The Tarform electric motorcycle is claimed to be more environmentally sound as it uses non-toxic, biomaterials such as flax for body panels and pineapple material in the seat.
Not sure if we would like sitting on the rough end of the pineapple, but at least Taras Kravtchouk, the New York founder of the Tarform electric motorcycle is considering environmental impact.
Some critics say electric vehicles are not environmentally sound because of the emissions involved in extracting the precious metals for the batteries and the toxicity of recycling material at the end of the battery’s life.
Evolution in extraction, manufacturing and recycling processes is reducing those impacts with less use of materials such as cobalt and increasing use of repurposed lithium-ion batteries.
However, the jury is still out on the real impact of EVs.
Reports about the whole-of-life impact of electric vehicles compared with internal-combustion-engine vehicles vary substantially.
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Taras hopes to improve the whole-of-life environmental impact by using biomaterials in the construction of his bike, such as pineapple in the seating.
He also claims materials have been “ethically” sourced.
Other components are not permanently glued or bonded, making upgrades and repairs easy.
Taras says his goal is to use fully recyclable materials and no petroleum-based products. Of course that will mean something other than conventional tyres.
“At Tarform we treasure the freedom to ride in nature and feel responsibility to build vehicles that do no harm to our environment,” he says.
The Founder Edition, unveiled this month, starts at $US32,000 (about $A46,700). Subsequent models should cost less.
The Tarform is powered by an electric motor that drives the rear wheel via a roller chain and has just 160km of range.
They don’t specify whether that is city or highway cycle, but it does have regenerative braking which improves range in the city where you use the brakes more often.
Taras hopes to make it safer by including sensors and artificial-intelligence connectivity to warn riders of nearby vehicles and alert to impending collisions.