Team Nikola Racing
Image 1: Nikola 1.0 (Without Body Panels)
Image 2: Lithium Titanate Battery Cell
Image 3: Lithium Titanate Battery Pack Integration with Orion BMS
Image 4: Lithium Titanate Battery Pack Assembly on Nikola 1.0
Image 5: Nikola 1.0 (Assembled & Tested)
This project involved the design, fabrication, and manufacturing of an electric motorcycle with a range of approximately 100 km, a charging time of around 20 minutes, and a battery lifespan of more than 8 years. The motorcycle used lithium-titanate cells, each rated at 2.3 V and 40 Ah. Twenty cells were connected in series and integrated with an Orion Battery Management System (BMS) with CAN communication for real-time battery monitoring. The vehicle was powered by a 2 kW BLDC motor coupled to a chain-drive system.
As part of the core electrical team, my teammate and I initiated and implemented the battery-pack design using lithium-titanate cells. This work focused on integrating the cells and BMS into a battery system capable of supporting the motorcycle's charging and endurance requirements. The resulting battery pack enabled the motorcycle to achieve a charging time of approximately 20 minutes and a battery lifespan of more than 8 years.
As part of the institute's Golden Jubilee celebrations, Team Nikola also designed and built an electric Segway, a self-balancing vehicle using gyroscopic sensors for balance control, with two BLDC motors and LiPo batteries providing propulsion and power.