The eROCKIT is a light
electric motorcycle
Electric motorcycles and scooters are plug-in electric vehicles with two or three wheels. Power is supplied by a rechargeable battery which drives one or more electric motors. Electric scooters are distinguished from motorcycles by having a st ...
that is operated like a
bicycle
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Bic ...
. It is the first pedal controlled electric motorcycle, called Human Hybrid. In contrast to a
pedelec, there is no direct
mechanical energy transfer from the pedals to the rear wheel. The vehicle is developed and produced by eROCKIT Systems GmbH in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
under the direction of the managing director Andreas Zurwehme. The design of the eROCKIT is done from Konstantinos Heyer.
History
First prototypes were created in the alternative
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
bicycle scene. eROCKIT Systems GmbH has acquired the brand and all rights to the vehicle and develops and produces the eROCKIT with a team of international two-wheeler experts in production halls in the town of
Hennigsdorf near Berlin. Production is supported by the State of
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...
.
"We have set ourselves the goal of building the most interesting and the best electric motorcycle of the future," explains Andreas Zurwehme, the managing director of the eROCKIT Systems GmbH in an interview. Richard Gaul, former head of communications at
BMW, advises the company.
Technical details
To move the eROCKIT, you have to pedal, as there is no throttle installed. The speed of the vehicle is exclusively controlled by the pedals. A drive belt transmits the pedal rotation to a small
generator
Generator may refer to:
* Signal generator, electronic devices that generate repeating or non-repeating electronic signals
* Electric generator, a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy.
* Generator (circuit theory), an eleme ...
that both feeds electricity into the system and triggers current for the motor controller.
The rear wheel is powered by an electric motor, connected through an additional drive belt, which is also used as a brake recuperation system to return braking energy to the batteries. In addition to the recuperation system, the eROCKIT is equipped with a front and a rear disc brake.
The range of the battery charge is 120 km depending on user behavior. The vehicle has 3 selectable driving modes (Eco / Normal / Sport) that limits the power output and helps to save energy. The charging of the batteries takes place at a normal 110-230 V socket. Since the vehicle is licensed as a light motorcycle (vehicle class L3e) for
road traffic, a
driving license
A driver's license is a legal authorization, or the official document confirming such an authorization, for a specific individual to operate one or more types of motorized vehicles—such as motorcycles, cars, trucks, or buses—on a public r ...
of European class A1 is required.
See also
*
*
*
Overengineering Overengineering (or over-engineering), is the act of designing a product or providing a solution to a problem in an elaborate or complicated manner, where a simpler solution can be demonstrated to exist with the same efficiency and effectiveness as ...
- act of designing a product to be more robust than often necessary for its intended use
References
"Unique electric bicycle launched"-
The News International
''The News International'', published in broadsheet size, is one of the largest English language newspapers in Pakistan. It is published daily from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad. An overseas edition is published from London that cater ...
E-Rockit' hits German fast lane-
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Erockit
Electric bicycles