The Current News: Nov. 3, 2022

Hello, dear readers and riders! Exciting news of a new EV design contest – your good idea could win $15k!  Check out the story below. Also this week, we’re taking a look at a monstrous Hummer eBike, a hydrogen Alpine, eBike makers bending the rules, and more As always, send your tips, questions, or feedback to stephanie@thevintagent.com. Let’s roll.

ENVO ‘Next Move’ Micromobility Design Contest

Do you enjoy designing personal transportation?  Wanna win $15k?  Take a look at this Canadian EV engineering company’s competition to design next-gen sustainable personal transport: ‘ENVO Next Move’.  The electric mobility business is aiming to encourage innovative individuals and teams to submit their innovative proposals that respect ENVO’s principles towards modern, easy-to-maintain, reasonably priced, electric vehicles.  Professional qualifications are not required, and the range of possibilities is wide open, as the categories include: Snow electric mobility solutions; Water micro-electric mobility solutions; All-Terrain electric platform; Weather-protected electric bike/trike; Cutting-Edge micro-mobility solutions.  The rules stipulate that your project must aim towards environmental sustainability, evidence an awareness of economy and the evolution of transport, and have some sort of long-term business viability.  Sound pretty cool to us!

After the first entries are submitted by December 11 this year, ENVO will narrow the entries to 50 designs from all categories to proceed to the second round. These 50 individuals/teams will then be supported by a team of mobility experts over three weeks for mentoring and feedback, with the aim of improving the feasibility of the designs.  The final stage of the contest comes when the jury picks three projects as winners to receive cash prizes of $10,000(CAD).  In addition, there’s a $5kCAD cash prize for designs that are ready for development, and ENVO is ready to team up to make them real in their own engineering facilities in partnership with the design winner.  If this interests you, click here for more info! 

Coyote for Accessible Mobility

Outrider USA is offering a 4WD EV quad that’s expressly built for people with limited mobility to explore the great outdoors: the Coyote.  While it can of course be used by folks with full mobility and is big fun, the Coyote is perfect for people who want outdoor fun but have difficulty with getting around.  Outrider USA claims the Coyote is the lightest 4WD vehicle ever produced: it has a motor in each wheel and enough battery to do 140miles on a charge.  The Coyote is super compact too, at 5′ long and 30″ wide/tall, and will fit in the back of most station wagons/SUVs.

Royal Enfield Pursuing eBikes

For several years now India’s Eicher Motors, parent company of Royal Enfield, has been investing in research towards a possible Royal Enfield eBike.  They’ve also taken considerable government money towards such research: in India the PLI (Production-Linked Incentive) gives grants to support EV initiatives, while Royal Enfield UK was part of a consortium including Romax Technology, ZF Automotive, and the Univ. of Sheffield in a $half-Million gov’t support scheme to “develop a demonstration e-motorbike concept based around a vision of a future supply chain.”  Siddartha Lal, Eicher CEO, admitted back in 2020 that Royal Enfield was investing in eBike research, although recently new CEO B Govindarajan admitted R-E was in no rush to put something to market, citing the need to understand the market more fully before committing to production.

E-Bike Makers Bending the Rules

In a situation repeated all over the world, the Indian government has taken note that manufacturers are taking advantage of regulations allowing low-powered e-bikes to be operated without a motorcycle license, and without registration.  “According to the rules, vehicles equipped with electric motors having 30kmh top speed are not treated as motor vehicles. Hence, norms such as type approval, insurance, and mandatory display of number plate are not applicable.”  But it’s an open secret that manufacturers present a low-spec vehicle for testing by government agencies, then sell more powerful but visually identical versions to the public, or offer larger batteries for more power, or simply upload performance enhancing software remotely. It’s a convenient work-around on what are considered archaic rules, but it is technically illegal.

Alpine’s Alpenglow Concept

French rally car legend Alpine (owned by Renault) is moving forward with a hydrogen-burning concept car, a single-seater supersports vehicle with a transparent cockpit and tail section.  The name Alpenglow refers to the band of red light at sunrise/sunset in the mountains, and this extravagent indulgence in personal horsepower is just as beautiful and likely just as evanescent, in a world with less space for high-speed play on four wheels, regardless its green-ish hydrogen power source.  The solo driver sits between two hydrogen tanks, which should make for a glorious instant death in case of a bad accident – go out with drama and style, like the Alpenglow!

A Two-Wheeled Hummer

EBike maker Recon Power Bikes is introducing a two-wheel drive heavyweight all-terrain bicycle inspired by the Hummer military vehicle, or suburban assault vehicle, as you prefer.  The Hummer has two 750w hub motors, in the front and another back wheels, that give this two-wheel-drive eBike 80nm of torque and a combined 1.5kW of power.  The battery is a 48V, 17.5Ah/ 840Wh item that give a 40-50mile range…which is 1/250th the size of the new Hummer EV truck, and about 1/8th the range.  But while the Hummer EV weighs 9000lbs (holy rockpile Batman!), the Hummer eBike weighs ‘only’ 93lbs, which is light in comparison, but pretty fricken heavy for a bicycle.  Plus, it’s got a throttle, which makes it in reality a motorcycle…with pathetic range and power.  So, what is this thing?  A bruiser cruiser: for the Hummer car owner, it’s the perfect accessory, and fits right into the back of the Hummer EV pickup…if you don’t pull your back getting it in.  Need one?  Click here.