Good News and Bad News For Electric Motorcycle Batteries |
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File under Electrical
Author: Mike Werner
Location: Normandy, France
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As the saying goes, there's good news and there's bad news for electric motorcycle batteries. The problem with electric motorcycles, as we all know by now, is range. At their best, they can ride 100 miles without recharging. Sufficient for people who only use their bikes for commuting, but for weekend and holiday riders, not far enough.
The good news is that Big Blue, also known as International Business Machines aka IBM  , have announced a new technology that will make lithium-air batteries able to "breath" air. This technology uses air as part of the electricity-making effort, resulting in two major improvements over the standard lithium-ion batteries used today.
First of all, they are lighter, and generate more electricity. This means that electric cars and motorcycles will be lighter. But much more important is range. This new technology allows vehicles to travel 500 miles (800 kilometers) before requiring a charge. 500 miles is getting to a range that only Iron Butt riders surpass. There's no indication how long it will take to recharge a depleted battery, but even if it needs to be plugged in overnight, if the following day you can ride 500 miles again, we're in business.
Now for the bad news. This new technology should be available in the year ... 2030.
So don't sell your gas guzzling bike just yet.
Via: Engadget
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