Lit Motors has India, China plans for its urban vehicle Lit Motors, a US company that has built a motorcycle with a hood that offers safety and convenience of a car has plans to bring the vehicle to India and China. Lit Motors Founder and President Daniel Kim expects the vehicle to be priced at around $8000 or Rs 4.4 lakh, in these two emerging markets, but has not set a timeframe. The company plans to launch first with around 1000 units in the US for $19,000 or Rs 10.5 lakh in 2014, said Kim in Techcrunch’s Disrupt event last week. A prototype of the vehicle that combines the efficiency and freedom of a motorcycle along with the safety and convenience of a car was unveiled at the event. The prototype vehicle dubbed ‘C-1’ is the ultimate urban vehicle. Featuring a fully enclosed monocoque, the driver and passenger are protected from the elements and at the same time give the vehicle car-like safety. With its two wheeled construction, the C-1 is basically a motorcycle, allowing the driver to slip through traffic, saving on commuting times. Its compact size also allows it to be parked fairly easily, even in a 2-wheeler specific parking space. The C-1 is 100% electric with a range of 320km on a single charge. The vehicle doesn’t lack the performance either. Lit motors claim a top speed of 160+ kmph with acceleration figures of 6 seconds from a standstill to 100 kmph. Drive is provided via both wheels using in-hub motors that are powered by a lithium polymer battery pack. Charge time is claimed to be 4 hours powered by a 220/240V socket and less than half an hour when a 400-500V quick charge station is used. These efficiency and performance figures are results of the light weight and highly aerodynamic profile of the vehicle. What makes this vehicle truly unique is the gyroscopic stability system, allowing the two-wheeled vehicle to keep itself upright. Using a pair of flywheels spinning at 10,000+ rpm, the system exerts 1300 ft-lbs of torque to control the tilt and lean of the vehicle. This allows the C-1 to lean itself into and out of turns, and is powerful enough to stop the vehicle from falling over in the event of a collision. Lit motors are aiming this product at the cities of the developing world, where the roads are congested and pollution levels are high. Also due to fewer parts than a traditional vehicle, production costs will be low, allowing the vehicle to be accessible to a larger population. Watch the video here.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 09:25:21 +0000
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