Eco-friendly riding starts with Kymco's Ionex electric scooter
Kymco's Ionex electric scooter addresses range issue with battery-swapping vending machines
Electric motorcycles and scooters - which look like they have petrol engines but run on electric motors - have not caught on in Singapore.
In 2010, I tested a road-registered environment-friendly electric scooter which could cost as little as 10 cents a day to operate.
Sadly, that lithium-powered scooter lacked range (only between 100km and 130km) and took between four and six hours to fully charge its batteries via a special wire. And it's not everywhere that you can find a charging point.
Well, Kymco may have just found the solution.
At the Tokyo Motorcycle Show in late March, it launched the Ionex, an electric motorised scooter that addresses the charging issue, especially for urban riders.
The company, known for its Taiwan-made scooters whose engines have been adopted by other scooter manufacturers, proposed a power outlet network that combines typical charging stations with battery-swapping vending machines.
Imagine arriving at your destination, unplugging your batteries and slotting them into a vending machine to be recharged.
You could wait - it takes about an hour to get a full charge - or you could swap your batteries for fully charged ones.
For this scheme to work, there must be sufficient battery-swapping vending machines in Singapore. And the signs are hopeful.
Kymco chairman Allen Ko said at the launch event: "In the next three years, Kymco plans to launch 10 electric models, establish charge networks in 20 countries and sell over half a million electric vehicles worldwide.
"With the Ionex, together we start an open movement that celebrates one of the most important social missions of our time."
Kymco's charging outlet solution is not meant solely for its scooters.
It has opened up the idea to other manufacturers who intend to develop their range of electric scooters and motorcycles.
While no specifications were shared about the Kymco electric scooter, one can assume it handles like any small capacity petrol-powered scooter. The only difference is that it is quieter.
The key is in its design. An electric motor spins the rear wheel powered by a core battery that cannot be removed.
What adds convenience are the removable batteries that power the core battery unit while also charging it when the scooter is in motion.
How much will the electric scooter cost here?
The Singapore Kymco distributor told The New Paper its price has yet to be revealed. Once regulation for the electric scooter has been finalised, more details will be made available.
It added that Kymco's export model scooters will feature "higher outputs".
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
