Consumers were not really quick to adapt to electric vehicles mainly due to the fear that their range might not be enough to take them from point A to point B and back. Nobody wants to run out of electricity while on the move. After all, being stuck in the middle of a highway without a charging station in sight would be a nightmare even during the day. It's one of the last things a driver or rider would want to happen.
Automakers are trying to cure range anxiety by researching and developing vehicles that could go as far as possible. For instance, the Tesla Model S still boasts one of the world's longest electric range at 405 miles (fully charged). Some versions of the Ford Mustang Mach-E offer more than 300 miles of electric travel. To achieve such range, carmakers resort to entering partnerships with battery companies.
Range anxiety, however, is a problem that motorcycle and scooter makers have found difficult to solve. This is primarily because they have different layouts and architecture than cars. There are electric motorcycles that offer a range of more than 200 miles, but e-scooters such as the BMW CE 04 don't have such a range.
Here's where French electric design and innovation company Mob-ion enters. Mob-ion claims to have developed a scooter that could get rid of your range anxiety. Thanks to an innovative solution, it looks like the company is out to prove that traveling far and wide in a scooter is possible with the Mob-ion TGT electric-hydrogen hybrid, a scooter powered by fuel cells.
Offering Clean Means Of Transport For The City
Mob-ion has a particular interest in eco-friendly urban mobility solutions, and its new hydrogen scooter project is aimed at offering a "clean means of transport for the city.” Yes, the TGT isn’t just any electric scooter; it's a hydrogen fuel cell-powered two-wheel creation from France. It's based on Mob-ion's AM1 electric scooter, but with the twist and convenience of fuel cell reloading instead of recharging.
Mob-ion's AM1 electric scooter is propelled by a 3-kW motor that gets its juice from two lithium ion batteries. With dimensions of 1,880 mm in length, 690 mm in width and 1,150 mm in height, the AM1 electric scooter offers a top speed of 27.96 mph. This top speed is already enough for a scooter that could be configured as a single-seater or a dual-seater.
According to Mob-ion, its AM1 electric scooter offers a range of 90 miles and can be recharged to full capacity in 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Hydrogen Cartridges Instead Of Electric Charging
An acronym for Très Grands Trajets (Very Long Journeys), the TGT is essentially just the AM1 battery electric scooter transformed by Mob-ion into a fuel-cell electric scooter. The lithium-ion battery pack has been replaced by a fuel cell system. Because of this, there is no need to plug the scooter into an electric source. The rider or owner just needs to replace and reload the fuel cells.
The fuel cell system used in the Mob-ion TGT is created in collaboration with STOR-H, a company that specializes in hydrogen cell technology. The 3-kW motor is powered by two cylindrical hydrogen cartridges, which are about the size of a hydro flask or two stacked soda cans. Once loaded into the system, the hydrogen cartridges are mated to a buffer battery to ensure that the cells operate efficiently.
TGT Kills Range Anxiety With Extendable 248-Mile Range
Compared to the AM1's lithium ion battery system, TGT's hydrogen cartridges are lighter and take up less space. When the cartridges have been emptied, they can be removed by pulling the seats up to open a small compartment inside. Once removed, the empty cartridges are to be replaced by new fully loaded ones. Just return the seat to its original position, and the TGT scooter is all ready to go.
The whole setup eliminates more than two hours of charging time. Replacing the empty cartridges takes just minutes, and the riders can even bring extra cartridges while on the move. Depending on the setup, a fully loaded TGT can reach 248 miles, and bringing along extra cartridges can extend that range without stopping for hours. Thus, range anxiety is eliminated for good. As for the empty cartridges, they can be exchanged for fully loaded ones at STOR-H outlets.
Mob-ion To Sell TGT Starting End Of 2021
The new Mob-ion TGT will be offered with two motor options: a 3-kW (4 hp) unit or 6-kW (8 hp) variant. Two battery versions will also be offered: a 10-kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery and a 16-kWh Nickel/Manganese/Cobalt (NMC) unit. The LFP battery offers 93 miles of range when mated to the 6-kW motor or 155 miles with the 3-kW version. Meanwhile, the NMC battery offers 155 miles of range with the 6-kW motor and 248 miles with the 3-kW unit.
Mob-ion plans to build the TGT in France and commence its sales by the end of the year. Mob-ion TGT LFP will have a starting price of €5,800 ($6,858) while NMC version will be available for €9,800 ($11,586). Covered by an eight-year warranty, each TGT will feature GPS navigation as well as an accident detection system.
Source: Mob-ion, STOR-H