The low-emissions, fuel-saving benefits of hybrid technology aren’t limited to the freeway and systems incorporating electric propulsion are popping up in all areas of transport. On the water we’ve seen hybrid tugboats and solar hybrid motor-yachts, but this is the first time we’ve seen hybrid technology in a speedboat. Billed as a world’s first electric hybrid sport boat, EPIC Wakeboats EPIC 23E relies entirely on a silent, emissions-free…Â 
A fully self contained bicycle hub motor known as the GreenWheel has been developed by students at MIT that contains the motor, batteries and motor controller all within the hub enclosure. Very similar in concept to the E+ we reported on earlier this week (which we have been informed by a reader is a reincarnation of a Wavecrest Electric bike), but taken one step further by combining the batteries together with the motor in a single hub instead of putting the batteries in the front hub and motor/controller in the rear hub as on the E+.
The only external part of the GreenWheel system is the handlebar-mounted throttle that is connected wirelessly to the electric motor in the wheel, so absolutely now external wiring is required along the bike frame. The hub motor is spoked into a standard bicycle wheel and is powered by Lithium ion Nanophosphate batteries supplied by another MIT firm A123 Systems. … More info
With the increasing popularity of the electrically assisted pushbike we are starting to see some innovative designs hit the market. While hub motors are the number one solution for mounting the electric motor within a bike frame, either in the front or rear wheel, mounting the battery pack and motor drive electronics has remained a challenge when taking into consideration practically and aesthetics. The folks at Electric Motion Systems think they have the answer with a combination of a 750 watt rear wheel mounted hub motor with built-in motor drive electronics paired with a battery pack mounted in the front wheel hub…Â