Three interesting battery bikes

Electric two-wheelers are a hot trend in concepts these days, especially in Europe; here are three interesting new vehicles that we noticed this week.

First up, Husqvarna’s E-go concept bike. Husky is best known for their aggressive off-roaders or supermotos, and this bike carries over that styling. The E-go concept weighs in at 80 kg, and features a single-sided swingarm and single-sided double leg fork. Interesting!

While most electric bikes are pretty similar to scooters, Husqvarna claims this machine is about fun, not commuting. It’s designed to only take one passenger, and aimed at first-time riders. Of course, it’s pretty hard to say if the bike fits that role if it’s not on the market yet. We’ll stay tuned to see if this machine hits the streets.

Husqvarna’s parent company, BMW, also unveiled an electric two-wheeler this week, at the Frankfurt auto show. That sounds like an odd place to show off a bike, and it might be an indication of the machine’s intended market – many bikers feel a traditional attachment to pistons and petroleum, so maybe BMW figures they’ll make more sales to first-time riders.

In any case, BMW’s bike is pretty interesting. They’ve tried to make an electric scooter with performance similar to a step-through with a 600cc internal combustion engine, so it’s designed with practicality in mind. The machine is built to take a passenger, and supposedly has a 100-kilometre range, and only takes three hours to recharge from a dead battery. It’s even designed to recharge from a normal household socket, with no need for a special charging station.

Lastly, check out this unusual creation from Lit Motors that we spotted at Digitaltrands.com. It only has two wheels – unless you count the steering wheel – but for all intents and purposes, looks like a really skinny car. But if you believe the company’s sales pitch, this concept machine is actually a technological marvel – it’s kept upright by two gyroscopes under the seat. The driver doesn’t have to put his foot on the pavement to steady the bike, even at a stop.

This machine isn’t just built for the asphalt highway, it’s also built to integrate with the information highway. Its designers call it a “rolling smartphone;” it’s built to receive traffic and weather reports and the like, to give the driver (no room for a passenger in this rig) the heads-up for his or her commute. They’re hoping to start selling the bike in 2013 for a price around $16,000.