Founded in Singapore, riding overseas: Why local electric motorcycle firms are looking abroad
Challenges such as limited battery capacity and high prices have made electric motorcycles a hard sell to the everyday rider in Singapore.
Singapore's electric motorcycle firms are turning their sights overseas as domestic adoption remains slow. Challenges like limited battery capacity and high prices have hampered growth in Singapore, where only 433 electric motorcycles were on the road as of July, representing just 0.2 percent of the motorcycle population. In contrast, electric cars have soared to over 69,000, comprising over 10 percent of the car market.
Electric motorcycle companies are now targeting countries with far greater motorcycle usage. Some are introducing plug-in models compatible with existing electric vehicle charging infrastructure, while others are focusing on corporate fleets to make the economics work before appealing to mass-market consumers. Indonesia, with the world's second-largest motorcycle population, has become a launchpad for firms like Kilats, which operates in Bali and Bandung and plans to expand into Thailand and Vietnam.
Local firm Charged Asia, with revenue from Indonesia, aims to deploy over 300,000 motorcycles across the region. Meanwhile, Leo Electric is exploring markets like Nigeria and the Middle East, with plans to introduce electric motorcycles in Singapore that can utilize existing charging infrastructure.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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