THE performance and advancements of electric vehicles (EV) have become a major attraction to the general public.
But often the inconvenience of the charging aspect contributes to the reluctance of owning them.
Now certain manufacturers have introduced battery swapping technology as the next step for their products and one of them, Blueshark, is now in Malaysia with its introductory R1 model.
The Chinese EV marque has signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) with EP Manufacturing Berhad (EPMB) alongside other key local industry players in Malaysia to create sustainability-led job opportunities for the B40 community by facilitating the adoption of green urban mobility.
The partnership is set to pioneer sustainable mobility for Malaysians by merging life-changing technology with a holistic approach to green urban mobility.
Its aim is to catalyse business logistics by empowering corporates and small-medium enterprises (SMEs) while also facilitating the gig economy.
The Blueshark R1 EV scooter
The scooter brings in quite a number of class-leading features. For instance, it comes with ArkRide operating system (OS) to support smartphone connectivity so you don't have to mount the phone using regular holders.
The OS is also said to be the first of its kind to be developed for two-wheeled vehicles, and is integrated into a wide 10-inch IPS (in-plane switching) display in the handle that is said to have a better display than regular LCDs.
The IPS display is also water- and dust-proof according to Blueshark.
Now for some technical numbers; the Blueshark R1 is powered by a cutting-edge lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with 5000W of peak power, and produces 201Nm of torque.
This gives the R1 a zero to 50kph sprint in 4.5 seconds, 80kph of top speed, and up to 160km of range.
The mentioned LFP battery is swappable so you can reduce the downtime during charging.
This is possible when there's a battery charging cradle or kiosk around.
Alternatively, the battery can also be charged using the three-pin charger like a conventional EV.
Onboard the Blueshark R1 is more than 70 sensors to manage the systems such as braking, lighting and power management so riders can be notified if any of them is malfunctioning.
The scooter comes with forward- and rear-facing cameras for various purposes. One of them is to display the rear-view camera into the IPS screen when a turn signal is activated.
Riders get to choose from five riding modes which includes Reversing and Turbo Racing mode - the latter gives an instant 201Nm of torque for maximum performance.
Other features on the R1 includes remote start, thumb print activation, smart motor controller and ADAS (advanced safety features).
On top of that, riders will be able to access and manage the information regarding their R1 via the Blueshark mobile app for a comprehensive end-to-end experience.
"As the world moves towards greener mobility and decarbonisation, we believe the most effective way to accelerate EV adoption is by providing consumers access to a superior, yet affordable product, powered by the most viable energy solution and complete ecosystem to support it," said EPMB deputy executive chairman Zulkefly Bin Baharuddin.
"Merging life-changing technology with a holistic approach to green urban mobility, Blueshark aims to create opportunities for Malaysians by providing a safe, accessible and carbon neutral alternative for their daily travels," Zulkefly added.
Blueshark Ecosystem Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Jeff Chong commented, "In what is an unprecedented move in automotive history, we believe that with our unique product ecosystem and business model that we will be making our products accessible to all especially the B40 group."
"We will be putting a lot of focus on empowering this underserved group of people with subsidies, green jobs creation, green entrepreneurship programs and much more," he added.
There was no pricing revealed as of now as it is only known that the scooter will be officially launched very soon.
Blueshark also noted that a 3S centre will be built in Glenmarie, Shah Alam with the local assembly (CKD) rolling out in Q3 next year.