Monthly Archives: November 2014

Earlier this month 3 designer bikes were displayed in the Newcastle Library foyer, ranging from an example of high end product design, in the form of a Ducati Motorbike, to the sustainable design of an Electric Bicycle and Electric Motorbike.

The first vehicle, a Ducati Monster S4RS Testastretta, was kindly lent to us by our Institute Library Manager, Alan Flores. The Ducati’s innovative engine design results in a narrow combustion-chamber that increases efficiency.

The Electric Bicycle, designed by TPC students studying at Hunter TAFE was the first place winner for design, in the Hunter Valley Electric Vehicle Festival in 2013, and won fourth place for speed.

The third vehicle, is the CATAVOLT, an electric motorbike designed and built by Jon Eggenhuizen, while he was studying at Hunter TAFE. The bike takes four hours and $1.20 to charge and can travel up to 150 kilometres on a full charge. Jon now owns a local business, CATAVOLT, which specialises in Electric bicycles and supplies Electric Vehicle parts Australia wide.

These amazing machines reflect three areas of study which are taught at Hunter TAFE: Electro-technology, Sustainability, and Product Design. For more information on these courses see the Hunter TAFE website: http://www.hunter.tafensw.edu.au