Hybrid Electric Motorcycles/Scooters

26/04/2020

The Mitsui-TECO joint venture (JV) will establish a TEMICO India, with a plant in Bengaluru which will produce traction motor for electric vehicles.

25/04/2020

TVS suggests hybrid motorcycle future

Indian motorcycle company TVS Motor Company, which makes the G 310 R and G 310 GS for BMW, seems to be planning on a hybrid future for motorcycles.
TVS Zeppelin hybrid power
Likewise, the Zeppelin has two power sources.

The main drive is from a single-cylinder 220cc engine with a belt drive to the back wheel.

It gets a power boost from a 1200 watt “regenerative assist motor” with a 48V Lithium-ion battery.

While it may not sound very powerful nor look very lithe, it could feature in the future of motorcycling for higher fuel economy and lower emissions.
TVS says the Zeppelin is their “interpretation of a performance cruiser motorcycle – inspired from the world of dark custom”. We reckon it’s a bit frumpish with a bit of a V-Max-gone-wrong look.

Apart from its twin power sources, the bike has lightweight tubeless spoked alloys, 41mm USD forks and dual-channel ABS.

Two other interesting features are an integrated HD action camera as a “dashcam” and something they call a first-in-class “Bio Key”.

We’re not sure what that means!

Interestingly it is India that is forging ahead with alternative power sources, just days after Indian company Emflux announced its electric bike.

04/03/2020

General Motors EV

General Motors has revealed its future electric vehicle strategy based on the Ultium battery and a flexible drivetrain architecture.

27/02/2020

Top electric scooters to launch in India.

01 / 9
With an increase in pollutants and decibels in the air, the world is perhaps understanding the need for developing an increasingly sustainable lineup of silent, battery-powered two-wheelers. India, especially the National Capital region, is suffering from acute air pollution. ELectric powered two-wheelers jus may be a step towards a cleaner environment. Hence, we've gotten a list of scooters that to give an insight on the options a buyer will have in the coming months.

02 / 9
Hero Duet E: Hero first showcased Duet E fully-electric scooter at the 2016 Auto Expo as a concept model. The Hero Duet E when launched, will be based on the standard Duet and will share its design and suspension with it. The Hero Duet E is expected to be launched by 2018 in the country. It is expected to be powered by an electric motor that will generate about 6.7 hp and 14 Nm of torque. On a single full charge, the Hero Duet E is claimed to travel a range of 65 km.

03 / 9
Hero Leap: Hero is expected to launch the Leap, which will be the first electric-hybrid scooter by the two-wheeler manufacturer in India. First showcased at the 2012 Auto Expo as a concept, the Leap is likely to be powered by lithium-ion batteries, an 8kW electric Permanent magnet AC (PMAC) traction motor as well as a 124 cc engine. The electric Leap will have a three-litre fuel tank capacity, a top speed of 100 kmph and can be charged by plugging into a wall outlet. The upcoming electric-hybrid scooter will get an all-LED lamp and Brembo two-piston front 240 mm disc brake.

04 / 9
Mahindra GenZe: Mahindra & Mahindra is considering launching their GenZe range of electric scooters and e-Bikes in India by 2019. GenZe is a US-based electric two-wheeler manufacturer owned by Mahindra that sells its products only in the US markets. However, the company has not confirmed what products will be launched in the country and their specifications. GenZe currently sells the 2.0 and 2.0 s electric scooters and e-Bikes which are available in two versions, namely, the Sport and Recreational in US markets. Th GenZe e-Bikes are available in three different sizes such as 16-inch, 18-inch and 20-inch.

05 / 9
TVS electric scooter: TVS Motor Company has comfirmed that a new electric scooter will be launched in India by March/April 2018. The upcoming TVS electric scooter would be using its own battery management system and individual cells will be sourced from international suppliers. Pictured here is a Jupiter for representational purposes.

06 / 9
Twenty Two Motors FLOW: Twenty Two Motors, a new start-up which commenced operations in 2016, has for the first time unveiled a prototype of its electric scooter called FLOW. The production version of the Flow e-scooter will be the same as the concept and the company claims a range of 80 kms per charge and a top speed of 60 kmph. Twenty Two Motors' Flow electric scooter is expected to be priced between Rs 65,000 - 70,000 (ex-Showroom).

07 / 9
Honda PCX Electric and PCX Hybrid: Honda Motorcycle and Scooter (HMSI) will soon launch its new PCX of electric and hybrid scooters in India. The new PCX scooter was first showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo and is expected to be launched in the country by next year with a likely price tag of about Rs 85,000 (ex-showroom). The PCX will likely be available in two versions - the PCX Electric and PCX Hybrid. The PCX is already available in international markets and the company also showcased the scooter at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show.

08 / 9
Ather S340: Ather Energy, an Indian company based in Bangalore, will soon launch its electric scooter called S340 in India. The company unveiled the Ather S340 in 2016 at a technology conference in Bangalore and will be a premium product that will be priced between Honda Activa and Piaggio Vespa. The Ather S340 scooter will be powered by an electric motor and will use lithium-ion batteries that will be imported. The electric motor will produce around 6.7 hp of power, which will depend on the different riding mode like Economy or Sport, and will deliver 14 Nm of torque.

09 / 9
Piaggio Vespa Electrica

27/02/2020

The Toyota Prius is the world's best selling hybrid car, with cumulative global sales of almost 4 million units up until January 2017.
A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a type of hybrid vehicle that combines a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) system with an electric propulsion system (hybrid vehicle drivetrain). The presence of the electric powertrain is intended to achieve either better fuel economy than a conventional vehicle or better performance. There is a variety of HEV types, and the degree to which each functions as an electric vehicle (EV) also varies. The most common form of HEV is the hybrid electric car, although hybrid electric trucks (pickups and tractors) and buses also exist.

Modern HEVs make use of efficiency-improving technologies such as regenerative brakes which convert the vehicle's kinetic energy to electric energy, which is stored in a battery or supercapacitor. Some varieties of HEV use an internal combustion engine to turn an electrical generator, which either recharges the vehicle's batteries or directly powers its electric drive motors; this combination is known as a motor–generator. Many HEVs reduce idle emissions by shutting down the engine at idle and restarting it when needed; this is known as a start-stop system. A hybrid-electric produces less tailpipe emissions than a comparably sized gasoline car, since the hybrid's gasoline engine is usually smaller than that of a gasoline-powered vehicle. If the engine is not used to drive the car directly, it can be geared to run at maximum efficiency, further improving fuel economy.

Ferdinand Porsche developed the Lohner-Porsche in 1901. But hybrid electric vehicles did not become widely available until the release of the Toyota Prius in Japan in 1997, followed by the Honda Insight in 1999. Initially, hybrid seemed unnecessary due to the low cost of gasoline. Worldwide increases in the price of petroleum caused many automakers to release hybrids in the late 2000s; they are now perceived as a core segment of the automotive market of the future.

As of January 2017, over 12 million hybrid electric vehicles have been sold worldwide since their inception in 1997. Japan has the world's largest hybrid electric vehicle fleet with 7.5 million hybrids registered as of March 2018. Japan also has the world's highest hybrid market pe*******on with hybrids representing 19.0% of all passenger cars on the road as of March 2018, both figures excluding kei cars. We As of April 2016, the U.S. ranked second with cumulative sales of over 4 million units since 1999, and Europe with about 1.5 million hybrids delivered since 2000.

Global sales are led by the Toyota Motor Company with more than 10 million Lexus and Toyota hybrids sold as of January 2017, followed by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. with cumulative global sales of more than 1.35 million hybrids as of June 2014;[9][10][11] As of January 2017, worldwide hybrid sales are led by the Toyota Prius liftback, with cumulative sales of almost 4 million units.The Prius nameplate had sold more than 6 million hybrids up to January 2017. Global Lexus hybrid sales achieved the 1 million unit milestone in March 2016.As of January 2017, the conventional Prius is the all-time best-selling hybrid car in both Japan and the U.S., with sales of over 1.8 million in Japan and 1.75 million in the U.S.