Lithium-air (Li-Air) is one of the many battery technologies that is currently being developed to allow EVs to travel further (and safer) on a single charge. Not yet available in production vehicles, though, they are being used in concepts, like the brilliant Indian-made Hero iON motorcycle that was recently unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo.
Li-Air works by using oxygen from the surrounding air, without the need to store any internal oxidizer. In the case of the iON, it’s also backed up by a hydrogen fuel cell range extender that we suspect works the same way the one Renault is using in its HyKangoo test vehicles.
Visually, the first things you spot are the cool hub-less wheels and innovative suspension system called “M-link” which uses car-like magneto-rheological dampers (the iron filings tech); second are the joystick-like handlebars. You also begin to wonder how it’s ever going to brake, with no disks, but that actually is taken care of by super-capacitors that use the electric motors for slowing down.
Claimed performance figures are 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 5 seconds flat and a top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph). Range is reportedly 300 km (186 miles).
By Andrei Nedelea
Story References & Photos: Motoroids
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