Yamaha unveils new self-balancing electric motorcycle without handlebars
When Yamaha first revealed the Motoroid electric motorcycle concept roughly six years ago, it looked like a contraption out of a science-fiction movie. Now that the company has unveiled a new, refined Yamaha Motoroid 2, the wild self-balancing electric motorcycle looks like it could be one small, weird step closer to reality.
The Yamaha Motoroid 2 takes significant liberties with its design, eschewing much of the mechanics of traditional motorcycles.
The rear swingarm provides suspension like most typical motorbikes, but also incorporates a pivot that allows the rear half of the bike to lean independently on the front.
The rear houses a hub motor that gets powered by a rather small-looking underslung battery pack.
The front fork, which New Atlas describes as operating “mercifully normal” compared to the rest of the bike, provides steering in a non-traditional method. That’s because there are no handlebars like you’d find on a conventional motorcycle. Instead, the handlebars have been replaced by rigid hand grips – essentially just handles to hang on to.
In fact, it’s not even clear exactly how the front fork rotates or how the pivoting rear swingarm could potentially aid in steering.
What is clear is that the Yamaha Motoroid 2 is designed to be self balancing and even potentially riderless, meaning it can drive and balance itself regardless of whether or not it has a human along for the ride.
When operating without a rider aboard, the bike can use facial recognition and gesture control to follow a person around.
A large centerstand is designed to drop down when the Motoroid 2 slows for parking. The stand can be raised autonomously when the bike decides to start rolling again.
Blue mood-lighting accents much of the new bodywork, which also raises up over the faux tank area for an unknown reason.
While Yamaha is unlikely to actually produce an electric motorcycle like this, it is interesting that the company sees enough value in the idea to develop a second concept and even develop a working prototype, which the company says will be shown off next month at the Events Japan Mobility Show 2023.
Unlike Yamaha, which has been slow to embrace full-size electric motorcycles, fellow Japanese moto-maker Kawasaki is preparing to start deliveries of its first two commuter electric motorcycles, the Ninja e-1 and Z e-1. Both bikes are now launching in North American markets (US and Canada) as well as in the UK. In the US, the Ninja e-1 will be priced at US $7,599, while the 2024 Z e-1 starts at a slightly lower US $7,299.
The Motoroid 2 certainly won’t be hitting the streets any time soon, but Yamaha has developed and launched several lower-power electric scooters, taking a similar approach to Honda by focusing first on electric scooters.
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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes Tern’s NYC e-bike delivery fleet surpasses 1 million miles, the CPSC has a stark warning about Rad’s e-bike batteries, what parents should know if their kid wants a Sur Ron e-moto, JackRabbit MG Doble review, Strutt’s EV1 electric mobility chair, and more.
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The Port of Houston took a big step towards electrifying its operations this week, when the stevedores at Houston Terminal deployed the first new SANY electric reach stacker at the major seaside port – and it won’t be the last.
Multinational equipment brand SANY launched its latest 50-ton electric reach stacker earlier this summer. The new machine drew headlines by cleverly pairing gravity and a KERS-style regenerative braking system attacked to its boom to generate electricity as it lowers loads. The tech significantly improved the machine’s operating efficiency and reduced the sort of costs typically associated with charging and downtime.
With the purchase of the new SANY electric reach stacker from local equipment dealer, Equipment Depot, Houston Terminal has begun to do its part to help keep the air and water around America’s busy seaports pollution-free.
“In this market, there’s a shift towards sustainable equipment,” explains Greg Schertz, Sr. National Account Executive at Equipment Depot — a national equipment supplier that sells and services to roughly 85% of US sea ports. “Electric equipment is a growing trend, and it has become more than a conversation point. Actual machines are going into service and are proving their capability.”
Equipment Depot is quick to point out that the national move towards electrification isn’t about regulations. “The bigger picture is that the world has become more of a global market,” says Chad Larson, VP of Heavy Trucks and Port Equipment at Equipment Depot. “(And) in the port industry, there are many relationships and parent companies with ties into Europe and other parts of the world where zero carbon initiatives are more progressive than the US.”
Robert Marshall, General Manager of Houston Terminal, echoes Schertz’ sentiment, “Electric equipment has a much easier, much simpler maintenance program, because basically you’re just maintaining tires.”
SANY electric reach stacker
At its launch in August, SANY said its new 50t reach stacker would be available with a 512 kWh swappable battery pack. That pack isn’t just huge, it’s compatible with the brand’s other electric equipment assets, and can support both DC fast charging when swapping isn’t practical and the grid itself by “plugging in” to the company’s BESS modules when not needed.
Houston Terminal bought the SANY unit with help from a Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) Grant, part of TERP’s Seaport and Rail Yard Areas Emissions Reduction (SPRY) Program to replace older drayage trucks and equipment at seaports and rail yards. Houston Terminal intends to apply for another TERP grant to buy a second reach stacker in 2026.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Equipment Depot; via AJOT.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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The mining equipment experts at Sandvik have been developing next-generation electric equipment options for years – largely on their own. Now, with a €500 million capital injection from the EIB, the company is ready to get serious about its next-generation machinery.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the lending arm of the European Union (EU), and its core mission is to strengthen the global competitiveness, technological innovations, and sustainability initiatives of European companies like Sandvik by providing affordable financing for R&D projects conducted on the continent.
“We have a strong strategic focus on developing solutions that strengthen our technology leadership, and that enhances productivity, safety and sustainability for our customers,” explains Stefan Widing, President and CEO of Sandvik. “The EIB financing supports our R&D initiatives and provides flexibility to our overall funding strategy.”
The €500 million loan has a seven-year term, and will support Sandvik’s efforts to develop new advanced, productive, safe, and (above all) sustainable heavy equipment solutions across the company’s business lines.
Electrek’s Take
We’ve covered Sandvik’s electric equipment several times over the years, from their surface drill rigs to their underground loaders to their quarry- and concrete-focused electric cone plants, and the brand’s commitment to sustainability and operator safety has been commendable. Even the company’s push towards automation and AI, often seen as a corporate tactic to slash labor costs and boost stock prices before the executives bail out with a fat stack of cash fulfill their exit strategies, seems to be genuinely motivated by worker safety in one of the world’s most dangerous environments.
Of course, I said that about Volvo and they’re actively suing California to be able to sell more diesels as aI type this, so what do I know?
SOURCE | IMAGES: Sandvik.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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