A123 Systems Charges Into Motorcycle Racing

Battery company A123 Systems is going racing, bringing greater legitimacy to electric motorsports.

The Massachusetts firm is teaming up with British electric motorcycle startup Mavizen in a supply-and-distribution deal that will see automotive-grade cells power Mavizen race bikes. It?s a big score for the nascent sport of electric motorcycle racing because Mavizen also will supply cells to teams in the TTXGP racing series and other events.

?That?s the part of the deal we?re really excited about,? Chris Tecca, VP of business development at A123 Systems, told Wired.com. ?It provides our batteries to the teams.?

The deal could lead to better bikes, better racing and, eventually, better batteries.

Electric motorcycle racing has come a long way since the TTXGP staged its first race in 2009. This year?s series features 14 races on three continents. The FIM, the sanctioning body behind Moto GP and other top-tier events, has launched a competing series. And the American Motorcyclists Association recently took the TTXGP under its wing.

But the sport has been dominated largely (though not exclusively) by enthusiasts building packs using cells from China.

A123 Systems is the first major supplier in the EV space to get behind motorsports in a big way. Offering its lithium ion Nanophosphate AMP20 prismatic pouch cells to teams will help improve the quality of the bikes on the grid.

?This is great for Mavizen, but more importantly it?s great for our sport because we?ve got a tier-one supplier committed to our sport,? said Azhar Hussain, founder of Mavizen and TTXGP.

A123 Systems is no stranger to racing. Lightning Motorcycles, which won the TTXGP North American championship last year, used its cells. You?ll find A123 cells powering the amazing electric drag-racing motorcycle Killacycle and the Buckeye Bullet electric streamliner that did a record-setting 307.7 mph last year.

Still, A123 Systems?s involvement in motorsports has been tangential. Although its focus remains on the transportation and energy-grid sectors, Tecca said A123 decided to get more serious about racing. In addition to developing a broader market for its cells, the move provides A123 with additional R and D, he said. It?s the old adage ?racing improves the breed.?

?These teams really push the limits of our products,? Tecca said. ?Being involved in motorsports allows us to see what?s coming.?

Granted, electric vehicles are a small niche and electric motorcycles are smaller still. But Tecca said there?s much to be gained supporting the teams because ?these are the people who are going to drive the adoption rate? for EV tech. A123 believes the motorcycle industry will see what?s happening in the TTXGP and come calling.

?A commercial motorcycle using our cells will be born of this effort,? he said. ?We have no doubt about that.?

Photo: Jules Cisek/popmonkey.com

Source: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/04/a123-systems-takes-its-batteries-racing/

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