NAWA Technologies today unveiled a zero-emission motorcycle concept it calls the “Racer.” Using a standard battery and nano-based ultracapacitor technology, it says its technology doubles the range that would otherwise be possible from a motorcycle this size. The powertrain combines familiar lithium-ion batteries with the company’s next-gen nano-based ultracapacitors that can store 10-100 times more energy per unit of volume and accept and deliver charges much faster than a battery can manage. Similar technology has also been proposed by Lamborghini.
NAWA claims that by combining both energy
sources, it is optimizing both and opening new possibilities for electric
powertrains. With the help of the supercapacitors, the size of the heavy lithium-ion
battery pack can be reduced and charging times reduced with it. The company
claims that it can potentially double the range of a vehicle and extend the
overall lifetime of the system.
The company received help from the U.K.’s
Envisage Group, as well as a number of others, to develop a fully functional
concept version of the NAWA Racer. The cafe racer-inspired bike is supposed to
be capable of going 300 km per charge in urban environments and is
powered by an in-wheel motor. Composite body panels and rear-arm help keep
weight down.
Although the drivetrain seen here has been
optimized for a motorcycle, NAWA says that it is fully capable of being scaled
and could be used in any electric vehicle. The NAWA Racer will be on display at
EICMA 2021, the biggest motorcycle show in the world, in Milan from November
25-28.
