Kymco are the market leading scooter, motorcycle, ATV and mobility scooter manufacturer in their homeland of Taiwan and have been for the past 22 years.
They still continue to produce and develop new ICE, (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles, like the superb AK550, Downtown 350 and CV3. However, Kymco’s vision is for a multi-manufacturer EV future, powered by their Ionex battery and a new box of tricks. That latest addition to the Ionex platform, revealed in Milan, aims to keep them at the top for many years to come.
An interview with the Chairman
We were recently invited to the launch of their latest Ionex developments in Milan and had the chance to interview Kymco Chairman, Mr Allen Ko. You can see a short intro about Ionex and the interview in the video above.
We apologise for the sound quality, the interview was conducted in an open-topped booth in a very busy show.
What is Ionex?
Long-term ScooterLab readers will know that Kymco have been developing Ionex for a good few years now and scooters bearing the Ionex name are already in Kymco dealers in the UK – we rode one briefly a while back.
Outside of Taiwan, up until now, it’s been ‘just another’ electric scooter. Ionex is actually much more than that though. Kymco’s vision has been to create a common battery that can be used by lots of different scooters, motorcycles, ATVs etc. That in itself isn’t unique, there are other manufacturers who provide battery swapping on a smaller scale. Lurking in the background, major players, Honda/Yamaha/Piaggio and KTM are also working on their Battery Swapping Consortium in an effort to produce a standardised battery, they’re way behind Kymco though.
Swapping stations
The Ionex common battery can then be swapped for a fully charged one at swapping stations (Taiwan already has over 2700 Ionex swapping stations). This means the scooter/bike (or whatever product you use) can be sold to you without the need to buy a battery, making the purchase price much more affordable. Owners use a subscription-based service and can either charge at home or just swap batteries.
What makes Ionex way more versatile than the competition is their BMU, it’s a component that could well be a game changer for the future of electric mobility. Read on…
Battery Metering Unit
The really clever bit about Ionex is that Kymco have developed a new BMU (Battery Metering Unit). The BMU can be fitted to ANY electric vehicle and allows the use of Ionex to power it. For Kymco it means they have an even bigger market to supply. For smaller manufacturers, they can produce electric vehicles using much less time, effort and money. Battery development and technology is expensive and safety is a big concern. We’ll likely see a crackdown on cheaper batteries before too long (some are already being excluded from house insurance policies after battery-related fires). For the end user it means they get reliable and safe power. The scooter will also cost much less because you no longer need to buy the expensive battery (usually more than a third of the cost of an electric scooter).
Ionex Battery-as-a Service
The Ionex Common Battery is a versatile removable battery designed to be integrated into many two-wheeled machines. It comes with advanced battery management technology and is backed by the cloud-based Ionex Operating System which automates processes for the “Battery-as-a-service provider”. It tracks real-time battery and energy use, orchestrates autonomous battery swapping operations and intelligently manages each battery to extend battery life. It includes comprehensive business processing to automate mobile billing and payment collection, as well as having on-board auto diagnosis, alerts and recovery.
“The Ionex Battery-as-a-Service allows energy companies to focus on developing and supplying batteries with the best technology for all electric motorcycle riders,” commented Vincent Wong, Senior Vice President of EVE Energy.
In essence, Battery-as a Service will become big business for swap station owners in key areas. Stick a charge station outside your shop/business and you’ll be paid every time it gets used.
Ionex Battery Metering Unit
Complex battery technology is one of the main challenges for EV manufacturers. Being able to use the Ionex Battery and BMU saves them lots of hassle and expense, allowing them to concentrate on what they’re good at – building vehicles.
The BMU works seamlessly with the Ionex battery and comes with an Internet of Vehicles (IoV) interface. This allows the vehicle to connect with the rider’s mobile and turns it into a keyless device. It’s also equipped with Over-The-Air (OTA) firmware updates and financial-grade encrypted data transmission.
“The Ionex BMU empowers EV manufacturers to meet customer expectations for the electric era,” remarked Karim Donnez, CEO of LiveWire, the first publicly traded electric motorcycle company in the U.S.
Ionex Energy Station for Battery-Swapping Network Operators
Energy providers can choose various sizes and configurations for their independently run Battery Swapping Energy Station. These work seamlessly with every BMU-equipped electric motorcycle and offer riders the most user-friendly battery-swapping experience. It means there is a ‘no wait’ service for riders in serviced territories and swapping a battery is quicker than filling a scooter with fuel.
“The Ionex Energy Station is a turnkey solution to build battery-swapping networks for electric motorcycle riders. It plays a crucially important role in our pursuit of becoming the leading global energy provider in the electric era,” stated Ekachai Yimsakul, Managing Director of Arun Plus, the EV ecosystem flagship of PTT.
Ionex for the world?
Kymco has been running Ionex successfully in Taiwan for five years and already has over 2700 swapping stations. It means riders are never too far from one and new stations are being added all the time.
In 2024 they will be launching the Ionex service into scooter-rich Thailand with a dedicated Ionex partner.
Ionex battery swapping is available in Sweden and Ionex-equipped Kymco scooters are already on the roads of Europe. We’ll likely see Ionex Swapping Stations in the bigger European cities before too long and it’s likely to spread once other manufacturers start releasing their own Ionex-powered machines. For fleet or business use it’s a no-brainer, all the delivery riders can keep their scooters topped up throughout a shift and there’s no outlay for the batteries. Different subscription levels are available depending on usage, i.e. personal/business.
Kymco Chairman Mr Allen Ko had this to say at the end of his presentation in Milan “Right here, right now, marks the inflection point of the electric era,” “KYMCO’s game-changing Ionex EV Solution is paving the way for all stakeholders to jointly transition to the electric future. I invite everyone to join us on this transformative journey.”
Kymco superbike
Although there is currently no specific cut-off date in Taiwan for new ICE vehicles, Kymco are working towards a 100% all-electric range by 2040. Their local market is currently around 12-14% electric and rising by 2% per year.
One thing is for sure, Kymco are investing millions into this project and the development of electric superbikes like the SuperNex (pictured above), which is due to arrive in 2024, along with the RevoNex.
End of the ICE age?
In Europe, electric vehicle sales have plummeted in the last 12 months, due to rising energy prices and the cost of living crisis (plus the odd U-turn from our government about the phasing out of ICE has thrown a spanner in the works). The latest MCIA figures reveal a 37.9% drop in electric motorcycle sales in 2023.
Heralded as the best thing since diesel cars, Electric Vehicles may well help to save the planet (at least if you believe the hype) but will they replace the feeling and fun of a petrol-powered machine for leisure riding? At the moment no, but with Ionex helping to put range anxiety behind us and with bikes like the Kymco SuperNex, with true lifelike engine characteristics and manual gearshift, they’re getting closer.
We welcome all positive two-wheeled developments here at ScooterLab.
Words, photos and video: Iggy
Additional images: Kymco
