Renowned car maker Audi has made a two-wheel lithium ion battery powered concept bike. The concept bike, named e-bike Wörthersee, was unveiled at Worthersee Auto News 2012 show in Austria. Car manufacturer Audi used motor racing design principles to build the Audi e-bike Wörthersee. The Audi e-bike Wörthersee is fast enough to be caught out by a speed camera.
Audi e-bike Wörthersee is constructed with ultra-light carbon-fiber frame which weighs 1,600 grams (3.53 lb) only. The 26-inch wheels are made from Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) that weighs 600 grams (1.32 lb) each and have innovative large-area blade-pattern spokes. The rear wheel is driven by a chain. There is an electric motor which is a permanent magnet synchronous machine and is located at the lowest point on the frame and drives the bottom bracket shaft directly. Maximum torque at the rear wheel is in the region of 250 Nm (184.39 lb-ft). Peak output from the electric motor is 2.3 kW. Excluding the battery, the complete bicycle weighs only 21 kg (46.30 lb). The lithium-ion battery is placed in the frame that weighs about 5 kg (11.02 lb). It operates at a voltage of 48 V. Its capacity is 530 Wh and it can be fully recharged from a 230 V supply in two and a half hours.
There are five cycling modes – ‘Pure’ mode, ‘Pedelec’ mode, ‘eGrip’ mode, ‘Power Wheelie’ and ‘Balanced Wheelie’ mode. A cyclist can choose any of these modes while cycling. In the ‘Pure’ mode, the drive power is purely the product of the cyclist’s legs. In ‘Pedelec’ mode the bike driver is supported by the electric motor. It means the driver has to pedal and the motor will also run to speed up the bike. In ‘Pedelec’ mode the bike can achieve a maximum speed of 50mph and gives you a range of 31-44 miles. If the driver selects ‘eGrip’ mode, the Audi e-bike Wörthersee runs solely on the electric motor and can reach a top speed of 31mph. ‘Power Wheelie’ mode is for less skilled bikers with adjustable wheelie angle. In ‘Balanced Wheelie’ mode, the electronic control system maintains the rider’s balance, by compensating the biker’s movements forwards or backwards via the electric motor. These modes can be set using the touchscreen on-bike computer. In addition, by pressing a button, the seat of the bike can rise up and the biker can adopt a comfortable position.
As the electric motor used in the bike is able to speed up to 50mph maximum, so it’s better to wear a helmet while driving this bike (especially for those living in developing countries where it is not mandatory to wear a helmet). The prototype can also be connected to smartphones over WLAN, letting users unlock its security system with their handsets. To know more details, visit Audi
Source : Audi
Thanks To : Daily Mail, Gadget Review
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