The market for electric two-wheelers is booming. Especially e-bikes and scooters, but also increasing alternatives to large motorcycles are in demand. An original concept from Russia will now test the suitability of the electric drive for motorcycles with sidecar: the Ural CT Electric Prototype.
The model was developed in partnership with Zero Motorcycles. The Ural CT prototype is equipped with a drive from Zero Motorcycles. The Z-Force 75-7 electric motor has 45 kW (61 hp) with a torque of 110 Nm, which allows a maximum speed of 140 km / h.
In addition to the extra driving stability offered by a sidecar through its third wheel, Ural also uses the transport capacity to carry a larger battery. The two battery packs (ZF13.0 and ZF6.5) accommodated in the sidecar boast together 19.5 kWh. The range of a single battery charge is given up to 165 kilometers (with a recommended travel speed of 100 km / h).
“We always knew our sidecar is the perfect platform to build an electric motorcycle because it can offer what regular two-wheeled motorcycles don’t: passenger comfort, stability and safety, not to mention more space for batteries”, said Ural President and CEO Ilya Khait. “We’re very happy with the results. At a glance, it’s still a Ural, but the electric bike offers a totally new experience. It’s very easy to control, thanks to a low center of gravity and optimal weight distribution. It’s very stable thanks to its three wheels. It doesn’t have clutch or gear shifter, twisting the throttle is basically all you need to operate the bike. And it accelerates very quickly—for a Ural … Overall it’s a fun and very versatile vehicle that you can use almost like a car”.
“Proof of concept was the main goal for this project”, said Ural's VP of Ops and project manager Jason Rae. “We went through several iterations, searching for the best configuration of the electric powertrain package. One of the main challenges was to find the optimal location for the batteries while maintaining passenger comfort, storage capacity and stability distinctive to Ural sidecars. The bike was tested intensively in real-world conditions—in the rain and snow, on cold and hot days, on the highway and city streets. We accumulated a lot of data that will be used in the next phase of the project. Admittedly I was apprehensive in the beginning that an electric Ural was something worth putting our resources into, but now I’m totally convinced and looking forward to the development of our production intent prototype”.
According to Ural, a possible mass production could be achieved within two years. An e-bike with a sidecar does not exist on the market yet.
Check out the Ural website here.
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