The hydrogen-powered motorbike

High-powered motorbikes, or the bikers who ride them, are hardly known for their green credentials.

But a new, and unlikely, partnership between Japanese superbike firm Suzuki and a British technology company has produced the world's first serious "green" motorbike.

The Crosscage concept bike, due to be unveiled at the Tokyo Motorshow later this week, runs in complete silence and is powered by fuel cells developed by Loughborough-based technology firm Intelligent Energy.
Intelligent Energy has provided the battery and electric propulsion system for the new motorbike, and the small hydrogen tank is located where the engine would normally be, underneath the rider.

While details of the new concept bike have been kept strictly under wraps by Suzuki, the fact that the firm has chosen Intelligent Energy to develop its fuel cell engine gives some clues as to how the bike may work.

In 2005 Intelligent Energy unveiled the world's first fuel-cell powered motorbike, the so-called ENV (Emissions Neutral Vehicle) bike.

The bike was powered by a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) type fuel cell – one of five different fuel cell types, all of which have different attributes in terms of size, robustness and ability to work at high temperatures.

Each fuel cell is a multi-layered sandwich of plates and electrodes which use a chemical reaction to produce water and electricity from hydrogen and oxygen.

Tokyo Motor Show is expected to be packed with concepts like the Crosscage which combine styling and performance with green credentials.
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