Sunday September 26, 2010
By GEORGE WONG
g.wong@thestar.com.my
THREE years ago when we began reviewing portable GPS systems, the choices were limited - at least in this country. Now we are getting more variety from imports and home-grown manufacturers.
A parallel growth is happening in another sector beyond Malaysia, as car and motorcycle makers explore hybrid and electric propulsion. Even the MINI and Smart manufacturers are toying with electric scooters, and concept bikes are due to be shown at the Paris Motor Show next month.
Companies such as Zero, Brammo and Electric Motorsport are making a name for themselves as they are selling or due to sell production electric motorcycle vehicles, that are practical and even sporty in performance.
By GEORGE WONG
g.wong@thestar.com.my
THREE years ago when we began reviewing portable GPS systems, the choices were limited - at least in this country. Now we are getting more variety from imports and home-grown manufacturers.
A parallel growth is happening in another sector beyond Malaysia, as car and motorcycle makers explore hybrid and electric propulsion. Even the MINI and Smart manufacturers are toying with electric scooters, and concept bikes are due to be shown at the Paris Motor Show next month.
Companies such as Zero, Brammo and Electric Motorsport are making a name for themselves as they are selling or due to sell production electric motorcycle vehicles, that are practical and even sporty in performance.
Honda is already in the electric scooter field while other big names like KTM and Yamaha are thinking of going electric as well.
Along comes Eclimo, a company that wants to shake up the personal mobility space on the local scene. It bills itself as the first Malaysian electric motorcycle maker, with plans to launch an electric bicycle and electric scooter soon after it received government approval to make them.
It is now awaiting parliamentary nod to gazette the laws that will allow the use of electric two-wheel vehicles on public roads.
Motorcycles are seen as the right platform to start pushing the electric envelope because they can be made and sold for less money than cars, while delivering greater efficiency and performance.
StarMotoring highlighted Eclimo and its scooter in April. This time around, it had a pre-production unit ready for the road
The Eclimo electric scooter, based on a Suzuki chassis, looks thoroughly stylish and trendy and certainly is nothing to be shy about being seen in.
It handles like a 125cc equivalent scooter is supposed to. It’s easy to slide onto the seat and move off, a feature that ladies will appreciate.
There is no clutch to deal with. Switch the ignition on, flip the master power switch at the base of the seat, twist the throttle and off you go. Twist the throttle some more for added speed.
There’s no engine or transmission to speak of in the Eclimo scooter, so the typical chugging sound is completely absent save for the whirring noise of an electric motor that is at the heart of the bike’s drivetrain.
The bike is light and maneuverable and women would have no trouble using it.
Along comes Eclimo, a company that wants to shake up the personal mobility space on the local scene. It bills itself as the first Malaysian electric motorcycle maker, with plans to launch an electric bicycle and electric scooter soon after it received government approval to make them.
It is now awaiting parliamentary nod to gazette the laws that will allow the use of electric two-wheel vehicles on public roads.
Motorcycles are seen as the right platform to start pushing the electric envelope because they can be made and sold for less money than cars, while delivering greater efficiency and performance.
StarMotoring highlighted Eclimo and its scooter in April. This time around, it had a pre-production unit ready for the road
The Eclimo electric scooter, based on a Suzuki chassis, looks thoroughly stylish and trendy and certainly is nothing to be shy about being seen in.
It handles like a 125cc equivalent scooter is supposed to. It’s easy to slide onto the seat and move off, a feature that ladies will appreciate.
There is no clutch to deal with. Switch the ignition on, flip the master power switch at the base of the seat, twist the throttle and off you go. Twist the throttle some more for added speed.
There’s no engine or transmission to speak of in the Eclimo scooter, so the typical chugging sound is completely absent save for the whirring noise of an electric motor that is at the heart of the bike’s drivetrain.
The bike is light and maneuverable and women would have no trouble using it.
The electric motor in the rear wheel. Eclimo says it's well sealed so that even if half submerged in floods, water will not leaked in.
At traffic stops, the Eclimo bike is the only one that is dead quiet while other riders with their conventional bikes nearby are creating a ruckus.
Pick-up is commendable and acceleration to the 80kph limit is brisk and linear, with a 0-50kph dash recorded at 8s.
Speeds of 60-80kph feels decently fast enough when riding with body exposed to the environment.
The Eclimo scooter can weave in and out of traffic with the best of them – and irks other motorists just as much.
Disc brakes on both wheels provide effective stopping power and there’s regenerative braking everytime you squeeze a short lever on the left handle. Note that the left handle has a longer lever as well, a requirement by the Road Transport Department that the Eclimo scooter must have mechanical braking control.
As an electric bike, Eclimo’s own is quiet, easy to handle and good for the environment as no pollutants are emitted. But it has to be said that it is not entirely carbon-neutral. The power it needs from the national grid is still the result of burning coal and natural gas.
Standard scooters, with their step-through frame and small wheels, are by their nature designed for urban transportation. Maxi-scooters, with bigger wheels, a longer wheelbase and heavier weight are more adept and stable at long-distance travel.
At first glance, the standard-size Eclimo product might appear to be just another scooter. Look closer and three features stand out.
The electric motor is the main point of differentiation between the Eclimo unit and the common petrol-fueled motorcycle. It’s huge and occupies the whole circumference of the rear wheel.
The in-wheel motor produces 100Nm of torque and peak output of 9hp (6.7kW), with continuous power of 6.7hp (5kW). Eclimo claims it’s sealed tight against rain and will not let water in even when the wheel is partially submerged.
Next is a three-pin socket that really says this is an electric bike.
A cord that looks like a computer cable is provided that hooks the bike to a plug point. It would have been nice to have a retractable cable for a neater implementation.
The rechargeable lithium batteries is of course the third feature that sets this scooter apart from the rest of the bike population in Malaysia.
Located under the seat, there are two banks of Li ion polymer batteries. The 2.2kWh battery pack takes 3-1/2 hours to be fully charged, and is 70% charged in two hours if one is in a bit of a hurry.
The 20kg battery pack can be lifted out of the bike and taken elsewhere for charging if required.
If you didn't know, you would have assumed the trendy Eclimo scooter is a regular petrol-driven bike. But it's rather special.
Each battery is rated to last 1,000 cycles or three years at 2,000km/month. It can be kept for more than six months if it is 50% charged.
The bike also has an underseat diagnostic cable that can be plugged into an external computer to check the state of the bike and reprogrammed the speed limit.
Manufacturer claims often are qualified and in this case the stated range of 100km is true only if you are a 70kg rider and travelling alone on a flat surface at a constant 50kph.
The writer weighed 75kg and during his brief stint with the bike made five pit stops and traversed two inclines on the stretch of the PLUS highway from Petaling Jaya to the Sungai Buloh overhead restaurants.
Speedwise, he ignored the 50kph guideline and pelted the bike at 60kph-80kph along the expressway, as any regular motorcyclist would do - at the minimum.
But the trip made it abundantly clear that while the Eclimo scooter can do the job on expressways, it is not at ease doing so as the rider will be speeding along with cars, lorries and trucks that are just inches away.
He also has to contend with crosswinds and headwinds that could be deflected somewhat if only the bike has a windshield or he is wearing a full-face helmet.
Such collective activity must have been too much for the bike to take. Before it could clock 50km, it ran out of “juice”. No matter how much the throttle was twisted, there was simply no go as a weak whirring sound emanated from the motor.
Fortunately, the setback happened in a commercial area instead of on a deserted road. A plug point was found in a car wash area that was low enough for the charging cable to connect to.
The bike bounced back to its normal pep and vigour after charging up for three hours.
But to be fair to Eclimo, if it was not as stressful a trip as the one we subjected the bike to, it could have made a round trip from, say Puchong to KL, with enough power left over to hop over to the neighbourhood 7-Eleven down the road.
Headlights weren’t bright enough at night but then the writer was speaking from the perspective of a person used to having the road ahead basked in multiple headlamps from a Virago cruiser.
No more visits to the petrol pump. A pair of Li ion polymer batteries that provides the 'juice' for the bike.
The dual meter cluster on our pre-production model shows a speedo on the left while the right one is the battery charge gauge.
On a small bike like this, the throw and intensity of the light could be better. However, it’s always a compromise as this will add extra load on the battery.
Note that Eclimo will be fine-tuning the machine before it goes to production.
At current electricity tariffs, it costs only 87 sen per charge of the bike. And because there are minimal running parts and an electric motor that is maintenance-free, it makes for low-running costs.
But at RM12,000, the bike will find it a hard sell to the general public until Eclimo can bring the price down.
“Price it between RM7,000 and RM8,000, and it will start to look attractive,” says a veteran motorcycle dealer who had tried out the Eclimo bike.
According to Eclimo spokesman KB Woo, “we are still working to bring down the price. All final pricing will be announced and made public once the government has gazetted EVs for road use.
“We are working with several financial institutions to provide an attractive financing package for buyers to own the e-scooter without heavy financial burden.”
We reckon businesses such as courier service companies or the pizza shops could be the first adopters of such bikes.
What follows if Eclimo gets its marketing formula right for its electric two-wheelers? Well, it’s eyeing compact electric cars as its next new frontier.
Eclimo Contact Info
Website:http://www.eclimo.com.my
Office:+603- 7885 9077
Location:E-01-03, Plaza Glomac, 6 Jalan SS7/19, Kelana Jaya Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, 47301 Petaling Jaya
ecLimo Green Page : http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=114480311928310&v=info&ref=ts
At traffic stops, the Eclimo bike is the only one that is dead quiet while other riders with their conventional bikes nearby are creating a ruckus.
Pick-up is commendable and acceleration to the 80kph limit is brisk and linear, with a 0-50kph dash recorded at 8s.
Speeds of 60-80kph feels decently fast enough when riding with body exposed to the environment.
The Eclimo scooter can weave in and out of traffic with the best of them – and irks other motorists just as much.
Disc brakes on both wheels provide effective stopping power and there’s regenerative braking everytime you squeeze a short lever on the left handle. Note that the left handle has a longer lever as well, a requirement by the Road Transport Department that the Eclimo scooter must have mechanical braking control.
As an electric bike, Eclimo’s own is quiet, easy to handle and good for the environment as no pollutants are emitted. But it has to be said that it is not entirely carbon-neutral. The power it needs from the national grid is still the result of burning coal and natural gas.
Standard scooters, with their step-through frame and small wheels, are by their nature designed for urban transportation. Maxi-scooters, with bigger wheels, a longer wheelbase and heavier weight are more adept and stable at long-distance travel.
At first glance, the standard-size Eclimo product might appear to be just another scooter. Look closer and three features stand out.
A speedometer and a charge meter.
The electric motor is the main point of differentiation between the Eclimo unit and the common petrol-fueled motorcycle. It’s huge and occupies the whole circumference of the rear wheel.
The in-wheel motor produces 100Nm of torque and peak output of 9hp (6.7kW), with continuous power of 6.7hp (5kW). Eclimo claims it’s sealed tight against rain and will not let water in even when the wheel is partially submerged.
Next is a three-pin socket that really says this is an electric bike.
A cord that looks like a computer cable is provided that hooks the bike to a plug point. It would have been nice to have a retractable cable for a neater implementation.
The rechargeable lithium batteries is of course the third feature that sets this scooter apart from the rest of the bike population in Malaysia.
Located under the seat, there are two banks of Li ion polymer batteries. The 2.2kWh battery pack takes 3-1/2 hours to be fully charged, and is 70% charged in two hours if one is in a bit of a hurry.
The 20kg battery pack can be lifted out of the bike and taken elsewhere for charging if required.
Each battery is rated to last 1,000 cycles or three years at 2,000km/month. It can be kept for more than six months if it is 50% charged.
The bike also has an underseat diagnostic cable that can be plugged into an external computer to check the state of the bike and reprogrammed the speed limit.
Manufacturer claims often are qualified and in this case the stated range of 100km is true only if you are a 70kg rider and travelling alone on a flat surface at a constant 50kph.
The writer weighed 75kg and during his brief stint with the bike made five pit stops and traversed two inclines on the stretch of the PLUS highway from Petaling Jaya to the Sungai Buloh overhead restaurants.
Speedwise, he ignored the 50kph guideline and pelted the bike at 60kph-80kph along the expressway, as any regular motorcyclist would do - at the minimum.
But the trip made it abundantly clear that while the Eclimo scooter can do the job on expressways, it is not at ease doing so as the rider will be speeding along with cars, lorries and trucks that are just inches away.
He also has to contend with crosswinds and headwinds that could be deflected somewhat if only the bike has a windshield or he is wearing a full-face helmet.
Such collective activity must have been too much for the bike to take. Before it could clock 50km, it ran out of “juice”. No matter how much the throttle was twisted, there was simply no go as a weak whirring sound emanated from the motor.
Fortunately, the setback happened in a commercial area instead of on a deserted road. A plug point was found in a car wash area that was low enough for the charging cable to connect to.
The bike bounced back to its normal pep and vigour after charging up for three hours.
But to be fair to Eclimo, if it was not as stressful a trip as the one we subjected the bike to, it could have made a round trip from, say Puchong to KL, with enough power left over to hop over to the neighbourhood 7-Eleven down the road.
Headlights weren’t bright enough at night but then the writer was speaking from the perspective of a person used to having the road ahead basked in multiple headlamps from a Virago cruiser.
The dual meter cluster on our pre-production model shows a speedo on the left while the right one is the battery charge gauge.
On a small bike like this, the throw and intensity of the light could be better. However, it’s always a compromise as this will add extra load on the battery.
Note that Eclimo will be fine-tuning the machine before it goes to production.
At current electricity tariffs, it costs only 87 sen per charge of the bike. And because there are minimal running parts and an electric motor that is maintenance-free, it makes for low-running costs.
But at RM12,000, the bike will find it a hard sell to the general public until Eclimo can bring the price down.
“Price it between RM7,000 and RM8,000, and it will start to look attractive,” says a veteran motorcycle dealer who had tried out the Eclimo bike.
According to Eclimo spokesman KB Woo, “we are still working to bring down the price. All final pricing will be announced and made public once the government has gazetted EVs for road use.
“We are working with several financial institutions to provide an attractive financing package for buyers to own the e-scooter without heavy financial burden.”
We reckon businesses such as courier service companies or the pizza shops could be the first adopters of such bikes.
What follows if Eclimo gets its marketing formula right for its electric two-wheelers? Well, it’s eyeing compact electric cars as its next new frontier.
Eclimo Contact Info
Website:http://www.eclimo.com.my
Office:+603- 7885 9077
Location:E-01-03, Plaza Glomac, 6 Jalan SS7/19, Kelana Jaya Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, 47301 Petaling Jaya
ecLimo Green Page : http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=114480311928310&v=info&ref=ts
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