Gallery: New automotive component tech at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show

Electric kickboards and bio-hybrids

Another technology display at NAIAS was Schaeffler’s Bio-Hybrid, a cross between a pedelec and a small electric car. It’s just 85 cm wide, a width sized to let the vehicle run on cycle paths in most countries. An electric motor (booth personnel weren’t sure about the motor technology) recuperates energy during braking and provides an assist when the driver pedals. The vehicle is designed to have a range of 50 to 100 km. If the battery is running low, it can be removed and recharged from an ac outlet. Schaeffler says the concept was designed as a platform to take other superstructures, such as a three-wheel variant. Schaeffler also showed an electric kickboard similar to a skateboard. The deck has an integral lithium-ion 2.6 A-hr battery which drives the rear axle via two dc brushless 172-W motors. The kickboard is controlled using a stick with an ergonomically designed grip.