A Chinese automaker is taking reservations for a "robotic" electric motorcycle that is expected to offer a number of impressive features.
The DC100 from Davinci Motor was revealed in 2021 when the manufacturer first touted its self-balancing, high-performance street bike, as New Atlas reported at the time.
It has since gone on to feature at the CES 2023 tech event in the United States, where it showed off its unique appearance and high-tech system, which features over 1,000 computer chips and more than 200 advanced sensors.
The most intriguing aspect of the bike's design is its internal "robot." Davinci says the bike continuously monitors the environment, vehicle movement, road conditions, battery, motor temperature, and lean angle. This data is used to control the power system to ensure a comfortable ride.
Meanwhile, the manufacturer says the bike could essentially follow you around, with the Electronic Power Steering and sensor module, as well as its self-balancing technology, allowing the bike to trail a target set by the rider.
"Imagine your motorcycle as your 'jogging companion'," Davinci said.
the davinci DC100 - a high performance robotic, self-balancing electric motorcycle - races on stage at CES 2023 https://t.co/ud8SqpN46z pic.twitter.com/iqmJu3oxVL
— designboom (@designboom) January 3, 2023
But motorcycle enthusiasts who are keen on preventing the release of planet-warming pollution from their machines will be enticed by the all-electric bike's performance.
Davinci says the DC100 can reach 60 miles per hour in just three seconds, hit a top speed of 124 miles per hour, and provide a range of 249 miles (according to the NEDC, or New European Driving Cycle estimation standard).
The impact of motorcycles in terms of pollution is perhaps not as widely investigated as the role of cars and other larger vehicles, but a University of Michigan study has shown just how much better for the environment electric bikes are compared to dirty-fuel alternatives.
In Kampala, Uganda, motorcycles are common and regularly act as taxis, and air pollution levels in the capital city regularly exceed safe standards set by the World Health Organization, according to a university report about the study.
Per the university report, the research found that electrifying motorcycle taxis could reduce "annual emissions of carbon dioxide by 36%, carbon monoxide by 90%, nitrogen oxide by 58% and hydrocarbon by 99%."
"Our research indicates electrifying motorcycle taxis in Uganda can yield global climate benefits while also possibly producing local air quality benefits," Michael Craig, assistant professor in energy systems at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability, said for the university report about the study.
The study, as summarized, also said that electric motorcycles did increase air pollution in some cases, but this was mainly down to the fact that the way to produce electricity in Uganda relies on dirty fuel.
If the power used to charge the Davinci DC100 comes from a sustainable source, it can deliver a high-powered, long-range electric motorcycle for customers and produce zero tailpipe pollution in the process.
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