Kuala Lumpur: The launch of locally made electric scooters powered by nano-structured batteries proves the commitment of the science, technology and innovation ministry (Mosti) in ensuring Malaysia’s goal of becoming a carbon-neutral country by 2050 is achieved.
Its minister, Dr Adham Baba, said the launch of the scooter named Eclimo ES-11 would pave the way for the country to join the multi-billion-ringgit electric vehicle (EV) industry, and help revive the post-Covid-19 economy.
To that end, he said food or grocery delivery service companies could lead the way by using the environmentally-friendly vehicle.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has created opportunities for other sources of income, (such as) through delivery services using motorcycles.
“So, I hope vehicles such as motorcycles with nano-structured batteries will be widely used in Malaysia in the future, and to achieve this, we must all band together,” he said when launching the electric motorcycle developed by Mosti in collaboration with NanoMalaysia Bhd and Eclimo Sdn Bhd here today.
The use of EV vehicles is in line with the country’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 45% by 2030, as outlined in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
According to Adham, the Eclimo ES-11 has a 100km range per charge cycle, a maximum speed of 100km/h and with the right pricing, could have a huge impact on the market.
He also drew attention to the fact that the vehicle provides a three-pin plug charging system, which would solve the problem of the lack of infrastructure and charging stations often faced by EV users.
“Besides that, the special feature of using the nano-structured battery is that it can monitor the condition of the battery by sending alerts when the voltage decreases, and also provides a tracking and geotagging system that can be controlled using mobile applications,” he said.
He said the nano-based lithium-ion battery cell had up to 1,000 charge cycles, with the system saving up to 7kg of carbon dioxide emissions for every 100km travelled.
Meanwhile, NanoMalaysia chief executive officer Rezal Khairi Ahmad said that besides a mode of transportation, the motorcycle had been tested on a commercial scale, including for the delivery of food, groceries, medical and pharmaceutical products and e-commerce packages.
He said 58 Eclimo ES-11 units had been built so far, with 41 of them rented out under a leasing model in the Klang Valley, Penang and Johor.
“Plans are under way to provide the Eclimo ES-11 as a mode of transportation in the city to the public through a shared service like ‘Beam’ and ‘Tryke’ that allow users to rent the scooters for a short-term through an application,” he said.
Rezal said the launch of the electric scooter was timely, as when unveiling Budget 2022 recently, the government had committed to supporting the EV industry by exempting import and excise duties and sales tax for all EV vehicles, as well as providing income tax relief of up to RM2,500 for the purchase, installation, rental, hire purchase as well as subscribing to EV charging facilities.
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