Intelligent Energy today unveiled the world's first purpose-built fuel cell motorbike, ENV (Emissions Neutral Vehicle), at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California. When it came to the ENV's design, Intelligent Energy collaborated with Britain's influential and innovative Seymourpowell. The 21-year-old, award-winning British design house has worked with many groundbreaking brands, such as Jaguar, BMW, and Casio. The result of the Intelligent Energy/Seymourpowell collaboration is the streamlined, lightweight ENV, which comes in two monochromatic colors: Black Supergloss and Iridescent White.
"The ENV is light, fast and fun," said Seymourpowell Director Nick Talbot. "It has good ground clearance, great off-road suspension travel and a very carefully considered power-to-weight ratio. I have ridden motorbikes for years and, in the process of designing the bike, I have become a convert to fuel cell technology. The bike is usable, useful and great looking. It was important on this project to demonstrate that new technologies don't have to be wrapped up in a dull product -- engaging public imagination and enthusiasm is key."
This sleek-looking, hydrogen-powered motorbike is the first designed specifically with fuel cell technology in mind. The result is an innovative motorbike that emits only water vapors, making it an almost silent and completely nonpolluting vehicle. ENV, pronounced "envy," was engineered and purpose-built from the ground up, utilizing Intelligent Energy's world-renowned CORE, a radically compact and efficient fuel cell, in order to demonstrate the everyday applicability of fuel cell technology. The CORE is detachable from the bike and is capable of powering anything from an ATV or personal watercraft to a small home.
"The ENV offers an exhilarating glimpse of the clean-and-green lifestyle that can be achieved through fuel cell technology," said Intelligent Energy CEO Harry Bradbury. "In the none-too-distant future, people will be able to use a bike like ENV to leave work in an urban environment, drive to the countryside, detach the CORE and attach it to another vehicle, such as a motorboat, before going on to power a log cabin with the very same fuel cell, which could then be recharged from a mini hydrogen creator the size of a shoebox."
The pre-production prototype ENV currently has a top speed of 50 mph and can be used for up to four hours before needing hydrogen "refueling." These performance figures are significantly better than those of the electric bikes currently available. Intelligent Energy created ENV as a light bike for everyday use by urban commuters and recreational off-road bikers alike: however, the fuel cell technology is inherently adaptable and can be used to produce a more powerful bike with performance and weight ratios analogous to traditional gasoline-powered motorcycles.
Photos: Intelligent Energy