MOTO
FUTURE
Suzuki and five other companies have established a new research project - " Research Association of Biomass Innovation for Next Generation Automobile Fuels " - to initiate research on " bioethanol fuel production to achieve a carbon neutral society ". The other participants are ENEOS , Subaru , Daihatsu and two arms of the Toyota Group . The mission being to " to study ways to optimise the process of producing fuel ". Focussed on the " optimised circulation of hydrogen , oxygen and CO2 during production ", specific research areas include Efficient Ethanol Production Systems ; By- Product Oxygen , CO2 Capture and Utilization ; the Efficient Operation of the Overall System , including Fuel Utilization and research on Efficient Raw Material Crop Cultivation Methods .
Energica continues to grow its international distribution network , adding ElectricWheels in Vilnius as its importer for Lithuania . The EV market there is small but growing . The government has said it plans to increase the number of charging points from 600 to 1,200 by 2025 , reaching 7,000 by 2030 .
The BMW Group is stepping up its commitment to achieving climate neutrality by massively expanding its use of secondary material in closed recycling loops . For the first time in China , the BMW Brilliance Automotive joint venture ( BBA ) has established a closed loop for reuse of the raw materials nickel , lithium and cobalt from high-voltage batteries that are no longer suitable for use in electric vehicles .
Round Rock , Tx ., based Volcon ePowersports has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Torrot Electric Europa SA , to distribute Torrot ' s line of electric off-road motorcycle products throughout Latin America , South America and the Caribbean Region (" LATAM "). Founded in Vitoria , Spain , by Don Luis Iriondo in 1948 , Torrot is a former GasGas and OSSA owner and manufactures electric motorcycles focussed exclusively on young riders aged 3 to 11 . Under the management of CEO John Dixon , Torrot products are produced in its Figueres , Girona factory - where Rieju brand motorcycles are also produced . Torrot brand products are separately distributed in USA by Central Powersports Distribution ( CPD ).
Honda solid state future ? By Ben Purvis
The move towards electrification from the major Japanese manufacturers has been slow so far , but Honda is promising a rapid acceleration of its battery-powered programme with a target of making 15 % of its bikes electric by 2030 . At the moment , Honda has just a handful of electric models , like the PCX electric scooter and the businesstargeted Gyro-e that ' s offered in Japan . But that will have to change fast if the 15 % target is to be hit . Honda is expected to manufacture more than 17 million bikes this year , so if production volumes remain consistent until 2030 , it means the company will need to make more than 2.5 million electric bikes that year . The 15 % target was announced in Honda ' s 2022 Sustainability Report , which also confirmed plans to electrify
The question of how classic bike owners will adapt as and when new models switch to electric power is one that most of us still ignore - but while petrol will still be available for decades to come , it is still an issue that will one day need to be addressed . Although options like carbon-neutral synthetic e-fuels promise to make even existing combustion engines much greener in future , there ' s already a movement that ' s seeing classic cars get converted to electric power . Now there ' s a motorcycle equivalent courtesy of kits from Dutch company LM Creations . The company ' s first offering is an electric conversion for BMW boxers made between 1969 and 1995 . To
30 % of Honda ' s car range by 2030 , along with 36 % of its power products . In what Honda refers to as ' major markets ', the electric mix will be higher
" millions of electric Hondas every year by 2030 "
still , accounting for 40 % of car sales by 2030 and 80 % by 2035 , and while the plan for motorcycles hasn ' t been broken down to such detail , it will need to follow a similar pattern . Honda has also been pumping development money into the science
Electric BMW boxer conversion By Ben Purvis
achieve the transformation , LM Creations has created a cast alloy casing that holds the electric motor while mimicking the appearance of the original boxer twin . For a modern twist , the prototype isn ' t fitted with the original bike ' s now unnecessary cylinders , and simply has the original BMW rocker covers mounted on long studs to put them in the right position , leaving a gap between them and the engine cases . The motor itself is a 20 kW unit , making 72 Nm of torque and revving to 7,500 rpm . So , when it ' s bolted to the original BMW transmission , its rev range isn ' t dissimilar to the original combustion engine it replaces , allowing the gears and clutch to be of solid-state batteries , which could be a game-changer for electric motorcycles . Existing lithium batteries use a liquid or gel electrolyte to separate the cathode and anode , but a solid-state battery uses a solid separator instead . That allows the cathode and anode to be much closer together , making for more compact , lightweight and power-dense cells . Solid state batteries are also capable of dealing with more heat , allowing faster recharging than existing technology , and since they aren ' t filled with a flammable liquid electrolyte , they can be safer in the event of an accident . Honda ' s plan is to create a pilot production line for solid state batteries in 2024 , at a cost of 43m yen , and to move to mass production of the technology in the second half of the decade .
used conventionally . To avoid spoiling the bike ' s look , the battery is a relatively small 4.3 kWh pack , mounted inside the ' fuel tank ' - which is actually a purpose-made , fibreglass replica that also houses the control electronics and charger . The frame , brakes and suspension are all unaltered from the original bike . Since the small battery only weighs 24 kg , and the electric motor is lighter than the petrol engine , the resulting bike isn ' t much heavier than the BMW it ' s based on . But it hasn ' t got a lot of range - LM Creations says it ' s good for about 80 km between charges at urban speeds , which will equate to rather less than that if you go faster . Price-wise , each of the components can be had separately , but there are discounts for buying a complete kit . With a slower 1.8 kW charger , the full kit is € 8,950 , rising to € 9,450 for a version with a faster 3.3 kWh charger . You ' ll need a 1969-1995 BMW , too , of course . In the future , LM Creations intends to make additional kits for other pre-unit bikes including Harley-Davidsons , Urals , Moto Guzzis and Triumphs .
24 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022 www . idnmag . com