A YOUNG engineer is making a long-held dream a reality as he gets his electric motorbike ready for the road. 

Austin Tolfrey has been working on research and design towards the Aevo-B since the age of 13. 

At that time he was already building motorbikes out of pushbike parts and dreamed of a dune buggy that would be eco-friendly to drive. 

Now 17 and in the final year of A Levels, Austin has the likes of Jaguar Land Rover keenly interested in his ground-breaking electric motorbike. 

The battery-powered bike will be able to grow along with a young rider’s capability,  enabling people to lock one base motorbike of their desired spec to the equivalent of either a 50cc, 125cc or 250cc engine. 

As well as being a cheaper and more sustainable mode of transport for the rider, the bike will be a truly environmentally friendly option with a battery that can be removed and charged at home. 

“It’s a commuter’s bike so you can store it easily and it’s got a removable battery so you can charge it in your house,” Austin explains. 

“The average commute in the UK is 20, 25 miles and this will have a charge of 50-60 miles. 

“The main key selling point is that for a young person or someone starting out, the bike grows with you,” he continues. 

“When you’re 16 you can only ride a certain size of bike, so by 18 you might have gone through three separate bikes. 

“With this you can buy it when you’re 16 and the electronics will be locked to what your licence allows. It’s going to be electronic hardware, rather than software, so you can’t tamper with it. 

“So if you bought the bike when you were 16 with the lowest profile, you could take it back to the dealership at 17 and get the new profile put in, then when you get to 18 you can unlock the full potential. That’s the great thing about electric, you have full control.” 

With a huge amount of personal dedication over several years, Austin has also enlisted the help of expert sponsors such as Lynch Motors and Daly Electronics to lift his project off paper and into life. 

“Even though I’ve had to research every individual part and learn about everything, with the help of the sponsors it’s all been made to a really quality standard.” 

The vehicle has taken shape in the Design Technology (DT) department at Liskeard School and Community College. 

“At Liskeard we’ve got so much – it’s almost like an industry worskhop,” says Austin. 

“We’ve got a full metal workshop, all the electronics and woodwork. I’ve had people come and show me how to weld. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this stuff without the tools Liskeard has, so it’s been a really fortunate place to be able to do this project.” 

Head of DT Darren Bainbridge adds: “It’s also I think down to the fact that we’ve created an atmosphere that has allowed Austin to be as creative and as free with his ideas as possible – he hasn’t been restricted either with the physical product that he can make or the aspirations and dreams behind it – he’s had access to everything that he needed. 

“The fact that he’s been able to design and fabricate this here at Liskeard, pretty much all of it solely in the workshop, is fantastic.” 

Austin has been crowdfunding to obtain the final items needed to get the AevoB road ready and has just a few hundred pounds to go to target. 

“It’s things like all the connectors, wires, indicators, paint, that’s the next stage to get it on the road and be able to use it in the real world and test it out properly,” he says. 

“I can’t wait for that!” 

Having already secured a couple of copyrights, Austin hopes to get a patent for his design and from there, his aim is that the project will secure him a pathway into the industry. 

Darren is sure this will happen. “There is absolutely no reason why in two or three years’ time Austin won’t be working for somebody designing and building electric bikes that people are whizzing around on, that’s how good it is. 

“A lot of the time DT can be quite up in the air, with crazy ideas – but this is a really great idea that is very solidly based in the real world, it’s a winner. 

“And he’s gone on to the next level – he’s gone and got sponsorship, he’s got a website, people interested in it and he’s even got a monthly newsletter. It’s created a buzz. 

“To see an idea this clever coming to fruition over the next few weeks is going to be really exciting. 

“Austin has come up with an innovative idea, loosely based on something that already exists but he’s pushed the boundaries of its capabilities. That’s essentially what really good Design Technology is – building upon an idea and improving it.” 

Austin is proof that phenomenal things can happen when passion and dedication combine. 

“I built my first motorbike out of my mate’s pushbike and some old bedframes and a rebuilt engine from the scrapyard, and just sort of cobbled it together, it had no brakes or anything – your new shoes were your brakes, that was a lot of fun! 

“From that it really sparked an interest in making products on the automotive side. Personal transport is a big part of everyone’s lives.” 

Now he’s very close to realising a project that before too long could be coming off the production line. 

“You’ve got to keep the end goal in your mind all the way through such a lengthy process. Seeing every little bit come together now, it’s really satisfying.” 

Anyone wanting a closer look at the bike, to donate to the crowdfunder or become a sponsor – visit https://www.aevobproject.co.uk