The Green Falcon by Banatti (2018)
This unusual vehicle comes from the Philippine company Meep (Modular Energy Efficient Portage ) and its sub-brand Banatti. Company CEO Christopher Paris Lacson is responsible for the development and design of the so-called 'The Green Falcon'. The special thing about the Falcon is obviously the cladding, which is made of bamboo. The seat is made of leather. The components made from bamboo should weigh a total of approx. 7 kilograms. When it comes to optics, Lacson is based on the Cafe Racers from the 1960s.
Range still expandable
Unsurprisingly, the makers decided on an electric drive for the motorization. Christopher Paris Lacson also commented on some of the key technical data of the drive. The engine should actually reach a maximum speed of 110 km /h.
Christopher Paris Lacson
The components made from bamboo should weigh almost seven kilograms.
According to their own statements, the developers decided to reduce the speed to a maximum of 60 km /h for economic reasons. On the one hand, significantly cheaper and less high-performance wear parts are necessary. There is also a speed limit of 60 km /h in Filipino cities. Last but not least, it takes too long for the engine to reach the top speed of 110 km /h. In return, a range between 50 and 60 kilometers should jump out. For the battery, the company relies on a 48-volt lithium-ion battery, which should be recharged in three to four hours. On the other hand, Lacson did not comment on other key data such as the brakes or the total weight, which is not particularly surprising in the case of a prototype.
Built for the environment
One or the other might wonder why Meep uses bamboo as a building material. The answer is provided by himCEO of the company. According to Christopher Paris Lacson, the Philippine government plans to plant a total of 1 million hectares of bamboo over the next three years. By 2020, the company wants to find ways to develop an extremely stable and resilient material from bamboo. As a composite material, bamboo should be able to achieve the strength of steel.
The 'Green Falcon' is one of the first bamboo projects that was implemented by Meep. At the Manila Fame Show last October, the bamboo motorcycle competed against other innovative developments made from bamboo in the so-called 'Bamboo Extreme Program' and also celebrated its premiere there. The development of the 'green falcon', according to their own statements, was more about researching new and urban modes of transport that were built with local and future-oriented resources. Whether such a bike will ever be produced is therefore in the stars.
To the start page
