Built at Kingston University London and backed by Britain’s first green energy company Ecotricity, this £150,000 bike dubbed the ‘Ion Horse’ is a wind–powered electric superbike that will compete at the Isle of Man SES TT Zero race today, that is if the weather holds up.
The University is in it’s third year of entering an electric bike and is gunning to win the £10,000 prize from the Isle of Man Government for the first electric bike to do a 100mph lap, which they hope to do with the Ion Horse and rider George Spence.
Also up for grabs is the University Prize of £5,000, which will be awarded to the fastest University or College team as part of the 2011 Race.
The £10.
000 prize has yet to be won since the series began in 2009.
“Following hard on the heels of our wind powered car, the Nemesis – comes Ion Horse our wind powered bike.
The guys at Kingston have built an amazing machine and we expect it to take the TT by storm.
It’s another great demonstration of how transport of the very near future will be – powered by renewable energy, made in Green Britain – and with zero pollution.
” said Ecotricity founder and keen biker Dale Vince.
While Ion Horse team manager Paul Brandon said: “The Ion Horse is the culmination of years of cutting-edge technology coming together for one purpose – to take the TT’s 100mph lap record.
But it’s also a design showcase for what electric bikes could be like, and thanks to the support of Ecotricity, completely powered by wind energy.
”Ion Horse specs:Top Speed: 140mph0-60mph time: 3 secondsCost: £150,000Time to Build: 7 months Engine:Power: 100kW peak, 55kW continuousMax Torque: 800Nm peak, 400Nm continuousTransmission: Chain & sprocket final driveBatteries:Cell type: Lithium polymer cobalt cellsCapacity: 14kWhRange: 40 miles flat out around the Isle of Man TT course – or 120 miles on regular roads – Charging: 5 hours with a standard charger, reducing to 1.
5 hours with a fast chargerEmissions: 0g CO2 when charged with green electricity from Ecotricity windmillsBattery Containment: Kevlar / Nomex honeycomb structure Dimensions:Wheelbase 1516mmKerb Weight 220kg
