KYMCO wants to offer its electric scooter locally

Government subsidy needed

KYMCO Philippines wants to offer its first fully-electric scooter, the Many EV, in the Philippines. The new model, unveiled at the 13^th Inside Racing Bike Fest, will be powered by Kymco's Intelligent Open Network Electric Experience (IONEX).

Unlike many other electric motorcycles on the market, KYMCO's Many EV uses a combination of core internal batteries and hot-swappable extra batteries to extend its range. With a total capacity of five batteries, the Many EV boasts of a range of 200 km.

Powering it is a 3.2 Kilowatt electric motor, allowing it to reach a top speed of 60 km/h. It tips the scales at just 87 kg. The e-scooter is powered by Biactron efficiency technology, making it more efficient with energy, at the same time taking up less space and weighing far less than its competitors.

Each scooter comes with its own charger. It also comes equipped with a removable battery that weighs just 5-kg, allowing the rider to easily carry it home to charge at night.

Riders can simply charge the bike's core batteries by plugging it into a regular wall outlet, using the included charger. There is a separate charger for the removable battery. Besides the ability to charge it at home, owners can opt to charge the removable battery at KYMCO IONEX energy stations. They can even swap it for one that's already fully charged, if they have subscribed to the additional service.

The final cherry on top is the optional Noodoe Navigation system. The Noodoe system is displayed on a circular color LCD screen that can display the weather, navigation and clock. It can also connect to a cellular phone or helmet communication system to broadcast audio from the navigation and provide turn by turn directions.

We've already had the rare opportunity ot test the KYMCO Many EV in Taiwan. The unique scooter is light and agile, and even incldues a reverse gear. It looks and rides like a regular motorcycle, with the only exception being that it's quiet, thanks to the electric motor.

The only thing stopping KYMCO Philippines from offering it locally is the lack of local subsidies and incentives to bring the Many EV's price down and make it more appealing to potential buyers. As it is, the government's TRAIN program allows fully electric vehicles, like the KYMCO Many EV, to be imported and sold in the country without any excise tax. However, without any subsidies, even a tax-free Many EV will still be quite expensive, most likely priced higher than most gasoline-powered scooters.

In addition, KYMCO Philippines is still in the negotiation stages with local partners to put up its planned network of IONEX energy stations to further increase the motorcycle's range and convenience.