Modelling power and torque requirements for low carbon motorcycles
Edge Mobility engaged Xi Engineering Consultants to create a physics based software tool that predicts power and torque requirements for electric motorcycles over custom drive cycles, helping engineers select and size motors with confidence.
The Challenge
Electric motorcycles and scooters must handle steep gradients, headwinds, mixed road surfaces and diverse riding styles, all while meeting range and performance expectations. Traditional test cycles and simple calculations do not capture this variety, making it harder to know whether a proposed motor and vehicle configuration will cope with real journeys. Edge Mobility wanted a user friendly analysis tool that could import custom drive cycles, calculate the forces acting on a bike and estimate the power and torque needed at each point. The tool needed to give both rapid estimates for concept work and detailed outputs that could withstand scrutiny in the design process.
Our Approach
Xi developed a physics based model in MATLAB App Designer that reads in user defined drive cycles and vehicle parameters, then calculates the forces and power required at each point on the journey. The graphical interface allows engineers to specify velocity or torque profiles, headwind, gradient, mass and road conditions, and to see resulting torque, power and energy use plotted over time. The tool also incorporates uncertainty handling, so users can explore how imperfect knowledge of inputs such as elevation or tyre friction affects design margins. By packaging all of this into a user friendly interface, Xi gave Edge Mobility a practical way to compare candidate motors and vehicles quickly without becoming bogged down in raw code.
The Results
Why it matters
As two wheelers electrify, the ability to predict how designs will perform in real use becomes a key differentiator. Relying purely on off the shelf cycles or back of envelope calculations can lead to underpowered products or excessive over design. Xi’s approach turns complex Multiphysics considerations into a practical design aid, supporting faster iteration, better motor sizing and more robust business cases for new low carbon vehicles.