The next time you get a delivery from Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), the rider carrying your meal might just be on an environmentally friendly electric scooter.
Eclimo Sdn Bhd is designing and assembling the scooters in Bayan Lepas, Penang, and has leased 300 to KFC.
Despite a hefty price tag of RM18,800 (excluding GST), the company claims it has sold 450 electric scooters, called the ES-11s, to the police in Kuala Lumpur, the Municipal Council of Penang Island and individuals.
“They are concerned about the environment and willing to contribute to fight climate change,” said Eclimo director Datuk Dennis Chuah.
The ES-11 has even garnered overseas interest. Eclimo plans to sell 100 units of the ES-11 to Cambodia this year to ferry tourists around the Angkor Wat area.
The ES-11 offers fuss-free charging. Chuah claims that the electric bikes do not require special charging equipment and can be hooked up to any AC wall outlet.
“It takes four hours to fully charge an ES-11 and costs just RM1 for a full charge. A fully charged ES11 electric scooter can reach a maximum speed of around 100kph,” he said.
“The lithium-ion battery (made in Seremban) lasts about three to five years,” said Chuah who has previously worked on lithium batteries for radio controlled toys.
Eclimo recycles these battery cells which can then be used by Pasar Malam operators, rural area residences (as it can be charged by solar panels) and disaster areas.
“The used battery packs can also be used to replace petrol generators,” he said.
But Eclimo is not going to stop at just selling the ES-11 models, as it’s working on a “more sports-style electric motorcycle”.
The R&D will be completed by 2017, he said.
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