Source: Motovolta Newsletter, January 2012.
MotoVolta continued to make progress in December 2011 on its proof-of-concept prototype electric motorcycle.
The company underwent several new mockup sessions to check fit and clearance on components. By way of CAD modeling and rapid prototype manufacturing, the company has confidently converged on the most efficient packaging of these components in a motorcycle chassis. Clearances are very tight which has led to some strict requirements on the design of some components, however, Moltvolta is quickly progressing to the final stages of design and is on track to begin manufacturing final support structure in January.
On the electronics side, progress is being achieved on the proprietary battery management system. Most of the hardware has been completed and the company is well into coding the software that monitors and actively manages energy within each battery pack. As with any new development there have been challenges, specifically getting the various components on the circuit board to communicate with each other. The software component of the technology is one of the most exciting aspects of the technology. Even though very high quality hardware components have been selected for the electric powertrain, the software is key to enabling these components to work together in a very efficient manner, maximizing energy usage throughout the system. Also, new features can be added and tested rapidly without the need for manufacturing new hardware. Motovolta envisions a product line that can continually be upgraded with new features by way of software updates.