Hello, dear readers and riders! Can you believe it’s already September? This year seems to be whizzing by. While the summer was packed with exciting EV news, a little bird told us that this autumn will be even better. Just look at this week’s EV news round up. From stunningly designed e-Motorcycles from Italy to a cyberpunk bobber that looks like it came straight out of Blade Runner, this week’s stories are coming in hot. As always, send us your tips, questions, and feedback to stephanie@thevintagent.com. Let’s roll.
Form Meets Function in These Exquisite Italian e-Motorcycles
The new Arlix ebike mixes vintage motorcycle cues with modern MTB looks. [Arlix]
Arlix, a bespoke e-Motorcycle manufacturer based in Italy, is transforming machines into works of art with their line of luxury sustainable vehicles. What started out as a vision quickly became a reality when long-time friends, Giancarlo and Agostino, took their passion for assembling off-road motorcycle one step further. Today, the two innovators are creating provocative EVs that straddle the line between bicycles and motorcycles. Their limited-edition line of handcrafted bikes attracts both art lovers and motorcyclists alike. The parallelogram fork and other thoughtful components give the Arlix a futuristic look, while the 250W motor allows the bike to have a range of 125 miles. The Arlix is truly the perfect merge of form and function.
Meet the Cyberpunk Electric Bobber
Vaporware, but an indication of designers’ response to contemporary EV issues: a big battery in the middle, and a need for wheels to move it. The Hermes falls into the Lotus X1 camp, with a long and low chassis. Would you ride it? [Ravichandra Madhavarapu]Many EVs have been inspired by Greek gods. Take Curtiss’ Zeus and Hera e-Motorcycles for instance. Another recent example of an EV paying tribute to the gods is the Hermes-X30. The brain child of Ravichandra Madhavarapu, the Hermes-X30 is a futuristic electric bobber concept that boasts a geometric body, square tank, and a flat saddle. With a mostly concealed suspension, thick wheels, and panel covers, the Hermes-X30 was inspired by the Netflix series Cyberpunk 2077. While the Hermes-X30 is a just a digital rendering for now, we’re excited to see what the future holds.
Polestar to Supply Batteries for Candela Boats
Polestar meets Candela eBoats, making us wonder why more boat companies aren’t teaming up with car tech. [Candela]Polestar is teaming up with Candela Boats to supply batteries and electric charging stations for the electric hydrofoil maker. Candela currently offers small hydrofoils that are powered by 40kWh batteries and offer a range of 50 nautical miles. Polestar is reported to soon be using a new gigafactory in Gothenburg, Sweden to build future EV batteries.
Canoo Testing Walmart EV Vans
The business of EVs is business. Like contracting with municipalities and the military worked for Harley-Davidson (for a century), EV companies are targeting delivery businesses for fleet sales. Canoo X Walmart is the latest. [Canoo]Canoo is partnering with Walmart to begin real-world testing of its electric LDV vans. Walmart has ordered 4,500 electric vans from the EV manufacturer for home deliveries. The vans are designed for last-mile, high-frequency deliveries and offer a range of up to 250 miles.
TransPod FluxJet Reaches Tops Speeds of 1,000 KM/H
Having ridden a Chinese mag-flux 350mph train, I can say ditch the jet for medium-range travel. [Transpod]Canadian startup TransPod is in the process of building an ultra-high-speed ground transportation system called the TransPod Line. This week, the company unveiled its FluxJet, which will reshape how people and packages are moved. The fully-electric vehicle, which is a mash-up of a train and plane, features contactless power transmission technology and a new field of physics dubbed veillance flux, which enables the FluxJet to travel 1,000 km/h. To put it into context, that’s three-times faster than a high-speed train. TransPod just announced the next phase of its $18B infrastructure project, which is slated to create 140,000 jobs in Canada. Once the lines are in operation, TransPod is estimated to reduce CO2 emissions by 636,000 tons every year.
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.
” Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We’re so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside
There behind a glass stands a real blade of grass
Be careful as you pass, move along, move along
Come inside, the show’s about to start
Guaranteed to blow your head apart
Rest assured you’ll get your money’s worth
Greatest show in Heaven, Hell or Earth
You’ve got to see the show, it’s a dynamo
You’ve got to see the show, it’s rock and roll, oh “- Emerson Lake & Palmer
I mean seriously … if yer gonna write , report and act like a carnival barker … ya might was well have the appropriate soundtrack to go with it .
So …. after one of the hottest summers on record ( nationwide ) now even the very epicenter of politically correct ( scientific / engineering error ) EV mania ..
California
Is saying quite clearly …
The American Electric Grid ( and CA’s specifically ) is not ready and incapable of handling the additional loads of EV vehicle charging ( AW- NYTimes – LATimes etc )
Funny … in the midst of Vlad the Impalers madness ( Ukraine war ) Germany specifically and Europe in general is coming to the very same conclusion .
EV’s are a step too far … until our infrastructure is vastly updated , replaced and/or improved … not to mention the EV’s themselves being vastly improved
( FYI adding gobs of infotainment IS NOT an improvement .. and in fact is an impediment to both range and battery life )
Sigh …. EV’s … the technological Potemkin Village of the 21st century … only this time with a fan beaked black swan with talons to match .. hiding behind it just waiting to land on our delusional little heads …