Ah battery and can carry up to 100kg of goods.
We like a good pun too: the ScrAmpler from EmGo has a cooled battery unit that won’t fry at extended full throttle. [EmGo]
  • Despite being launched a month ago, we can’t get enough of Ukraine-based EMGo Technology’s serial ScrAmpler e-Motorbike. The model has undergone three different editions, with the latest version offering a cooled battery element system which enables the 10kW battery to run for over 30 minutes without damaging the elements at a peak of 24kW. The ScrAmpler can achieve speeds of 130km/h.

Providing Women with Peace of Mind

Share scooter company Lime is looking for ways to make solo women safer on the streets. [Lime]
Lime, a global provider of shared EVs, recently partnered with SafeUP, a community safety network that offers global solidarity for women, to provide free rides for women on e-Scooters and e-Bikes if they feel unsafe. The service is currently available in NYC, San Fran, LA, Seattle, DC, Austin, Miami, and Tel Aviv.

Fresh Funds

This is not a Zembo, but is a Boda, the name for a motorcycle taxi in Uganda. This remarkable photo by Jan Hoek is from his photo series on Boda Boda drivers – see more here. [Jan Hoek]
  • French startup Zembo, which has operations in Uganda, raised $3.4 million to begin scaling operations across Africa. The company sells e-Motorcycles via a lease-to-own program.  The bikes and bodas (motorcycle taxis) are solar-powered: perfect for a country with mixed infrastructure possibiliities.
Zoomo’s lease-to-own eBikes target messengers and delivery workers. [Zoomo]
  • Zoomo recently raised a $60 million Series B to beef up its e-Bike subscription service. The startup offers e-Bikes to gig workers or enterprise fleets.
What’s inside? The minerals inside your EV battery are soon to be the most politically contentious subject on the planet. Extracting anything from the earth is an ugly business, rarely conducted with concern for nature or local cultures, so we at The Vintagent believe it’s critical to be educated and understand the impact of EV technology. It ain’t easy being green, and green isn’t much of a concern for most EV manufacturers. Understanding these impacts will help citizens guide public policy, as neither gov’ts nor industry is naturally inclined to do the right thing. [Mangrove Lithium]
  • Mangrove Lithium, a company that developed a platform to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, closed a $10 million Series A round.

Upway to Build Used e-Bike Buying and Selling Platform

You thought the EV industry was just a baby, but there’s already a booming secondary market. The Upway team in France was the first to recognize and respond to a new need. [Upway]
French startup Upway just launched a digital marketplace for second-hand e-Bikes. The company recently raised $5.7 million in seed rounds from Global Founders Capital and Sequoia Capital. Currently, the startup is operating out of a Parisian warehouse where a team of five thoroughly check each used e-Bike that comes through the door with a list of about 20 different tests. The bikes are priced 20% to 50% cheaper than their original costs.

Step Aside, Peloton: Meet the $680 EV Treadmill/Scooter

Meet the new treadmill, same as the old treadmill?  We’re not sure, but you can get more exercise while cruising around town on this eScooter/treadmill hybrid. [Alibaba]
Tired of using the treadmill in your living room? Well, now you can enjoy your treadmill while out and about with this unusual e-Scoot/treadmill hybrid thinger. Priced at $680, the machine can reach speeds of up to 12mph, which is probably as fast as you should ride a treadmill.

 

 

Stephanie Weaver is the EV Editor at The Vintagent, and a Philadelphia-based freelance writer. When she’s not locked to her laptop, she can be found riding horses and motorcycles.

 

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