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Which university is researching electric bike/scooter technology?

CliveS
Motorcycle News latest edition states that Honda,  Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki are jointly developing new battery packs for bikes but where is the British version being developed??  England used to lead the world in technical development and specification.

 Which university will take up this challenge????   We need to specify which type of motor AC or DC brushed or unbrushed is most reliable, then find the most economic variable speed control and finally specify the battery size, shape and connector. [ which Japan is about to take the lead.]

I am convinced that the government would help universities fund such a research project which could spin off into new manufacturing opportunities and employment for thousands of people.
  • 0
    Hi,

    A full hybrid car, like Toyota Prius can provide an improvement of 60% and more in the fuel consumption. The largest savings that achieves full hybrid car comes from reconstruction of the culpable regenerative (Regenerative Braking), technology captures most of the energy that is usually wasted in the heating heaters, and ranging it into electric energy. Just as the engine can turn the electrical energy in accumulator into a preponderant power (the power rotating the wheels and pushes the car), can be turned into the process, and create electricity from the power of the power of the passenger car and live in accumulator.
  • 0
    No problem with regenerative braking which is a great idea or the Toyota Prius.  Hybrids are ideal for motorways as they can run on petrol or diesel. BUT they do not need a huge battery as that is only necessary for inner cities where air pollution and noise are a problem. Some people are also concerned that rare metals and Lithium may run out by 2050 and claim it is very expensive to reprocess Lithium.
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Is anyone aware of any funding in the UK to support 

    At the University of Southampton and Cranfield University, we have been looking into designing electric bicycles with a new type of electric motor torque control that reduces the cycling effort and reduces the battery size by half. This technology can be developed for electric bikes too. We started this project with a UK start-up RETORGMOTOR. I think more funding would really help us to accelerate the experimental tests since for a small start-up this is a very costly project. I am happy to provide more information if someone likes to collaborate with us and take this to higher levels.
  • 0
    You are correct to ask for funding.   Just have a look at this  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kILXXaqspcI    Instead of accusing China of copying our old patents we should be trying to catch up with them.

    If a UK company can make an electric micro runabout car likes these then we the government should assist in every way possible as these are the pollution free city cars of the future without a doubt.
  • 0
    Hello Deborah-Claire,


    it was nice to read the mention of TTZero and the MotoE competition. Speaking as an alumnus of one of these projects, they are well worth keeping an eye on and IET, please keep supporting them!


     
    Deborah-Claire McKenzie:

    Further to earlier responses, I'd just like to remind community members of some 'Are Electric Bikes better than Petrol'? videos that the ARTS TN filmed at Silverstone at an electric motorcycle championship that they've supported over the last few years.  The links to the various videos can be found here   Several university teams also built bikes that raced in this series as well as the TT Zero championship on the IoM.




    The all-electric motorcycles designed, manufactured and raced by these UK university teams earned podiums at the TT, second (and not far off) to the full-factory Mugen Shinden project, which is an amazing bit of full-factory kit built by a large, expert and well funded team from Japan.


    UK universities already have developed world-class good electric motorcycle designs, I'm sure if a UK wanted to license the designs from the universities which are involved then there would be interest from the University side! Attached is a picture of just a few of these designs.

    TTZero bikes.jpg


    These kind of hands-on projects are very motivating for young engineers of all backgrounds, especially to keep them in engineering after their degrees rather than being snapped up by a range of other industries.


    Hoping for the return of the TTZero competition in 2022, though this might be in a way which "grass-roots" low-budget teams can no longer keep up with, which would be a great shame (though a new, innovative class could be introduced for the innovative students of universities to cut their teeth on, which would be exciting).


    All the best,


    Joe


  • 0
    Ash Pocock:

    One of the problems for electric scooters is that legislature limits their use on public roads/pavements, so this needs to be addressed before they can become mainstream.

     

    Electric scooters and hoverboards are banned from use in the public realm in the UK under a law dating from 1835 intended to deal with horse drawn carts. There is a serious question whether it's appropriate that the use of such machines are legally hamstrung in the UK as a result of archaic legislation if they become legal in other developed countries.


    Discussions have revealed that parliament may be reluctant to legalise small electric vehicles simply because of public opposition from miserable Daily Mail readers that they can be used by disqualified drivers or those convicted of drink driving offences.


    Should children have to pass a Bikeability test before they are allowed to use small electric vehicles in the public realm?

  • 0
    Yes, the electric scooters are outlawed in public places unless they are on lease from some company who presumably are insured against accidents caused by irresponsible drivers.  So why not make all scooter drivers get insurance rather than banning private use/ownership outright.
  • 0
    CliveS:

    Yes, the electric scooters are outlawed in public places unless they are on lease from some company who presumably are insured against accidents caused by irresponsible drivers.  So why not make all scooter drivers get insurance rather than banning private use/ownership outright.


    It's all a matter of momentum, from a physics perspective.

    A kid on a pedal bike who crashes it into a Mercedes Benz will damage its bodywork. Will their parent's house insurance pay out? What if they don't have house insurance?

    Therefore, from a physics perspective, there is considerable sense in legislation where a small electric vehicle comparable in momentum to a bicycle is not legally classed as a vehicle from the perspective of driving licences, road tax, MOT, or conventional vehicle insurance.

     


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