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As summer approaches thoughts of hitting the highway in search of better scenery and escape from work, home and anything to do with Brexit come to mind, Wired has pulled together a series of products that should make for the ultimate road trip (check them out here). Here we take a look at some suitable rides that should see you right whether your peregrinations take you along winding coastal causeways, navigating new cities at night or anything in-between.
Arc Vector
Billed as the world’s first motorcycle with an integrated multi-sensory "Human Machine Interface" providing the rider with feedback and notifications, the 399-Volt all-electric Vector (pictured above) comes with a connected helmet and sensor-packed jacket to enhance the ride and improve safety. It weighs just 220kg but boasts 133bhp, 148Nm of torque enabling it to go 0-100kph in 3.1 seconds. Range has been calculated at 623km (urban) and with a fast-charger you’ll be fully juiced in 45 minutes.
As a monocoque, the battery, motor and tech are all housed in a carbon tub that allows the suspension to attach directly, making it super stiff and 25 per cent lighter than anything else available.
ARC's Zenith calfskin-trimmed helmet, made in conjunction with Hedon, features a HUD built into the visor that can display speed, GPS, revs and last, but not least, a rear-view camera for better road awareness that can be shown through the HUD and displays automatically when the bike detects anything in the rider's blind spot. Different modes are selected via a controller on the bike or by wirelessly by voice.
The ARC Vector jacket, made by UK specialists Knox, is a sensor-laden haptic piece of protective gear that will give the rider a virtual “pat” – via vibration – on the shoulder to warn if a car is approaching from behind.
£90,000 arcvehicle.com
Harley Davidson LiveWire
Looking for something a two-wheel option just a little more traditional yet still fully electric? Harley Davidson’s updated EV LiveWire looks a world away from its first attempt in 2014. In fact, only one per cent of the original has made it through to this all-improved twist-and-go electric monster. Instantaneous power from the moment you twist the throttle (and of course no clutch to release or gears to run through), expect speed of 0 to 60mph in 3 seconds.
Harley is claiming the LiveWire's high-voltage battery (sorry, "Rechargeable Energy Storage System") composed of lithium-ion cells surrounded by a finned, cast-aluminum housing is good for 140 miles (225km) of city range or 88 miles (142km) of combined stop-and-go and highway riding. The onboard charger and power cord connects to any standard household outlet for a full charge overnight. Fast-charging is possible and here you can hit an 80 per cent charge in 40 minutes or a "full tank" in an hour.
A 10.9in Panasonic display shows all your on-road info, music and GPS, and links to an app letting you remotely check bike stats such as battery charge, location, and get security alerts if it’s been bumped, tampered with or moved.
Finally, the V-Twin electric motor (housed under the batter for a lower centre of gravity), over-sized hollow 18in wheels, Michelin sport tyres, fully adjustable Showa suspension and seven different riding modes. £28,995 harley-davidson.com
Range Rover Evoque 2019
The Range Rover Evoque has been a huge success for Jaguar Land Rover. So it's no surprise then the new version has cutting-edge tech included.
Fitted with a mild hybrid powertrain for the first time, with a proper, full plug-in hybrid variant coming later next year, the new Evoque features JLR's Ground View system, which effectively removes the visual obstruction of the bonnet and everything below it, by presenting the driver with a camera view of the road below the front axle.
The driver is given a 180-degree view of precisely where the front wheels are, shown on one of the dashboard’s two touchscreens from a combined feed taken from cameras in the front grille and on the door mirrors. Another camera fitted to the top of the rear windscreen fixes an issue with the old model - you couldn't see out the back. The camera sends HD video to the interior mirror, which can flick between tradition reflection or digital display, giving the driver an unrestricted view of the road behind, no matter what might be blocking the rear view. Ideal for tight Mediterranean city streets.
As well as off-road capability befitting a Land Rover, road-trippers will appreciate tablet holders with charging points for rear-seat passengers, a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices, and six USB ports scattered throughout the cabin. From £31,600 landrover.co.uk
Volvo XC40
Going head to head with the new Evoque in Car Wars: battle of the compact SUVs is Volvo's own entry into the small sports utility arena, which has been an unqualified critical success, and rightly so.
It's superbly styled and benefits from the XC range having just about the best interior around right now. Not only does the XC40 have a T5 all-wheel-drive version with a 247 horsepower 2.0-litre turbo engine, a fully electric model is coming.
An imminent hybrid model to be produced this year twins the 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine of the T3 with an electric motor, a lithium-ion 9.7-kWh battery and a seven-speed automatic transmission. The three-cylinder combustion engine offers 180hp while the electric motor develops 82hp for a combined output of 262hp. With 425 Newton-meters of torque available, the XC40 plug-in hybrid will go from 0 to 62 mph in 7.3 seconds. Running solely as an EV, the crossover should be good for trips up to 34 miles. This powertrain has, quite understandably, been co-developed by Volvo’s parent company, Geely, and is also set to be used in the Lynk&Co 01 and 02 models.
Ideal for long, fatigue-inducing journeys, there are safety features aplenty: pilot assist, run-off road protection and mitigation, cross traffic alert and a 360-degree camera.
Speaking of tech, as well as an excellent infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the large 9in touchscreen, a wireless Qi charging pad should help keep mobiles refuelled. There's also a 12.3-inch digital display for dials rather than traditional analogue counters. What's more, this new model comes with a new model of ownership: "Care by Volvo", which works much like a subscription. From £28,310 volvocars.com
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
