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University of Michigan engineering students have built an electric motorcycle that can reach up to 160 mph, according to MLive.
The university's SPARK Electric Racing team, made up of 160 students and faculty leaders from various disciplines, built the "e-superbike" ATLAS to compete in international races. The team was formed in the 2010s to convert motorcycles with combustible engines into electron ones, without having to compromise on speed.
“I think students take part in something that is actually productive outside of themselves, because obviously electrification is a fundamentally good thing,” SPARK mechanical director and UM senior Mustafa Khan said.
The motorcycle can reach up to 160 mph, but it usually reaches 150 mph, according to Leo Lavigne, SPARK team president and current master's student at UM. When Khan saw the ATLAS race in New Jersey this year, he said his jaw dropped.
“It’s such an incredible experience, because you put in several several hours of time into this really challenging design problem,” he said, “and you get to see it perform like as you expect.”
Not only is the trill of the race exciting for the team, but the value of pushing e-technology also makes the project worth it.
“We like showing people that electrification works at all levels, (even in motorcycles),” he said. “It’s really, really cool, because it’s the conversation piece for arguing for more resources towards electrification and renewable energy.”