Electric bike ready to roll
Chris Jones is a revhead with a difference.
A biology lecturer at the University of WA with a passion for electric vehicles, he has spent almost $50,000 assembling Australia's first custom-built electric superbike.
After three years of work, the Voltron Evo is nearly ready to hit the road.
"I was in the middle of racing my first home-built electric bike when I started building this one," Dr Jones said yesterday.
In consultation with designers in the US, Dr Jones has produced a bike capable of speeds of more than 250km/h. Although he plans to race the bike, road licensing and further production models are on the cards.
The WA chairman of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association said interest in electric vehicles was growing. "If you've got two vehicles, one is just a runabout. You could switch to electric with little impact on your lifestyle," he said.
Motor Trade Association chief executive Stephen Moir said cost and infrastructure were key issues for electric vehicle owners.
"The Government needs to put the infrastructure in to support them," he said.
