The Current News: Dec 30, 2021

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.  

Happy Near Year to all of our readers and riders! 2021 was surely a landmark year for the world of electric vehicles. From first-of-their-kind global legislations and pioneering tech to cutting-edge battery development and soaring stock prices, the EV industry’s wheels will only continue to spin faster in 2022.

The last week of 2021 for our EV news roundup is ending with a bang. Here are the electrified stories from the past seven days that we think matter the most to you. Now grab the bubbly, put on your swanky party hat, and we’ll see you on the other side of the New Year. Let’s roll.

Hit the Streets on Tozz’s Distinctive e-Scooter

Istanbul-based startup Tozz dropped its first EV product this week. Initially showcased during Design Week Turkey 2021, the funky, pink-wheeled Pipegun #1 boasts a stainless-steel body, trademark ‘wishbone’ design, LED front lights, 20-inch Salt Tracer BMX tires, and 250w or 500w geared-drive BLDC motor options that crank out 45Nm or 60Nm of torque. The e-Scoot is able to climb 12-degree angled hills and produces 500w of peak motor power. “E-mobility products in the market are designed and developed to move people from point A to point B with less consumption of energy and time. These are great specifications for commuting and go with the flow – or usually rush – of the city. However, most of them are designed to fulfill the requirements and still need some seasoning to be more fun and even offbeat. We removed that secret seasoning from our design cellar and created Pipegun #1,” stated Tozz founder, Burak Kazar.

A First Look at Yamaha’s Two New e-Scooters

Yamaha’s two e-Scooter concepts, the E01 and the E02, are headed for production and will be ready to hit the market in 2022. The brand’s E01 e-Scooter will be a 125cc class equivalent and will probably be able to produce 15 ponies, allowing it to fit into Europe’s light e-Scooter regulatory class. The E02 will be a 50cc class equivalent and produce about 5.3hp with top speeds of about 28mph. Yamaha’s patent images portray the vehicle as having a bulky, non-removable battery pack that is mounted to the center frame. The motor is mounted right next to the battery and has a belt drive or chain linking it to the rear wheel. While Yamaha has yet to release an exact date for either scooter’s production unveiling, it plans to roll out both e-Scooters across Europe and Asia in 2022.

Meet the “Porsche of e-Bikes”

Greyp (pronounced “grape”) is making waves in the EV sector with its luxe new line of e-Bikes. Porsche recently acquired a majority stake in the Croatian EV company, which has about 1,200 pre-orders already slated for 2022. Greyp’s bikes come with a starting price-tag of about $8,000 and are stuffed with high-end amenities and all types of tech, including dual 1080/30fps cameras, remote and anti-theft features, real-time gamification, and 4G eSim modules. It’s basically a smartphone with pedals.

Army is Testing Sur Ron e-Motorbikes for Paratrooper Airdrop Use

EVs are becoming the darlings of humanitarian and conservation efforts worldwide. Now, the popular Sur Ron Firefly e-Motorbikes are being utilized for military airdrops. The UK’s 16 Air Assault Brigade is currently conducting airdrop drills that incorporate the 8hp bikes. The e-Motorcycles are ideal for rugged off-road terrain thanks to their trail tires, long travel suspension, top speeds of 45mph. and silent idling, thanks to quieter carbon fiber-reinforced belt. The vehicle’s feather-light weight makes it ideal for parachute drops. “The experiment aims to understand two things. How we could employ bikes tactically and what advantages do they offer over other vehicles, and what are the implications for supplying them with power and interacting with other in-service vehicles. One of the main reasons that we are interested in using motorbikes is because of the need for air portability and, in particular, airdrop. The good thing about such a small vehicle is that you can get it in the back of helicopters; you can undersling it from a helicopter; you can get several in the back of a plane, and then also, potentially you’d be able to drop it from the back of a plane under a parachute. So, it gives you a whole load of options to be able to get mobility in an expeditionary sense forward, in a way that a jeep or even a quad bike just can’t do. So that’s the main reason why we, as an air assault brigade, are interested in it, because it has what we call good strategic mobility. You can get a motorbike quite far, quite quickly, relatively easily,” Captain Dan Lauder explained.

Moonbike Brings e-Snowmobiles to the US

The French have given us a lot of great things. Now they’re giving us e-Snowmobiles. EV company Moonbike is slated to bring its snow transporter vehicles to the US very, very soon. The snow mobile-esque vehicle, which rides on a single forward ski, is powered by a 3kW electric motor and can reach top speeds of 26mph. The 2.5kWh battery pack has a top range of 22 miles in eco mode and offers up to one hour of usage. Prices start at $8,500.

 

A Look Ahead

So now that 2022 is here, what does the New Year have in store for EVs? Some of our predictions include:

 

• e-Bikes will become smarter, with more high-tech safety features

 

• EV investments will continue gaining steam as more kickstarts crop up

 

• More variety in EV products, including e-Trikes and cargo bikes

 

• An emphasis on local manufacturing, sustainability, battery innovation, and circular design

 

Also, the Vintagent team will produce something extraordinary: Electric Revolution Live.  It’s a 3-day EV festival that includes racing, demonstrations, kids events, test rides/drives, great food and wine, and world-class bands and films at night.  There’s never been anything like it, and we think it will become the future of the auto/moto show circuit, combining fun with engagement, discussion, and entertainment.   We hope to see you in Walla Walla WA in May, so you can say ‘I am part of the Electric Revolution’.  Stay tuned for details, participants, bands, and tickets!