NAWA Technologies, a pioneers of 3-D nano-technology designed to provide efficient, ‘green mobility’, recently revealed the first fully rideable prototype of its NAWA Racer electric motorbike at EICMA 2021 in Milan.

First unveiled in concept form at CES 2020, NAWA has joined forces with expert technical partners to rapidly accelerate development of the new machine. This zero-emission motorbike illustrates how NAWA’s nano-based ‘ultracapacitors’ — called NAWACap — can be applied to a real-world electric vehicle (EV) powertrain, by combining them with conventional lithium-ion cells to create a ‘hybrid’ battery system.

Optimising both energy sources, this development is said to open up new possibilities for all e-powertrains, ‘greatly improving efficiency, reducing charging times and extending entire system life’. Modular and scalable, the system is applicable to any electric vehicle and can reduce the size of the lithium-ion battery by up to half or double the range — or a combination in between.

For the initial design of the concept, NAWA was supported by the Coventry-based design and engineering services provider Envisage Group, along with InnoEnergy (the innovation arm of the European Innovation Institute) and an expert consortium of French partners comprising NAWA itself, AKKA Technologies, Pronergy, FAAR and YSY Group.

Pascal Boulanger, NAWA’s founder and CTO, said: “NAWA Racer is our vision for the electric motorbike of tomorrow — a retro café racer-inspired machine, but one that is thoroughly modern; and while it is lightweight, fast and fun, perfect for an emission-free city commute, it also lays down a blueprint for the future.”

The NAWACap pack recharges in just 2min and the entire battery can be charged to 80% in 1hr using a standard domestic supply. As standard, the in-wheel motor produces 100PS, taking the NAWA Racer from rest to 100kph in less than 3sec and on to a top speed of 150kph.