Blueshark R1 and R1 Lite EV scooters launched in Malaysia – up to 110 km range NEDC; from RM7,190

Subsidiary of Sharkgulf Technologies, Blueshark has officially launched the R1 and R1 Lite fully electric scooters for the Malaysian market, following the scooters’ Malaysian showing last October at the 2022 International Greentech and Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM) in Kuala Lumpur.

The Blueshark R1 range of electric scooters are now available for outright purchase from RM7,190 for the R1 Lite up to RM9,390 for the top-spec R1, and for monthly corporate rental at RM487 for the R1 Lite and RM547 for the R1.

Maximum range on the Blueshark R1 electric scooter is 110 km on the NEDC testing protocol, and the rear hub-mounted motor outputs 5 kW and 201 Nm of torque, enabling a 0-50 km/h accleration time of 4.9 seconds, and a top speed of 80 km/h. When one battery is installed, the Blueshark R1 has a top speed of 40 km/h, according to a company representative.

Tyres on the Blueshark R1 range measure 100/90-12 in front and 120/70-12 at the rear, with front and rear linked disc brakes without ABS.

A full charge of two batteries for the Blueshark R1 takes 3.5 hours with the supplied charger that connects to a domestic three-pin socket, and both batteries can also be recharged when connecting the scooter directly to a wall socket. In Malaysia, riders with a B2 license may operate the Blueshark R1 on public roads.

The Blueshark R1 and R1 Lite arrive in Malaysia initially as fully imported (CBU) units from China, however the production of locally assembled (CKD) units is expected to commence in Glenmarie, Selangor in the third quarter of 2023.

The Blueshark R1 uses the company’s proprietary ArkRide operating system which offers Bluetooth connectivity, GPS navigation, media playback, over-the-air updates, onboard video recorder and more. These are accessed by the rider through the 10.4-inch full colour high-definition display.

Positioned at a lower price point, the Blueshark R1 Lite gets a simplified monochrome LCD instrument display and does without the higher-spec R1’s ArkRide operating system, cameras and video recorder, while its electric drivetrain and battery specifications remain the same.

Corporate rental of the Blueshark R1 or R1 Lite will include two batteries, one Bluetooth key and a sim card. Private purchases of the Blueshark R1 and R1 Lite will include one charger and two charging cradles, and notably outright purchase of the electric scooter will not include the batteries themselves.

The batteries are offered for use via BlueSwap battery swap plans; these are priced by number of battery swaps per month, with three monthly plans offered in addition to BlueSwap Flex, which is pay-per-swap at RM1.95 for each swap of a battery. For underseat storage, the Blueshark R1 accommodates one open-face helmet without a visor.

Monthly battery swap pricing starts with the BlueSwap Lite plan that is priced at RM59 a month that entitles the subscriber to 36 battery swaps in a month, while stepping up to the BlueSwap Standard plan at RM99 a month entitles the user to 70 battery swaps a month. The top subscription tier at launch is BlueSwap Pro that is priced at RM139 a month gets the user 120 battery swaps a month.

Given that the Blueshark R1 has the capacity for two batteries, one battery counts as one swap, therefore fully utilising both battery slots for two freshly charged batteries will count as two battery swaps.

For buyers of the Blueshark R1 who prefer to own the batteries for their electric scooter, they can elect to purchase the batteries at at estimated price of RM3,000 each, or around RM6,000 for both batteries. With the full complement of the purchase of two batteries along with the scooter, this would bring the total price to around RM15k for the Blueshark R1.

In terms of maintenance, servicing costs comprise of a change of transmission oil for the motor’s gear set every 6,000 km, at a price of RM45. This will be in addition to the regular checks of the tyres, brake pads and overall roadworthiness at this interval.

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