Lithium News

Damon, a new motorcycle startup from Canada, has rolled out an electric motorcycle prototype showing off the company’s new tech. The company has taken an innovative approach that offers safety and rider-awareness features not yet seen in the electric motorcycle industry.

Damon Motorcycles

New electric motorcycle startups are not that uncommon these days. But new North American e-moto startups sure are.

Vancouver, Canada-based Damon is taking a high tech approach to motorcycle safety.

The company recently displayed their early prototypes, exhibiting a number of new innovations.

The bike itself appears to be powered by a Zero Z-Force motor, though it is hard to tell which one. And while specs regarding the performance of the company’s electric motorcycle are still sparse, it’s the tech that is perhaps most interesting at this point.

Damon’s halo electric motorcycle prototype is packed with tech including 360º radar to monitor traffic around the bike, embedded crash detection sensors and 1080p forward and rear-facing live view cameras.

There’s a flexible curved OLED screen in the dash running Android OS to allow the rider to monitor the rear-facing video feed. And if a car moves into the bike’s blindspots, LED warning lights alert the rider.

Vibrating handlebar grips also provide a more intense warning when the bike senses that a collision with another car or object may be imminent. That’s another advantage of electric motorcycles: warnings can be indicated by vibrations. Such subtle notes could easily be drowned out on gas-bikes by the inherent vibrations from the engine.

In fact, the Arc Vector electric motorcycle also uses haptics built into a motorcycle-connected jacket that give the rider subtle shoulder taps indicating the location of cars approaching from behind. That’s a $114,000 electric motorcycle though. Hopefully Damon’s offerings come in at a bit more affordable price.

As explained by the company:

“Our Halo bike is intended to be a technology demonstration platform. Electric is the best platform for demonstrating the future of motorcycling and the Halo bike, as a proof of concept bike, allows us to bring many more innovations to market that we are working on. For example, adjustable ergonomics.”

Speaking of those adjustable ergonomics, Damon’s bikes are designed to morph to fit the rider and the ride. Three different points of adjustments allow the rider to electrically move the handlebars, foot pegs and seat. Theoretically, the rider could set the bike in a sportier geometry for the twisties and then reset it for more comfortable cruising.

The exact method for making these adjustments isn’t clear yet, but the bike will come with both an iPhone and Android app, potentially providing a clue regarding customization options. The bike will also have connectivity options including 5G, Bluetooth and WiFi.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are all the rage. Nearly every major worldwide automaker is either developing or selling an all-electric model these days — and consumers are increasingly warming to the idea of an EV in their driveway. Once only a status symbol for the super rich thanks to their lofty price tags, falling prices and more efficient mass production are bringing prices down.

While our switch to electric mobility seems all but imminent, it’s time to pump the breaks a little. EVs do have both their advantages and disadvantages when compared to traditional cars. Understanding these before you take the plunge might save you some headaches and regret later.

After all, they still aren’t cheap.

PRO: THEY’RE CHEAPER TO MAINTAIN

While you certainly won’t save on the front end at the time of purchase, over the long term you’ll actually spend less. Even driving a fuel-efficient vehicle still runs you somewhere between $1,200 to as much as $2,000 a year depending on gas costs. Compare this with an EV, which costs about $600 a year to keep charged for that same driving distance.

Oil changes, fluid flushes, and the like are no longer necessary.

While some of the mechanical parts inside the vehicle are far more expensive and costly to repair, the number of parts in your car is less (namely a motor with one moving part), meaning less opportunity for mechanical failure. The regular maintenance that you need to keep your gas-powered engine running smoothly — oil changes, fluid flushes, and the like — are no longer necessary. The biggest expense in these vehicles is the eventual need for battery replacement. You should still get as much mileage out of your EV as you would before an engine would fail in a gas powered car, if not more, however.

CON: FINDING ELECTRICITY, AND GENERATING ENOUGH OF IT

While spots to plug in have become more numerous (especially over the past two to three years), the availability of charging stations is still lacking in many areas. Tesla has spent billions on its own network and still doesn’t have enough, forcing them to limit the time customers can charge in a single stop at its Superchargers. Other third-party providers are stepping up in the meantime, but demand seems to be outpacing supply.

If there are not many charging stations nearby, you’ll want to add a plug at home. That’s not a simple job however, as your vehicle requires 220V power to charge quickly and efficiently. Rewiring your home for this may run into the thousands of dollars — adding to your already high startup costs.

There’s another issue that EVs will have to reckon with sooner or later: electricity generation itself. Last year, analysts began to warn that the potential added electricity use by EVs could strain the power grids in some areas if action isn’t taken to increase generation capacity. But it will probably be 5-10 years down the road (if not longer) before this becomes an issue.

PRO: THEY’RE QUIET AND QUICK

Ever been in an electric vehicle? It’s a completely different experience. The lack of any engine noise — just wind and road noise — might take some getting used to. Some, like Jaguar, have even added some fake motor noise to make the car sound more traditional from the inside.

Either way, they’re quick. Put your foot on the accelerator and the car will take off faster than any gas-powered car on the road. That’s because all of the torque is available immediately to the wheels. Those who appreciate more spirited driving will undoubtedly find an EV very fun to take 0-60.

CON: THE FUN DOESN’T LAST LONG

While it might be fun to launch your EV off the line and really put it through its paces, you’ll also significantly limit your range. In everyday driving, the most affordable EVs might offer as little as 150-250 miles of range (especially older models). To get the longer ranges more comparable to a gas-powered vehicle, you’ll spend considerably more. Even then though, the best cars still get ranges typical of an average gasoline tank.

This means you might spend a good deal more time planning out your routes rather than just throwing an address into your GPS and getting on your way. If your route’s long enough, you’ll need to factor in recharging time and the locations of charging stations into your trip. That might take some getting used to.

PRO: EVS ARE TRULY ZERO EMISSIONS

While hybrid owners sing the praises of their vehicles, in the end, the cars still rely quite a bit on the gas-powered portion of the engine to make the car work. This means they’re still throwing pollutants into the air, and the oil and other fluids necessary to keep your car running are still environmentally hazardous.

EVs, on the other hand, produce no emissions at all. Also absent are the oil, antifreeze, and other fluids — making it quite environmentally friendly. Yes, the batteries do pose a potential environmental issue down the road, but the industry is already at work figuring out ways to recycle used EV batteries effectively.

CON: THE ELECTRICITY YOU CHARGE IT WITH ISN’T

Depending on where you live, the electricity you use to charge your EV is fairly likely to use “dirty energy,” those types of power sources that pollute the most. Even in states where renewable energy makes up the largest portion of energy usage, it’s only 20%. That means in an indirect way your car is still contributing to pollution.

There is the possibility however that some charging stations might provide a more ‘clean’ alternative. A company called Envision Solar is starting to test a 100% renewable energy charging station, and over time we should see more. But for the foreseeable future, EVs will still need to rely on traditional sources to charge up.

PRO: THEY’RE GOOD CARS TO LEASE

EVs are generally quite expensive. This makes purchasing one somewhat difficult for most consumers who can’t plunk down a large down payment. There’s also the fact that we’re still only in the early days, and the technology seems to be developing exponentially every moment. It’s for this reason that we feel an EV is a better deal to lease rather than buy.

There are some attractive lease options out there for EVs, including one from Tesla. While you’ll still need to put a minimum of $4,500 down, your payments on a Model 3 can be as cheap as $400 per month on a 36-month lease versus the $700-800 a month it would take to buy it outright. At the end of the lease, you can turn it in for a newer (and likely much more advanced) model.

CON: THERE ISN’T A VERY LARGE SELECTION

While Tesla’s no longer the only game in town, this doesn’t mean that there’s a great selection out there. Most carmakers have focused on a single EV versus a whole lineup like Tesla is doing. This means that you the consumer have few to choose from in the end. Generally, the options we’ve seen have either been a crossover or SUV — what’s popular in the market at the moment.

Things will change in the not-too-distant future. Nearly every major manufacturer plans to commit heavily to EVs over the next few years, and possibly as soon as the early 2020s a significant number (if not a majority) of new models will be electric-powered. Your options might be limited now, but certainly won’t be for long.

Remember when the Harley-Davidson Livewire’s pricing was announced, and people were livid that it was going to cost over $30,000? Well, those same people are likely to burst a blood vessel when they see the Arc Vector’s price tag.

Now, to be totally fair, Livewire is meant to be a volume production motorcycle, and the Arc Vector — announced earlier this month — is a super-limited functional design study, so the fact that it’s going to set its 399 potential buyers back $111,000 is less of a surprise. Still, that’s a boatload of greenbacks, so what do you get for all that money?

What you’re getting the most of is style, and for a “this doesn’t look like anything else”-to-dollars ratio, it’s not such a bad deal. Still, it’s not going to be for everyone, and personally, I think it’s a little “much,” but taste is subjective.

Next, you get a ton of carbon fiber. Most of the bike is made of the stuff. That includes the bike’s monocoque frame and both of its swing arms. Yes, that’s right, I said both. It’s got a swing arm up front, too, because it uses hub-center steering. All that carbon helps keep weight down to a respectable 485 pounds, which is comparable to most ICE-powered sportbikes.

You’re also getting a surprising amount of claimed range for your motorcycle dollar. The makers of the Vector suggest that it’s capable of 270 miles combined. That outpaces just about every other electric moto on the market if it’s legit, even if that’s measured on the slightly more generous WLTP cycle rather than our EPA cycle.

As far as power goes, with 133 horsepower on tap, you’re not going to set the world on fire. But it’s always torque that shines with electric motors and strangely, the Vector only produces 109 pound-feet of the stuff. By comparison, the Vespa Elettrica scooter puts down 148 lb-ft despite making just 5.36 hp.

Is the Arc Vector worth its wild asking price? We haven’t ridden it so we can’t say for sure, but based solely on the numbers and aesthetics, we’d say no. We’d probably go and buy three Livewires and find two friends instead.

GDPR changed how we share data, but could it also be having adverse effects on the rollout of electric vehicles and our preparedness for them? Stewart Reid, Head of Future Networks at Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), explains the need for cross-sector collaboration to ensure the UK can take advantage of the opportunities that are just around the corner.

The UK government stated in its Road to Zero strategy that its ambition is to deliver “one of the best electric vehicle infrastructure networks in the world”. The destination has been set, and now industry, government and consumer groups must work together to plot the route, avoiding any potential potholes along the way.

One of those potholes may be, oddly, a misinterpretation of GDPR, the critical regulation that is protecting us, and our data. The responsible sharing of data, regularly and across sectors, is required to understand and manage the scale of transition to electric vehicles (EVs). I’ve been struck on how little of this sharing takes place, often citing GDPR.

For electricity network operators, such as SSEN, a lack of access to timely data may cause real issues as we prepare our network for the expected growth in demand. Currently we are left depending on lagging, rather than leading indicators.

Lagging or leading?

The increase in EVs presents an exciting opportunity, and a challenge for electricity networks. Investment ahead of need is not permitted by the regulator without very strong evidence. However, network operators must ensure that its infrastructure is ready for EV uptake across the UK. Without a crystal ball, managing these two responsibilities is, at best, difficult, and at worst, impossible.

Electricity networks are currently left reacting to EV uptake. SSEN is deploying monitors in at risk substations as EVs are added to the system. This activity is crucial, and will continue, but these are lagging indicators. We could achieve more through leading indicators, signposted by industries working together, smarter and better. Key to this is better data sharing.

Leading indicators can be unlocked quickly and simply. For example, when purchasing an EV, for which there is currently at best four-month delivery lead time, the customer could be asked whether the car manufacturer can share information such as where the EV will be charged with the network operator. If permission is granted, the network operator could undertake safety and network capacity checks at no extra cost to the car owner, ensuring that the network is EV ready.

This is not sensitive information that is being shared, and GDPR does not prohibit such activity. Yet the overinterpretation of GDPR leads to a reluctance to seek customer approval and results in a lost opportunity for better customer service. It risks making the UK sclerotic in seizing and maximising new opportunities.

Embracing EV flexibility

One of these opportunities is for EV owners to be paid for providing flexibility services to the network. EVs are an inherently flexible technology; able to store electricity, charge at periods of reduced demand on the network, and use stored energy during periods of significant increased demand on the network.

In December 2018, SSEN joined other UK electricity network operators in making a “Flexibility First” commitment. This means that SSEN will openly test the market to assess what flexibility services are available from smart technologies such as EVs and compare the cost of using them against building new energy infrastructure. SSEN is working with Piclo to make network constraint data visible to EV owners to unlock this potential.

In this scenario, everyone benefits. Customers, including EV owners, can provide flexibility and receive payments for their support, and network operators like SSEN can avoid spending money on the network, a cost which ultimately appears on the customers’ electricity bills.  

This is just one example of how the sharing of data can deliver better value, and smarter infrastructure.

Arriving at our destination

The capturing of increased levels of data clearly brings many opportunities – and risks. That’s why the security and guidance of GDPR is critically important. Equally, the GDPR misinterpretation pothole, preventing industries working together to support customers and unlock new opportunities, must be avoided.

I welcomed the government’s decision to create an Energy Data Taskforce, that is making recommendations on how data can be used more effectively in the energy system. I hope that its conclusions will lead to better, and improved, cross-industry data sharing, to position the UK as a leader on EV and low-carbon technology preparedness.

Electric vehicle chargers could pop up in Carroll County this summer once the Department of Public Works applies for charging stations that would be installed by Baltimore Gas & Electric Co.

The Carroll County Board of Commissioners on Thursday authorized Public Works to apply for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. BGE hopes to build about 50 charging stations in Carroll, at no cost to the county, according to Kristy Fleischmann Groncki, BGE manager of strategic programs.

BGE has about 60,000 electric and 16,000 gas customers in Carroll County, plus 426 employees who live in Carroll, according to Megan Eaves, BGE external affairs manager.

The initiative to provide EV chargers stems from the state’s push to reduce carbon emissions. The General Assembly passed legislation this year mandating that half of the state’s energy come from renewable sources by 2030. And in 2013, Maryland was one of eight states that signed a memorandum of understanding committing to zero-emission vehicle programs.

Maryland’s goal is to have 300,000 electric vehicles on roadways by 2025, and there are more than 20,000 electric vehicles in the state now, Fleischmann Groncki said.

“We could, in fact, be the first jurisdiction in Maryland to get these in from BGE,” Douglas Brown, deputy director of public works, said at the commissioners’ meeting. Fleischmann Groncki later confirmed this statement.

Brown reached out to BGE as soon as he heard the program was available because he believes it will benefit locals and attract visitors, he said after the meeting.

Carroll is also served by Potomac Edison, which also plans to offer chargers down the road, according to Brown.

While there are some EV chargers in Carroll currently, none are utility-owned public chargers on county-owned sites, Brown said.

BGE identified the Eldersburg, Finksburg and North Carroll library branches, the South Carroll Senior and Community Center, Carroll Community College, and the county office building as some of the first possible sites for chargers. Brown said BGE is looking for places with 24/7 access.

Board of Commissioners President Stephen Wantz, R-District 1, suggested installing a charger at the Carroll County Sports Complex and encouraged BGE to consider more locations, not just places that are always open to the public.

Drivers would park their vehicles while they charge and pay through a smartphone app or by providing their credit card information over the phone, Fleischmann Groncki said.

One issue with existing EV chargers is their maintenance needs.

“An EV driver will go a certain distance to get to a charger and then find that it’s not operational. BGE is being held to the same reliability standards as our electric distribution system, so they must be operational at all times. … Customers will have the sense of ease that they can go to a BGE charger and that it will be working and operational,” Fleischmann Groncki said.

BGE is aiming to install a total of 500 charging stations across its service area, Brown said.

The company will also offer rebates to encourage individuals to install chargers at home or in non-residential areas, according to Eaves. The incentives cover up to 50 percent of the cost, including the charger, electrical equipment and installation, Eaves said.

Four commissioners authorized the Department of Public Works to apply for BGE chargers. Dennis Frazier, R-District 3 was absent.

Fleischmann Groncki hopes BGE will install chargers in Carroll during July and August.

“Carroll County again leads the way,” said Commissioner Ed Rothstein, R-District 5. “This is good news.”

Talk to anyone with a passing interest in owning an electric vehicle and the conversation quickly turns to the topic of range anxiety.

That’s the nagging doubt that an EV battery has enough power to get someone to where they’re going, especially if the destination is out of town.

According to BC Hydro, range anxiety is the reason 70 per cent of British Columbians say they are reluctant to make the switch from a gas powered vehicle to an electric one.

But a new report released just in time for summer road trip season says most range anxiety concerns aren’t warranted.

“We found the average road trip that British Columbians are taking is actually less than 300 kilometres one way — that’s within the range of what the most popular electric vehicle models can go on a single charge,” said Tanya Fish, BC Hydro senior communications advisor.

Newer EV like this year’s models of the Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf, Kia Soul and and Hyundai Kona all have ranges of over 360 kilometres. According to plugndrive.ca, a non-profit that promotes electric vehicle ownership, the average EV on the market in Canada today has a range of around 250 kilometres.

The report also found that alongside range concerns, drivers also worry about where to charge an EV and how much time charging adds to their overall trip.

Fish says B.C.’s fast-charge infrastructure is a lot better than most people know, especially on some of the more popular road trip routes like Vancouver to Kelowna and Victoria to Tofino.

“Unless you’re an electric vehicle driver, you’re probably not looking for the charging stations,” she said.

The report says there are over 250 fast-charging stations in B.C. and more coming every day. Most are located within 300 metres of a major road or highway or in convenient locations — near shopping and bathrooms for example.

On average, an EV battery can be charged to 80 per cent capacity in 30 minutes at a fast-charge station.

The report says drivers should preplan their route and charging station stops before heading out on an EV road trip, and recommends using the BC Hydro app to find charging station locations and information.