His initial, fully functional prototype is a three-wheel electric scooter that’s already been proven roadworthy; Josef’s already driven it between Rawai and Phuket Town on a number of occasions.
He didn't have to plug her in yet, it gets enough charge just from driving around and parking it in the sun.
He drove to the golf course one day, and after a few hours of golf, it was fully charged again to come home!
The bike has a range of up to 40 kilometers per full charge and a top speed of about 30 kilometers per hour, which technically means it doesn’t need to be registered with the Land Transport office.
This is true in most countries where vehicles with low speed (speed similar to cycles) do not need to be registered with the Transport Office. Such vehicles are very useful for carrying heavy load that are difficult for cycles and travelling longer easily. There is no expense of travelling. The bike combines the cost advantages of using a cycle and the advantages of using a bike.
As for his other prototypes, one is a two-wheel dual pedal and motor powered bike, and the other is a pedal and motor trike. As they are much smaller, it is only practical to use smaller panels – 40 and 55W, respectively. Their battery packs are also smaller – about 12Ah.
While Josef did not design his prototypes with the immediate aim of sale, he can and will tailor design and convert a solar bike or scooter for anyone that is interested – just drop by his shop or give him a call. He even has a website www.phuketgreenbike.com
For those interested in a more conventional size and design like a gasoline scooter, Phuket Green Bike will soon have one in stock. Looking very much like a Honda PCX and sharing a similar price tag, Memmel reports that, “It has the ability to go 100km per hour and you can go 100 to 120km before recharging... It will take five to six hours to recharge.”
He says the Thai market is still in its infancy. In China, electric bikes and solar power are everywhere now... it is rare to see a gas-powered scooter there. And he is confident that Thailand will change soon, as people become more aware of the existing technology and as the technology continues to improve.
It's people like Josef who will help make the world a better place!
This proves my previous blogs about Trikes with Solar Roof make great vehicles.