Lit Motors C1 Self Balancing Electric Motorbike
LIT Motors C1 has two wheels, but it also has doors and a steering wheel. it uses gyroscopes and electric motors to keep its balance. LIT Motors claims the C1 can do many bike-like things - including split lanes and park at a right angle to the street between cars - but its enclosed cabin should impart a feel that is more car than motorcycle.
C1 can run up to 200 miles on a single charge
C1 can speed to 120mph
Early in 2010, the company revealed a non-functioning show model of the C-1. The design vision showcased an enclosed two-wheeled vehicle self-balanced by two single-gimbal control moment gyroscopes, to be powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries. Design specifications indicated that it could hold a second passenger, though no model or pictures other than computer renderings showed more than single-passenger capacity. Computer renderings of a two passenger model indicate that the tight space would likely not be suitable for long trips, as the area behind the driver's seat is very limited, in a semi-reclined position, with legs straddling the front seat.
Similar to a motorcycle, the original C-1 design has two wheels, but uses a small steering wheel instead of handlebars. Direct-drive in-hub motors in both wheels were designed to provide a high amount of torque, stability and traction control, while allowing for the body form to be about half the size of a car. The alpha prototype shows both wheels without direct drive and only a single person capacity, indicating that the design may be undergoing changes.
Safety features were intended to include a steel unibody chassis, seat belts, airbags, and a gyroscope stability system.
Kubo Scooter, with its 45 mph top speed and 50 mile operating range.
Lit Motors C1 EV demonstrates
Lit Motors Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that designs two-wheeled vehicles, including a fully electric, gyroscopically stabilized vehicle.
Founded by Daniel K. Kim in 2010, Lit Motors designs two-wheeled vehicles with a focus on innovative and disruptive technologies. To date, they have released information about two projects, the AEV (auto-balancing electric vehicle) often referred to as the "C-1" and the Kubo cargo scooter. The inspiration for Lit Motors came to Kim in 2003, when he was nearly crushed by a chassis while manually assembling a bio-diesel Land Rover Defender 90. Kim's decided to "chop a car in half" to create what is now the C-1.
Lit Motors
