Now more than ever, motorcycle manufacturers are investing heavily towards initiatives geared towards electrification. This is especially true in the Asian market, where small-capacity two-wheelers have been the kings of the road for the longest time. In India in particular, several new and exciting offerings in the electric motorcycle market have been popping up left and right.
That said, in the not too distant future, there could be yet another lineup of electric two-wheelers under the TVS brand. The Indian motorcycle giant has recently announced a substantial investment in ION Mobility, an up and coming electric mobility startup from Singapore. Through the arrangement, TVS will provide financial support to ION Mobility as the brand builds its presence in Malaysia and Singapore.
The specific details of TVS’ investment in ION Mobility were not disclosed, however, TVS did say that it was supporting the Singaporean firm as part of its initiative for global expansion. Furthermore, it hopes to build an aspirational product lineup full of premium, tech-laden electric models. For reference, ION Mobility currently markets the M1-S, its first and only model so far.
The ION M1-S is a maxi-scooter style electric scooter with a 12.5 kilowatt electric motor outputting a maximum 30 lb-ft of torque. It’s powered by a 3.5 kilowatt-hour battery pack, with the option to upgrade to a larger five-kilowatt-hour unit. It’s also packing an array of nifty tech features such as keyless ignition, a full-color, seven-inch TFT display, and full LED lights all around. Style-wise, it gets sporty, angular bodywork, giving it a strong resemblance to other gasoline-powered maxi-scoots such as the Yamaha XMAX and Kymco X-Town.
Other features include a standard telescopic fork up front as well as a pair of preload-adjustable shock absorbers at the rear. As for braking, it’s equipped with front and rear disc brakes.
