Airbus Group's German APWorks subsidiary has unveiled its hi-tech brainchild, the Light Rider, an emission-free motorcycle powered by a 6-kW electric motor which can accelerate the bike to 80 km/h. It can gain a speed of 45 km/h in three seconds.
The vehicle's frame was 3D-printed "out of thousands of 30-µm [micrometer] thin layers in a metallic powder bed," and the precursor, Scalmalloy, is an aircraft grade aluminum which "offers the specific strength of titanium and is unequaled in 3D printing," the bike's website said.
The Light Rider can cover 60 kilometers before the driver needs to replace its exchangeable battery.
The manufacturer will churn out a limited edition of just 50 Light Riders, and they are available for pre-order. However, with all its advantages, there is one blot on the landscape that makes the Light Rider rather "heavy" — its price standing at 50,000 euros.
Airbus Light Rider electric motorcycle with 3D-printed aluminum frame going into production, 50 examples, €50000 #a… pic.twitter.com/qA0zYa8SA4
— The Lead People (@TheLeadPeople) 21 мая 2016 г.
