The new Motochimp electric motorbike has made its debut at the Shenzhen International Industrial Design Fair.
Inspired by a sketch from a 10-year old girl, the designers at Singapore’s Vanda Electrics set out to create an eco-friendly, fashionable antidote to traditional urban transport, offering cost-effective city mobility, with fast charging from any regular AC power socket in under an hour, delivering a range of 60km.
The Motochimp’s main body structure is made of extruded aluminium alloy (6061) finished in a choice of red, blue or yellow. It measures just over one metre in length with a wheelbase of 750mm which, according to the designers, will allow the rider to safely steer around crowds and busy walkways.
Power comes from a 48V 350W electric rear hub motor, which accelerates the Motochimp to comfortably reach cruising speeds of 30kmh. Energy is stored by a lithium-ion battery with a charge time of just 60mins from a standard home socket, so there’s no need for a bulky charging cable, just a standard plug that fits under the rider’s seat.
When it comes to starting Motochimp, the traditional key is replaced by a contactless digital ignition lock using RFID technology. Owners simply hover their digital ‘key’ over the transponder. Each pairing has a unique digital ID code to ensure each Motochimp responds only to its owner.
Vanda Electrics CEO Larissa Tan, explained: “Motochimp is also all about accessibility. With a range of up to 60km from a 60min charge – and all from a standard plug socket – it won’t cost the earth to buy or run. At Vanda Electrics, we want to revolutionise electric transport on a global scale – and Motochimp is key to that, it’s the new face of city transport – bold, edgy, fun.”
The Motochimp is set to go on sale first in Japan but entry into other parts of Asia, the UK, and Europe is also planned. Prices will start from $2,000 (USD).