Horse 2.0: Electric all-rounder LyteHorse braves desert, forest and water

The Canadian company LyteHorse Labs shows that electric vehicles are by no means inefficient. The company has designed an innovative all-terrain electric vehicle that is suitable for a wide range of applications. On board are lubrication-free igus bearings that make the vehicle maintenance and corrosion-free even in the most inhospitable environments.

Brad Bonk has always had a knack for designing unique motorbikes and hot rods. Using his creative talents, he eventually designed a stand-up electric vehicle for golf courses. But he and his brother Allen soon realised that there was much more potential in the little electric vehicle. “After taking it to the golf course, Brad and I decided to hook up the new vehicle to my SUV to see if it could pull the car,” Allen Bronk recalls. “And yes, that crazy little scooter thing ended up towing a 2.2-ton SUV across the car park.” That’s because with four independent hub motors, the vehicle has a switchable all-wheel drive for maximum stability and traction, making it the ideal companion in a wide range of applications. Thanks to igus tribopolymers, it is lightweight, lubricant- and corrosion-free and thus particularly low-maintenance.

Electric power pack with modern tribo-technology

The LyteHorse can transport 350 kilograms on pavements and stairs in the city. But it can also be used in the great outdoors, by the police, for rescue operations in impassable terrain, underground in mines, in warehouses or in forestry. “In the past, horses were often used in many of these areas. But they are expensive to train as well as to keep and comparatively slow,” says Allen Bronk. As a “horse 2.0”, the LyteHorse can go almost anywhere and travel up to 160 kilometres, purely electrically and completely silently. It is also waterproof up to a height of 60 centimetres. To ensure that it can be used without any problems in these very different environmental conditions, the designers placed particular importance on the durability and maintenance-free nature of the components installed. To this end, after extensive tests with steel and nylon bushings, LyteHorse Labs resorted to modern lubrication- and maintenance-free polymer bearing technology from igus and used it in the suspension and steering. “We couldn’t achieve our requirements with conventional bearings because they are susceptible to dirt, salt water and extreme temperatures,” Allen Bronk makes clear. “The flanged bushings we used made of iglidur J convinced us in the end in terms of performance, durability, reliability and cost. Without the targeted advice from igus, we would certainly not be where we already are today with the product.” And so the Canadians are optimistic about the future and are currently expanding into the US market, with their main focus on government contracts and building a distribution network.

You can see the LyteHorse in the video at:

For more information, please visit: https://www.igus.de/