ETH zurich and ZHdK's sculptural motorbike features a front weel-hub engine

with in-house developed technologies, the students from ETH zurich and the zurich university of the arts (ZHdK) want to use the energy available to electric motorcycle users more efficiently and open new chapters in the prosperous world of modern mobility. after working on the project from the scratch to the very production, the students reveal ‘ethec’, a monobody bike with front weel-hub motor.

dissipating on the front wheel, about 75% of the energy is spent while braking on an average bike. to solve this problem and make a better use of the energy, the students have integrated a front weel-hub motor system into ethec.

‘this additional engine can be used to recuperate braking energy and obtain higher efficiency, safety, and a superior overall driving experience,’ explains ETH and ZHdK team. ‘the lithium-ion battery, consisting of 1260 cells, is kept at its ideal operating temperature by a thermoelectrical cooling system. ethec creates a reliable and impressive power source by combining a low-maintenance cooling system and a direct-cooling oil stream around all cells.’

the carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic monobody is the elegant key feature of the bike’s design — the designers treated ethec as a human body. the headlight is the front and main element, which characterized the head of the piece. the shoulders, which are represented by the handles, gives power to the motorcycles’ look. the dynamic appearance of the bike is completed by the slim seat — the waist.

the operating system of ethec is highly efficient — the recuperation process starts at the moment when the driver pulls the brake handle. by one touch of the button, the motor bounces off, while the 7-inch touchscreen with an integrated navigation displays all the necessary information.

tech info:

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: wheel hub motors/22 kw continuous power/up to 50 kw peak power/high voltage interlock for security/variable recuperation

mechanics, design & packaging: tube frame for a low weight/fairing made of carbon-fiber-enforced plastic/girder fork allows geometry optimization/stereo swingarm at the back is a proven design/entire user-interface through a display