ScooteringUSA

Eco-Hybrid Concept

Multimillionaire inventor behind the Segway personal transporter, Dean Kamen, is developing a new bike that combines electric power and a radical generator which will permit it to burn virtually any fuel. Established around a conventional battery and electric motor combo to provide the drive to the wheel, the unique part of the design is the inclusion of a Stirling engine to recharge the bike’s battery pack. Founded on technology that precedes the internal combustion engine by nearly a century, the Stirling engine is closer in construction to a steam engine that could run on virtually anything that burns thus opening the door to easily renewable fuels.

Although the prototype bike has yet to be shown in public, Kamen himself is believed to have been using the prototype to zoom around his own estate. As shown in Kamen’s own patent for the technology, the bike looks like a traditional scooter, with the Stirling engine and fuel tank mounted under the seat, rechargeable battery pack in the floor and a radiator in the front fairing. Kamen has apparently already invested more than $50 million into his development of Stirling engine technology, using the idea for everything from bikes and cars to water-purifiers to be used in developing countries