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Remember when Energica was said to have been partnering up with aviation projects in the name of zero-emission aeronautics?
Well, we’ve got a few independent brains with a similar idea, only this time, it’s a Zero motorcycle motor/battery duo powering a little electric Motorglider called the “eXenos.”
“… the Xenos is an inexpensive airframe kit, and the Zero motorcycle powerplant is, if not cheap by VW motor standards, extremely affordable when you compare the purchase price to the average aircraft engine,” explains Paul Dye about his machine in his article on Kitplanes Magazine.
The “Xenos” – a Motorglider that was succeeded by a next-gen model using a Zero Motorcycle powertrain to ferry and hop to decent altitudes. Media sourced from KitPlanes.
If anybody knows planes, Dye does; his resume includes things like “Lead Flight Director for NASA’s Human Space Flight program.” Predictably, Dye’s hobbies include tinkering with small, homemade aircraft… which is how he originally ended up in sunny California to take a look at what Zero’s co-founder (Gabriel DeVault) had been fiddling with.
Having been suitably impressed at the electric build and, taking a flight or two in it, confirmed that Zero’s battery and motor units worked well for the size of the kit plane, Dye headed home to work on a bird of his own with the generous mentorship of DeVault.
Naturally, Dye succeeded in his project; we’re told he even improved the fire safety of the thing by going electric.
The “eXenos” – an electric Motorglider that uses a Zero Motorcycle’s powertrain to ferry and hop to decent altitudes. Media sourced from KitPlanes.
“If [Paul had] stuck to a combustion engine, the fuel tank ends up behind the firewall – practically in your lap,” explains coverage from RideApart.
“With the Zero powertrain, the battery pack ends up mounted forward of the firewall, which seems advantageous from a fire safety standpoint.”
The “eXenos” – an electric Motorglider that uses a Zero Motorcycle’s powertrain to ferry and hop to decent altitudes. Media sourced from KitPlanes.
Endurance has been improved with the addition of the 14.4kWh/hr lithium-cobalt Zero battery, too, though ferrying has purportedly been cut down from three-ish hours to one, and charging takes longer, creating a pro-con balance system that circles around to the same old query:
Do you prefer ICE or electric power?
Dye’s ready to “go electric,” so expect updates as he continues his exploration of zero-emission aeronautics!
The post Electric Everything: Zero Motorcycles’ System Powers New “eXenos” Motorglider appeared first on webBikeWorld.
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Well, we’ve got a few independent brains with a similar idea, only this time, it’s a Zero motorcycle motor/battery duo powering a little electric Motorglider called the “eXenos.”
“… the Xenos is an inexpensive airframe kit, and the Zero motorcycle powerplant is, if not cheap by VW motor standards, extremely affordable when you compare the purchase price to the average aircraft engine,” explains Paul Dye about his machine in his article on Kitplanes Magazine.
The “Xenos” – a Motorglider that was succeeded by a next-gen model using a Zero Motorcycle powertrain to ferry and hop to decent altitudes. Media sourced from KitPlanes.
If anybody knows planes, Dye does; his resume includes things like “Lead Flight Director for NASA’s Human Space Flight program.” Predictably, Dye’s hobbies include tinkering with small, homemade aircraft… which is how he originally ended up in sunny California to take a look at what Zero’s co-founder (Gabriel DeVault) had been fiddling with.
Having been suitably impressed at the electric build and, taking a flight or two in it, confirmed that Zero’s battery and motor units worked well for the size of the kit plane, Dye headed home to work on a bird of his own with the generous mentorship of DeVault.
Naturally, Dye succeeded in his project; we’re told he even improved the fire safety of the thing by going electric.
The “eXenos” – an electric Motorglider that uses a Zero Motorcycle’s powertrain to ferry and hop to decent altitudes. Media sourced from KitPlanes.
“If [Paul had] stuck to a combustion engine, the fuel tank ends up behind the firewall – practically in your lap,” explains coverage from RideApart.
“With the Zero powertrain, the battery pack ends up mounted forward of the firewall, which seems advantageous from a fire safety standpoint.”
The “eXenos” – an electric Motorglider that uses a Zero Motorcycle’s powertrain to ferry and hop to decent altitudes. Media sourced from KitPlanes.
Endurance has been improved with the addition of the 14.4kWh/hr lithium-cobalt Zero battery, too, though ferrying has purportedly been cut down from three-ish hours to one, and charging takes longer, creating a pro-con balance system that circles around to the same old query:
Do you prefer ICE or electric power?
Dye’s ready to “go electric,” so expect updates as he continues his exploration of zero-emission aeronautics!
*Media sourced from Kitplanes Magazine and RideApart*
The post Electric Everything: Zero Motorcycles’ System Powers New “eXenos” Motorglider appeared first on webBikeWorld.
Continue reading...
