Solar-powered moped

http://youtu.be/_Ld83b7PC6w

 

We’ve previewed a lot of electric two-wheelers here recently, but this is the first to run on solar power.

Canadian company Daymak has been working on this solar-powered urban/rural moped for about two years and is just about ready to go into production. The Toronto company is taking deposits now and the vehicle is expected to cost up to $3499 for the Beast Ultimate.

The fat-tyred 75kg moped is called the Beast and it is powered by 15Whr solar panels and pedal power to charge the lithium-ion battery that runs a 500W electric motor in the rear hub.

The removable solar unit comes with two USB outputs so you can also recharge your phone. Cheaper models will have conventional lead-acid batteries that lift the weight by 20kg.

Daymak says it will get range of 40km, but you can bolster that with a bit of pedal power. Top speed is just 32km/h so it may be classed as a moped in some jurisdictions and be suitable for some urban streets. However, it looks best suited to country tracks and urban footpaths where it would be a great deal of practical fun.

From the video, it seems to perform quite well even in overcast conditions. Imagine how well it would go in the bright sunshine of Australia!