Students from Eindhoven University of Technology have just embarked upon an ambitious journey to draw attention to electric transport and sustainability.
In true Jules Vernian fashion, they are attempting to ride around the world in 80 days on two Dutch-designed electric motorcycles.
23 students of TU Eindhoven spent two years working on the design of the motorcycles called STORM Wave, and they designed the battery pack themselves.
It consists of 24 individual cartridges that can deliver a maximum of 28,5 kWh, or 380 kilometres on a single charge. The modular design makes it easy to swap out empty batteries in a matter of minutes.
The STORM team has gathered supporters along the route which will allow them to recharge their batteries anywhere they go, solely relying on the local electric grid.
The roughly 26.000km journey will take STORM across the northern hemisphere. From Europe the electric motorcycles will venture into Central Asia and then continue on to the United States. The goal is to be back in Eindhoven by November 2.
While it may seem the ultimate road trip that requires no gasoline budget, the STORM team has a number of stops along the way to promote the concepts behind the project. They will make appearances at universities to promote electric transportation solutions and to generate interest in working for a sustainable future.
You can follow their progress live as they ride around the world on this live feed and via their Facebook updates.