Who said getting around needs to be a slog? Not Vanda Electrics, that's for sure. Fresh from unveiling plans for its country's first home-grown hypercar earlier this year, the Singaporean firm is now showing off a new mini motorbike designed for clean, cost-effective and quirky urban commuting.
The Motochimp looks unlike anything else that has gone before, having, like the Raker electric scooter, been designed to stand out. A simple extruded aluminum alloy rectangular body unit, available in blue, red or yellow, houses the bike's innards, with the wheels, footrests, seat and handlebars attached via three wraparound mounts. The whole thing is just over a meter (3.3. ft) long.
People will either love or hate how the Motochimp looks and that, no doubt, is partly why it has been designed to look like it does. That polarizing aesthetic will surely attract the hip urbanites that Vanda is targeting.
Housed within the body unit is a lithium-ion battery that can be fully charged in 60 minutes.
The bike is charged via a standard AC power plug that is stored under the seat and, once it's fully juiced, it has a range of 60 km (37 mi). The top speed is 30 km/h (19 mph), courtesy of a 48-V, 350-W electric rear hub motor. An RFID key fob is used to start the bike with a simple tap, with a unique digital ID shared with the receiver to ensure that only the right fob will work.
The Motochimp has been launched at the Shenzhen International Industrial Design Fair and will go on sale first in Japan, before rolling out to Asia, the UK and Europe. It is priced from US$2,000.
Source: Motochimp
