AltCar 2008: Prometheus' solar-powered electric motorcycle
click for more shots of the Prometheus Electric Motorcycle
Jim Corning had an idea. Wouldn't it be cool if you could put four solar panels on your house, and then be able to power a vehicle with the energy created with them? Corning, who founded Prometheus Solar LLC, didn't have a vehicle he could power with sunlight, but he did have a wife with a Ninja 250 that wasn't getting much use.
Today, Corning has a proof-of-concept electric motorcycle. At the Santa Monica AltCar Expo, Corning was talking with curious visitors all weekend, but was happy to tell AutoblogGreen about the bike. The four panels behind Corning in the picture above offer 800 watts, enough to recharge the bike. During testing, he's blown up the batteries twice, and those accidents helped him realize the benefits of a more aerodynamic bike. Inspired by Craig Vetter's fuel efficiency contests of the 1980s, Corning designed the Prometheus research vehicle to be quite slippery (note the front wheel cover and the extended back end to give the air somewhere to go). He also wanted to keep the upright seating of a motorcycle, which influenced the desighn. Currently, the bike uses lithium-ion phosphate batteries from Thundersky that have a 4.6 kWh capacity connected to a 10 HP Perm PMG 132 motor. That means he can go up to 70 mph and has a range of about 50 miles. The bike is not for sale, but there has been no lack of interest, both at the show and on the street. Corning said he had to buy an open face helmet to talk to all of the people who chat him up at stop lights.
Listen to Jim Corning (5 min):
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
meme 11:34AM (9/29/2008)
"but he did have a wife with a Ninja 250 that wasn't getting much use. "
So, is the wife getting a lot of use now?
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GoodCheer 3:28PM (9/29/2008)
That's a bit of a personal question.... ;-)
GoodCheer 3:34PM (9/29/2008)
I love this for the same reason I love the Aptera. While it may not be quite as well executed as the Aptera, it's built around the need to do more with less, which is exactly the thinking that we should be encouraging.
At a reported 92 Wh/mile (58 Wh/km) this thing is 20-30% more efficient at transporting 1 person than an Aptera is at transporting 2 +... so it could probably benefit from further refinement, but I think it's on exactly the right track.
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Schift 6:08PM (9/29/2008)
This is isn't a product, it's a mod. There are a lot of these, most are fugly but this one is particularly sad looking. Fugly mods do not represent the future of ... well anything.
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Bob F 8:29PM (9/29/2008)
He should have left it gas powered. The aerodynamic mods alone would probably push it into the 100mpg range.
I would really like to see an enclosed shell for the Ninja 250 made. Make the bike able to ride in the rain and transport groceries for a small family or 1 person.
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Bill 9:17PM (9/29/2008)
It's a Kammback motorcycle!
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Total Solar Energy 9:36AM (10/05/2008)
it looks rather ugly doesn't it? it could do with being streamlined
http://www.totalsolarenergy.co.uk
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