Vectrix expands its line-up with 2 new scooters!

(The flagship VX-1, introduced in 2007 get's some new graphics)



(The VX-1E is the economy version of the VX-1 at $8,495)


(The VX-2 is expected in June with an MSRP of $5,195)
Images courtesy of our friends at Ripley Radio.  Thanks a bunch!

Vectrix has come out the gate at today's NY Motorcycle Show with a pair of new zero emission scooters for 2009.  Today's electric vehicle market has experienced some what of a whiplash from the roller coaster oil market.  Fortunately for them, the oil coaster is slowly climbing another hill.  Will it touch the $3.00/gal mark again?  Who knows?  But Vectrix, the green leaders in the scooter field, are ready to roll when they do.

Here's the press release (I've trimmed it up a bit and sprinkled on a tiny bit of feedback):
New York, N.Y. - January 18, 2009 - Vectrix Corporation (www.vectrix.com), the world leader in Personal Electric Vehicles, has debuted its entry-level VX-2 and the VX-1E urban commuting model at the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Alongside the flagship VX-1, the new models round out the company's family of electric vehicles, which will help make 100 percent electric vehicles available to a broader consumer base.

VX-2 is a smaller and more compact electric equivalent of a 50cc internal combustion engine (ICE) bike with a weight of 429 pounds (whew, power of a Yamaha C3 with the weight of a Yamaha Majesty) , a wheelbase of 54.5 inches and seat height of 29.9 inches. It features a 40-50 mile range (hey!  That's pretty good!), 30-mph speed capability (Ewwww, I wish it was 45), a 48V/20A battery charger that plugs into a standard 110V/220V outlet and safe, near-silent operation.

"It's the perfect choice to replace cars for short urban trips," said Mike Boyle, Vectrix CEO. "The shortest car trips are the most damaging in terms of global warming, air pollution and our dependence on foreign oil."

Available in green, blue, red, yellow and white, VX-2 is expected to arrive at dealers in June 2009 with an MSRP of $5,195.

Another new addition to Vectrix's family of Personal Electric Vehicles, VX-1E uses the same platform and drive train as the original VX-1, yet features a lower price point and a more urban commuter driver profile with slightly less acceleration and top speed. VX-1E is expected to arrive at dealers in April, and the MSRP is $8,495.

As part of the company's drive to make electric vehicles available to a wider range of consumers, Vectrix also plans to announce a new line of accessories for its VX-1 and VX-1E—including a lower, narrower seat to accommodate riders with smaller frames.

"One of the most important new accessories in the 2009 catalogue is an optional seat that is significantly lower and shaped to give riders with a smaller frame the ability to place both feet on the ground at each stop," Boyle said.

Other new options include a sport windshield about 7 inches lower than standard for riders who like the feel of wind in their face, and a winter windshield nearly 9 inches wider than standard that offers additional protection from wind and insects. Lastly, a new center stand offers more convenient parking and raises the rear tire off the ground for easy tire maintenance.

Vectrix's original Personal Electric Vehicle, the VX-1, was first introduced in 2007 as an eco-friendly, zero emission and powerful alternative for commuting and recreational needs. The 2009 VX-1 will have refreshing new graphics in four colors: white/burgundy red, white/metallic silver, white/sapphire blue and white/acid green.

The VX-1 weighs in at 515 pounds, has a 60-inch wheelbase and 30-inch seat height. It is highway legal, with a top speed of 62 mph, acceleration from 0-50 mph in 6.8 seconds, and an average range of 30-55 miles on a single charge.

All vehicles in the Vectrix family are 100 percent electric — no gas, no oil and no emissions — and feature minimal maintenance and simple operation. In 2008, Vectrix saw 321 percent growth in its distribution network, and now has the largest dealer network of any electric vehicle in the country.

"The success of the Vectrix dealer network shows consumers are ready for new commuting alternatives," Boyle said. "Vectrix appeals to men and women of all ages, and our new accessories make the VX-1 available to everyone looking for good clean fun."

About Vectrix Corporation
Vectrix Corporation was formed in 1996 to develop and commercialize zero emission vehicle platform technologies focused on two-wheel applications. The single focus of Vectrix has been to provide clean, efficient, reliable and affordable urban transportation. Vectrix two-wheel zero emission vehicles currently are being marketed to consumers and government fleets. Vectrix Corporation has headquarters in Middletown, R.I., engineering and test facilities in New Bedford, Mass., sales offices in the UK and production facilities in Wroclaw, Poland.

Toyota now officially in the "Segway" business for 2010

Our friend Aki in Japan gives us this scoop.  Toyota has announced that they will be selling 25 of the Toyota Winglets in 2009 to be used in large factories, parks and airports.  The price is around $3,500 US and it will weigh 22lbs.  Don't look for large scale production until around 2010.  Go here for the story on MSN Japan.

Gocycle - Proof that humans have aquired alien technology?

Ok, I wouldn't go THAT far, but KKL's Gocycle (not to be confused with the GoBike) is definitely pushing the envelope of electric bikes... just go to the home page to get an idea of what I mean.  Very slick!  I actually enjoyed exploring the bike bit-by-bit except for the uncomfortable feeling I got when they demonstrate how to replace the battery pack.  I dunno, it just seems a bit obscene.

As you dig deeper into the bikes design you'll find it's built on a mountain of new patents, another example of pushing the envelope.  Founder, Richard Thorpe, has spent over half a decade designing his electric hybrid dream bike and it looks like its time has finally come. 

One thing Richard said that cracked me up was when he admitted to applying "some tactical useage of the power button" to pass up other full-pedal powered cyclists.  Now, that sounds like something I would do.  Bonus points for Gocycle.

From what I read on the website, it looks like they've been selling Ideal Bike manufactured prototypes since September of 2008 (a couple of months ago) and there are even a handful here in the USA even though the offical US distributorship hasn't gone into play yet.  The first 200 prototypes are already done and avaiable for purchase.  No word on when mass production will kick off, but I would imagine soon.

With an MSRP expected to be less than $2000, what do you get?  You get the 2008 Taipei International Cycle Show award winner, garnering first place for excellence in design in the Best Complete Bicycle and Best Innovation categories.  Not bad, eh?  So, how about "the goods"... the actual bike?  Let's look.

The Gocycle is an electric bike composed of injection moulded magnesium and fiberglass.  Injection moulded magnesium?  I had no idea you could even do that, but the result is a bike the weighs just 36 lbs.  What's more is the fact that you can break the bike down and store it in a hard case the size of an overhead piece of luggage.  Where does this technology come from?

The Gocycle will haul up to 220 lbs and is powered by both a pedal powered 3-speed sequential gearbox (completely enclosed for ease of maintenance) and a 250 Watt micromotor.  Give her a full 3.5 hour charge and you are ready to hit speeds of up to 18 mph (30 if you have a racing battery) and cover distances of between 6-20 miles depending on how much pedaling you do.  That should be plenty for most urban dwellers who work in the city. 

The Gocycle stops with an integrated floating mechanical disk brake.  The seat and handlebars are adjustable.  She has a rear shock absorber and the front suspension can be upgraded.  There are some cool luggage accessories available as well.  I'd say that KKL has most definitely done their homework with this little project.

I have high hopes for this baby and wouldn't mind having one in my garage now.  Sure I'd love to see it go 35 miles at 35 mph, but it's just a matter of time before they gain the tech to make that happen.

New solar cell material achieves almost 100% efficiency, could solve world-wide energy problems

(The singularity is near!  Looks like Nike might have their BTTF Hyperdunk shoes done in time for the 2015 release date after all!)

This is one of the most important advancements in green tech to ever reach your eyes... and we can thank a computer accident for it!  That's right, it seems researchers at Ohio State University have accidentally discovered a new solar cell material that is capable of absorbing all of the sun's visible light energy, theoretically giving the potential for a near 100% efficiency rating and totally blowing the 61% efficiency managed by previous science experiments, out of the proverbial water.

Don't look for this technology to be mass produced anytime soon, but barring any unforeseen anomalies in Y2K12, you might just see these in time to power up your flying car and auto-lacing sneakers. w00t!

Go to TGDaily to read the whole article.

Elmoto inches closer to production

(The sexy and sturdy looking Elmoto HR-2 as captured at Eurobike by Ian Collins (c)2008)

There's tons of excitement around developments in the light-electric-motorbike arena.  The highly anticipated Ultramotor A2B is currently available in U.S. shops and the front/rear hub driven Elmoto is hot on its trail making it through another round of prototyping and appearing with updates at the 2008 Intermot in Cologne. 

Rumors say the Elmoto will be making her rounds in the U.S. sometime in the middle of 2009.  I can't wait to give her a test ride.  Twin 250W brushless hub motors?  And if you get the W500plus edition (Lithium-Ion) we're looking at speeds of over 37 mph and a distance of nearly 43 miles all that in a 110 lbs package and an operating cost of 70¢ per charge.

If you want to see the Elmoto booth and lots of great product shots, check out this flickr slideshow.  You can also keep your finger on the pulse of the Elmoto on the Electric Motorcycle Forum here.  They even get responses from Elmoto founder Oliver Wittke!

Expect to see the finished product sometime after April with a price of around $5400 USD.  LOVE THE COLORS!

eROCKIT has a new prototype for the October show set

(eROCKIT 4.2 is ready for her closeup at Intermot Cologne)

The serial hybrid, electric bike from eROCKIT has undergone some prototype updates bringing her one step closer to retail.  Serial hybrids are powered by an electric engine with batteries that are normally charged by a low powered gas engine, much like the Chevy Volt.  What makes the eROCKIT interesting is that the batteries are charged with pedal power! 

I love the small size and the fact that she can reach 50 mph!  I think they are really on to something.  Now if they could just get the price down to 1/3rd of the current listing of $34,800 USD.  Yeah, I flintched too.  But, understand that this is the handbuilt, start-up pricing.  Stefan Gulas hopes to produce 10 units for 2009.  About the price, Stefan says this (rough translation):

"You'll note that I am not building these machines for mass production, these aren't like cheap electric scooters or clothing from China, but a quick piece of jewelry that doen't need fuel and can save you time and money at the gym."

 Well, that'll be one piece of bling that I'll have to pass on.  Not that I don't love it!  To read a Google translation of the press release go here.

Carbon Nanotube Supercapacitors May Replace Clunky Car Batteries

(Source Gizmodo)
Carbon nanotubes are one of the surprising new carbon supermaterials,
and it looks like their application in supercapacitors may have a role
in replacing clunky old car battery tech. Scientists at the University
of Texas at Dallas have invented a technique to make supercapacitor
"paper" made from randomly tangled carbon nanotubes embedded in a
polymer. Both chemical batteries and capacitors store electrical
charge, in differing ways, but nanotech supercapacitors could store
more energy in a smaller space, without the dangers associated with
chemical systems. Potentially excellent news given the rise of the
hybrid car. Better yet the new technique is "easily scalable for device
fabrication on an industrial scale," so it might end up in real
products sooner rather than later. [Physorg]