Hello, dear readers and riders! Welcome to the last installment of our EV news roundup for September. This week, we’ll cover the world’s first flying motorcycle, a truly ugly autonomous concept from VW, a Dutch e-Bike literally designed to last a lifetime, and the latest from Livewire. If you see anything cool you’d like us to cover, hit us up at stephanie@thevintagent.com. Let’s roll.
Livewire is Taking Reservations for the S2 Del Mar
The hotly anticipated S2 Del Mar is the second model from Livewire, and available next Spring. [Livewire]
Earlier this week, Livewire announced that it is taking reservations for the production version of its S2 Del Mar e-Motorcycle. This will be the brand’s first model to feature the new ARROW architecture. The S2 Del Mar, priced at $16,999, will churn out 80 ponies, 184 lb-ft of torque, and is expected to have a city range of 110 miles.
CAKE’s New Line of e-Bikes Supports Global Bee and Pollinator Population
On the 60th anniversary of Rachel Carlson’s groundbreaking book ‘Silent Spring’, CAKE is supporting the Global Bee Initiative with a series of floral Kalks. [CAKE]
Swedish e-bike maker CAKE dropped its new line of Flower Power Limited Edition mono- colored motorbikes earlier this week. The new bikes, available in a wide range of stunning colors, were made in an effort to raise awareness and support the World Bee Project, a global initiative to protect pollinators. “The reality of bees diminishing has been disturbing, but it was not until I and the rest of us here at CAKE watched the French documentary, Insecticides, A Licence to Kill, that the complete crisis fully materialized. The Flower Power initiative is a small contribution sharing the painful reality of our fragile ecosystem, where everyone is obligated to change and take action,” Stefan Ytterborn, founder and CEO of CAKE, said in a press release. Read our most recent interview with Stefan here.
Meet the World’s First Flying Motorcycle
Wannabe Iron Man? Sounds amazing, sounds terrifying, and if I see you in the sky making as much noise as on your chopper I will consider you a target. [Poetry by HS Thompson, image by JetPack Aviation]
Flying cars are cool and all, but JetPack Aviation’s flying motorcycles are even better. The California company, which has already made a name for itself in the vertical people propeller department, recently announced a successful test flight of the world’s first flying motorcycle. The 300-pound flying machine, called the Speeder, can take off and land vertically, as well as fly autonomously. The ultralight version can be flown sans pilot’s license, has top speeds of 60mph, and a flight time of about 15 minutes. The company’s experimental version does require a basic pilot’s license, tops out at 250mph, and has a flight time of 35 minutes. The final design will be outfitted with eight turbines and a size-to-payload ratio of 600 pounds. The Speeder is expected to be commercially available by next year.
An e-Bike That Lasts for a Lifetime
A modest assault an planned obsolescence: the new business ethic? [Roetz]
Amsterdam-based Roetz-Bikes recently released the Roetz Life, an e-bike that’s intended to last forever. The modular e-Bike’s development was three years in the making but well worth it. The result is a futureproof design that relies on a modular concept that enables separate modules to be repaired and replaced as needed. This allows the Roetz Life to evolve with its owner.
The Ugliest Concept We’ve Ever Seen
Well, they called the Beetle ‘ugly bugly’, and if this is ever produced it will surely deserve a nickname. [VW]
Volkswagen is no stranger to boundary-pushing designs. However, the automaker’s latest concept, the VW Gen.Travel, is truly a sight to behold—and not in a good way. The battery- electric autonomous vehicle is set to replace short-haul flights thanks to its modular interior. Depending on the interior’s configuration, you can host a conference, sleep inside overnight, or entertain the kiddos with augmented reality. This all makes the Gen.Travel a testament to function over form.
Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Plant Will Alleviate Critical Material Supply Chain Woes
A gritty glimmer of hope: if LiON batteries can be recycled, the pressure on the environment will be reduced. [Cerba]
Heritage Battery Recycling, an affiliate of Cirba Solutions, recently announced plans to build a lithium-ion recycling plant in Eloy, Arizona. This will help alleviate the critical material supply chain that is currently challenging the U.S. The 75,000 sq.ft. facility is expected to produce enough battery material to support 50,000 electric vehicles each year and will be up and running by mid-2023.
Volvo’s New EV is Spying on You
If you drive this car forever, you will never ever sleep. [Volvo]
Swedish automaker Volvo’s newest EV, the EX90, keeps a watchful eye on its driver. The car’s Level 3 driver-assist system carefully analyzes your attention and will notify you if you take your eyes off the road or your hands off the wheel for too long.
20+ Countries Agree to Increase Low-Emission Hydrogen Output by 2030
As part of a global effort to protect the planet, more than 20 countries have agreed to increase low-emission hydrogen output in the next seven years by 90+ million tons. The agreement, led by Japan, will include the U.S., Germany, and Australia. Japan aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
For China, EVs are not the Future, they are the Present
“New electric cars parked under photovoltaic systems in Jinzhong. China has one of the fastest-growing E.V. markets, with sales expected to double this year to about six million vehicles.” [China Group via Getty Images]
The New York Times featured an article today explaining how “more electric cars will be sold in the country this year than in the rest of the world combined.” 25% of all new cars purchased in China are electric, and more than 300 companies are making EVs in China. The US, by comparison, EVs just passed 5% of new car sales, whereas China passed that marker in 2018. China’s leader Xi Jinping declared in 2014 that EVs were the only path forward to make China a global power in the automobile market. With an expected 6 million electric cars selling this year in China, more than the rest of the world combined, that’s already true domestically. The number of EV charging stations in China stands at 4 million today, which is double the number from one year ago – an extraordinary infrastructure commitment. The reason for their popularity in China? Price. Reasonable EV sedans sell for $5-10,000, and have 1/10th the running cost of a gas or diesel motor. Electric cars in the West are typically luxury models, but in China they’re economy cars (plus some swank rivals to Tesla et al). It will take a few years, but keep your eyes out for Chinese EVs in Western markets soon.
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.
1) Nothing lasts forever
2) Li batteries to date are non-recyclable.. and even if they were the properties needed to maintain a charge are past their sell by ( so thats either a pipe dream … or as ” Frasier ” character ‘ Bulldog would say …. ” BS … this is total BS ) [DWnews Market Report SciFri .. etc ]
3) Not the ugliest concept .. not by a long shot … but it is bad !
4) Flying M/C’s .. Flying Cars …. yeah yeah … how many times has this fairytale been shoved down our throats … since err … at least the 30’s if not before . Good luck getting FIA approval ( seeing as how there’s no category for a flying M/C ) But hey … maybe Batman can ride/fly one in his next film …. jeez ..I mean seriously … what are y’all smoking ingesting out there ? Some o’ Dr Tim’s Kickapoo Joy Juice perhaps ?
5) China and EV’s . Govt wants em to buy em .. so the public buys em … or else
No alternative to carbon-based fuel in sight for producing enough electricity to maintain the crooked system as it is and avoid collapse, let alone sustain a fully electric utopian system with every device in existence demanding power. So it appears to me of no use pursuading/pursuing/punishing the people to make them go along the EV road, as this will not be a clean road at all. First things first: focus on Tokamaks and stuff, or this dirty loop we’re in will last for centuries, probably burning through everything before… Nevermind. But I won’t sit around waiting, I’ll just ride around on my trusted, non hypocritical destroyer-of-worlds GN250 for as long as I can.