A group of high school students from St. Thomas Academy, in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, got a $10,000 grant to build an electric motorcycle. The lithium-phosphate powered machine can reach 60mph and has a range of 40 miles. Email requests for more technical information have gone unanswered so far. If we hear back from them we’ll update this post. Updated! See below…

Via KSTP (w/ video)

St. Thomas Academy

Project Web Site

Update: It helps if you email the right person. Update with more tech and photos…

I got an email from Mark Westlake who’s the Experimental Vehicle Team advisor. This is no conversion. This is a ground up creation.

The custom frame is TIG welded 4130 chromoly.

Prior to undertaking the development of the safer electric motorcycle, the students researched existing electric motorcycles and related patents to learn how to improve upon existing technology. Actual design of the bike began in the summer of 2007, when the team used SolidWorks computer-aided design software for the first time to develop computer models of the chassis, frame, subsystems and driver compartment.

Valance Lithium Phosphate batteries power the Etek and a Delta-Q charger refills them in less than three hours. An Alltrax handles the controller duties. The body is a composite of carbon fiber, Kevlar, and Nomex honeycomb with a polycarbonate Lexan® windshield. Making of molds and all that dirty work took nine months of work.

Mark included a FAQ which I’ll repost here:

1. Is the motorcycle safe?

No! It is designed to be safer than a standard motorcycle but does not offer the protection of a car.

2. What is the body made out of?

The body is made from Nomex honeycomb sandwiched between five layers of carbon fiber and epoxy resin.

3. How did you build the body?

We made a full size model of the motorcycle out of polyurethane foam and used the model to make fiberglass molds. The carbon fiber / Nomex honeycomb layers are vacuum bagged in the molds with epoxy resin.

4. How did you decide on the body shape?

The body was built around the completed frame and shaped by hand.

5. What is the frame made out of?

The frame was designed in Solidworks and made from 4130 Chromoly tubing. (4130 Chromoly is an alloy of steel)

6. How fast and how far will it go?

We have it geared for a top speed of 60 mph. The motorcycle will travel more than 40 miles on a charge.

7. How long does it take to recharge?

The batteries can be recharged in three hours with the on-board charger and a standard household outlet.

8. What kind of batteries does the motorcycle use?

The motorcycle uses five 12V Lithium-Phosphate ion batteries. The batteries are built by Valance Technologies and are regarded as the safest on the market. They were chosen for safety, energy per weight, and the number of recharge cycles (over 1000).

9. Do you need a motorcycle license to drive it?

Yes, it is registered as a standard motorcycle. It could be “adjusted” to meet state moped laws (no license required).

10. How long did the motorcycle take to make?

We started on the motorcycle last June. One full year later we are still working out some of the bugs!

11. What kind of problems still need to be addressed?

More long term testing needs to take place. We would like to build a solar charging station for the motorcycle next year, making it a true zero emissions vehicle.

12. How much did it cost to build?

The total cost to build the motorcycle is just under $12,000. Now that we have the molds built, the motorcycle could be recreated for around $7000.

13. How much does the motorcycle weigh?

It weighs 100 Kg (220 lbs)

14. Why doesn’t it have a windshield wiper?

The polycarbonate windshield is permanently coated with substance that repels water. The inside is fog proof.