Me puse en contacto con Vigo Motorcycle ( ECO_MOTORCYCLES.CO UK ) para pedirle mas informacion de su compañia ,productos. historia etc
y aunque no puedo entrar en detalles por ser informacion sensible me remitio un email interesante.
Perhaps, I can provide you and bit more information about our project.
Personal Background. Have a strong IT education. Been evolved in many different IT project ( from programs for CNC machinery to accounting and web applications). After 8 years I opened a business of international trading (among China, EU, Russia). Motorcycles were my life passion so I was selling, customizing, and repairing them last years.
Idea. Initial idea came to my mind when I started to work with motorcycles. I just realized that vehicles of them hasn't changed for ages. For instance, computer and electrical componens has evolved dramatically within the last 30 years. But vehicles - pretty much the same, the same internal combustion engine, slightly changed petrol delivery method though (to injection), but it hasn't much improved overall fuel consumption, the range slightly bigger, but not remarkably. I am not saying about the design, the materials, the manufacturing process, electronic components, but the core only.
I became extremely curious, why there is not growth in the vehicle industry. Made some research (1.5 years ago) and found that there is one manufacturer (Zero Motorcycles) who started to manufacture electric motorcycles decent enough. Analysed the market demand that that was outrageous (we even made the website eco-motorcycles.co.uk only to to analyse consumers). Soon after we had a full marketing research of the popularity and growth of electric vehicles and I realized that it is a future. That consumers are ready to accept a new type of transportation.
History.
It took a while to calculate expenses, estimate machinery, tools, electronic components, materials costs, decide in which aspects we could cut the price down, figure out which manufacturing facilities to outsource and to write a business plan.
Further time was spend to find companies who already has been researching in required sectors (electrical components, motor, battery, control units, custom shaped display). Decide which operating system to use (chosen AGL Linux - an open source operating system for automotive applications, its easier and cost effective solution to use this system). Designing, And many other moments.
The hardest moments was to be confirm that our idea is achievable. Precisely calculate required capital, current and future expenses, project sales to figure out motorcycle production cost.
People.
As you may understand there are many people must be involved in the production, but for electric motorcycle designing and development of an integral electrical components is the hardest part.
Found ambitious engineers (Duyunov father and sun) of a young startup of "an asynchronous electric motor with a combined star-delta winding" who's results were mind-blowing (here are some recent presentation of their wheel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLjuGy7Fu_8 )[/b]. Meanwhile they were working on a bicycle motor, I new that it is too powerful (±90 km/h, with a max. consumption of 35 Wh/kw) a push-bike (EU regulations have a strict regulations towards electric bicycles speeds), they agreed to work on an improved version of their motor for electric motorcycle.
Due to my previous IT experience it didn't took long to find people who are going to write software and UI (stands for User Interface) for the motorcycle.
Appendix.
Although, I confident that overall motorcycle production is relatively easy process, it is very hard to estimate the retail price when many companies involved, currency fluctuates constantly, Brexit leads to obscurity. But, taking into account my scrupulous nature, I am convinced that current retail price with potential sales growth could be even lower.
I suppose my answers would only induce further questions. But, perhaps, I clarified something.
Regards, Timothy[/i]
