Meet Hydra, an e-bike with a difference. Unlike traditional electric motorcycles that rely on a powertrain that pulls energy from a lithium-ion battery, Hydra offers an alternate, much more experimental solution – hydrogen fuel cells. Although still in its infancy, hydrogen fuel cells promise absolutely clean energy. Unlike gasoline-powered engines, the fuel cells have zero harmful emissions, and unlike traditional lithium-ion battery EVs, hydrogen fuel cells do away with toxic battery acids that can potentially wreak havoc on the environment if not disposed of properly. In fact, when fueled with pure hydrogen, the only by-products are heat and water (hence the name Hydra), making the technology a zero-emission, sustainable power source.
Designers: Anton Guzhov, Anton Brousseau & André Taylforth
Although the technology itself is rather fascinating, what’s more appealing here is the designers’ treatment of the motorcycle, giving it an entirely distinct new form factor to hat-tip the fact that this isn’t your average gas-powered vehicle. The Hydra is undeniably cyberpunk, with the clever use of straight lines to define forms and curves only to round off edges. The bike isn’t lithe or aerodynamic, but rather has an almost robotic appeal with its affinity for straight lines and simple geometric shapes. Hydra’s front is dominated by a large block which serves as the hydrogen fuel cell. The engine sits right below the cantilever seat, powering the rear wheel directly.
The Hydra sports a beautiful translucent fairing, which reveals the complexities inside and provides the perfect contrast against the other carbon fiber components used around the e-bike.
A look at the Hydra under its fairing gives a better idea of its underlying tech. Even for a motorcycle that’s entirely conceptual at the moment, the level of detail and planning gone into executing this design is just staggering.
After upgrading the bike helmet by putting visibility, indicator, brake lights on them, the Lumos team is back with the Firefly, a tiny but powerful…
For centuries at this point, the way we chose our spectacles has been pretty standard. You try on hundreds of frames, hoping to stumble across…
If you’re going to call your car Akula, or literally Russian for shark, you better follow up on that promise. Designed by British supercar company…
The Maserati “LaMaserati” is a concept flagship hyper car based around the LaFerrari platform. Utilizing the same V12 engine (but retuned with the KERS system…
Take a look at this bike which sets its sights on the future, one with real competitors to the automobile that sucks the life from…
If I had to condense Tesla‘s ethos into a single phrase, it would arguably be to bring advanced technologies to the world of automotives to…
We’re an online magazine dedicated to covering the best in international product design. We have a passion for the new, innovative, unique and undiscovered. With our eyes firmly focused on the future.
Editorial Standards and Ethics / Privacy Policy