There are people who hate and shun the Can-Am Spyders, as there are people who simply love them. Regardless of what camp you belong in, here's a most interesting cease-fire: the all-electric version of the Spyder F3-S.
The Can-Am Spyder F3-S E Concept is the brainchild of SBRP's Centre de Technologies Avancées (CTA) and the Sherbrooke University in Quebec. As its very name says, we're looking at a concept, so any ideas on whether Bombardier will take it to the production phase is only guesswork. Should they thing about making such a move? If you ask us, the answer is definitely "yes" but there might be more to this than meets the eye.
So far, the info about the Can-Am Spyder F3-S E Concept is scarce, but we certainly do hope that more data about this intriguing project will surface soon.
What we CAN tell you, however, is that the CTA developed the battery pack and also patented it. The "e-tank" can store 16 kWh and this gives the Spyder F3-S E Concept an autonomy of 170 km (106 miles).
Clearly nowhere near enough to rival what current production electric motorcycles deliver, but for a first step in this direction, things look amazing. And if you need a banana for scale, we'll go no further than the range limits of the Harley-Davidson LiveWire...
The permanent magnet synchronous motor produces a (still) modest 67 hp but a neat 200 Nm (147 lb-ft) of instantaneous torque, spinning no higher than 6,500 rpm and using a liquid cooling system.
More than 20 students have been involved in the project that started in 2010 and which was funded with $11.3 million (€10.1 mil). Among the notable achievements, we must mention the redesigned wheels and fenders that reduce drag by 5%, a neat feature, especially for an electric vehicle.
Now, learning about how long has Can-Am worked with the CTA in the field of hybrid vehicles and to deliver this concept, we'd rather put our money on the fact that we WILL get to see an electric Spyder soon. Not exactly huge Can-Am Spyders here, but this project got us all enthusiastic.
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