Australia’s first electric motorcycle gears up for launch

A former Ford engineer developed Australia’s first electric motorcycle, which will begin production in Melbourne next year.

Savic Motorcycles founder Dennis Savic has said it has been “a quick race” since to create first interviewed tell him about his big idea in 2019. Since then he has successfully raised $ 1.83 million in funds and expanded his team to over 30 automotive engineers, software developers, artificial intelligence specialists (AI) and marketers.

“So far we have received 90 orders for our three-model C-series, which range from the 25-kilowatt Omega coupler – comparable to a traditional 300cc motorcycle – to the 40-kW Delta and the 60-kW Alpha. , roughly equivalent to a 1000cc motorcycle, ”he said.

“The Alpha has 200 Nm of torque, which will propel it to 100 km / h from a standing start in 3.5 seconds. “

Savic aims to have at least 20 electric motorcycles delivered to their owners in the last quarter of 2022, before ramping up manufacturing in 2023.

“We are very proud of our production prototype, which includes a number of world-class, race-grade components including Wilbers suspension, Brembo brakes and a custom Optibelt carbon fiber drive belt,” a- he declared.

“Our ingenious engineers are currently developing a sophisticated AI system and application for pilots, and will soon embark on the design of a custom anti-lock braking system with Bosch Australia.”

The bikes have the torque of a small European sedan and impressive load and speed capabilities.

“The C-Series 16kWh lithium-ion battery can be charged to 80% in less than four hours and will deliver a city range of between 150 km (for the Omega) and 250 km (for the Alpha)” , said Savic. .

“The retail price is extremely competitive with other full-size electric motorcycles, with the Omega at $ 12,990, the Delta at $ 16,990 and the Alpha at $ 23,990.”

The design showcases the large lithium battery wrapped in cooling fins, with the belt drive motor almost hidden away and disappearing into the one-sided swingarm.

In fact, the C series has been recognized twice in the Good design award for design excellence. This includes as an overall winner in the Product Design category Good Design Award and with a Gold award in the Engineering Design category.

The Good Design Awards jury said they “love the retro-tech style of this electric bike… The combination of the exciting look of a cafe racer with zero emissions and low running and maintenance costs has real appeal . ”

Look under the hood

Mechanical engineer Adrian Vinovrski joined Savic Motorcycles in 2018 as one of five engineering students who helped Savic design the mathematical model used to test the performance of the C-Series prototype.

The model performed simulations to find out how the bike’s weight, shape, horsepower, tires and other factors would affect its speed and acceleration, to ensure the engine’s specifications and gear ratios were optimal for its performance. on the road.

Over the past year, Vinovrski has taken care of the design and wiring of the prototype electrical systems, the development of the vehicle control logic, the programming of the motor controller and the modeling of the 12V system parts. .

He said one of the biggest challenges in developing the C-Series was making sure the designs ticked all the boxes of engineering, production, supply chain, and economics.

“Designing a top quality system or component, building an efficient supply chain, and meeting the economics and pricing requirements of our product are all relatively straightforward on their own,” he said. “But balancing all three and completing them in parallel requires careful planning and coordination.”

Savic follows a cyclical design process, with many iterations of the basic components. Vinovrski said the team was able to balance the gaps between engineers’ ideal designs and the realities of manufacturing and supply chains, especially during COVID.

“Another challenge was to find an appropriate production strategy that would evolve as the business grows,” he said.

“The pieces had to be designed [so] they would be suitable for efficient and affordable manufacturing in small batches, while ensuring that they wouldn’t have to be drastically modified or redesigned when we’re ready to scale. For example, from gravity casting to die casting techniques.

Engineers also had to plan the cost of tooling for a variety of manufacturing methods, while preparing in the future for new manufacturing techniques and capabilities.

“A final challenge is to find a balance between design, engineering and the compliance regulations that we will need to adopt,” Vinovrski said.