ethec

Our Partners

Diamond Sponsors

Our Vision

Our vision is a urban solution for mobility, which efficiently retrieves the own braking power through recuperation. Energy storages have limited capacities. Because of that, many electric motorcycles have a relatively short range. With our newly developed technologies, we want to use the available energy more efficiently and open new possibilities in the world of modern mobility.

Focus Project

The focus projects at ETH Zurich give students a unique opportunity to experience the complete development of a product. From the first draft to the technical engineering, design, production and marketing, the students manage the whole process alone. The required knowledge and the necessary skills are acquired through self-study, lectures and, most importantly, the dialogue with experts from the industry, student advisors and professors. The ethec team is made up of 13 mechanical and 1 electrical engineering students from ETH Zurich and 2 industrial design students from the Zurich University of the Arts.

Product

Innovation

While braking approximately 75 % of the energy are dissipated on the front wheel und thus lost on a conventional motorcycle. That is why ethec is integrating for the first time worldwide a front wheel-hub motor. This additional engine can be used to recuperate braking energy and obtain higher efficiency, safety and a superior overall driving experience. The lithium-ion battery, consisting of 1260 cells, is kept at its ideal operating temperature by a thermoelectrical cooling system. ethec created a reliable and impressive power source by combining a low-maintenance cooling system and a direct-cooling oil stream around all cells.

Design

The monobody is the base of the whole motorcycle design. It is modelled following the shape of a human body. The headlight, attached to the collar, is a key visual element and characterizes the head of the design. The prominent expansion of the shoulders gives the motorcycles’ front view a powerful look. The slim seat represents the waist in front of the broadening rear, which finalizes the shape of the monobody. The whole monobody is kept flat and leaning to the front, thus underlining the dynamic appearance of the motorcycle even at standstill.

Chassis

Classical elements can be found in the frame, which was designed using a proven and lightweight tubular frame construction. The trapezoidal fork allows for geometry adjustments based on mathematical optimization. The result is an increased stability of the ethec motorcycle. The optimized double-sided swingarm-topology generates a solid suspension for the motorcycle.

Battery

Constant range for years? - Not a dream any longer, thanks to the innovative thermal management of the powerful battery. The battery management system, developed by ethec, offers optimal control and monitoring capability of the whole battery and guarantees its efficient and safe operation.

ethec battery cooling — **Battery Cooling:** Battery cooling system with fan, pumps, a peltier element and an expansion tank. For a durable and powerful battery an efficient cooling is required. An air circuit discharges the heat from the oil circuit with the help of peltier elements. The oil circuit directly flows around the battery cells.

ethec battery managment system — **Battery Managment System:** The battery management system’s function is the monitoring and controlling of the battery. The BMS gathers all relevant information about the battery cell like for example the state of charge, temperature und health of the cell. With this the BMS controls the cooling as well as the charging and discharging of each battery cell.

Operation

The operating system sets a new benchmark as well. Recuperation starts intuitively as soon as the driver utilises the break handle. In the process recuperation can be controlled gradually and precisely. Because of the Keyless-System, the driver can concentrate on the joy of driving only and drive off at the touch of a button. The 7 inch touch screen displays all the important information. The driver can use the integrated navigation system to get to to his destination quickly and safely.

ethec recuperation — **Recuperation:** The integrated inductive sensor allows a precise determination of the angle of the braking lever. Thanks to this information, a gradually increasing recuperation on both wheels can get activated. Should this braking force tracing back to the recuperation not be enough, automatically patched in mechanical disc brakes increase the applied braking force.

ethec display — **Start Button:** The motorcycle can be started with a prominently placed start button. A traditional key is no longer necessary, A low energy transmitter, carried in your pocket, communicates with the motorcycle via Bluetooth.

Technical Datasheet

Battery:

Lithium-ion technology
400 km range
15 kWh capacity
optimized lifespan achieved through integration of an active and passive oil cooling
continuous monitoring of the cell temperature and the cell voltage

Electronics & Motors: