SWAG EV is established and funded in Singapore. In 2016, they acquired a medium-sized electric bicycle company in Shanghai for this project. Their approach is a bit different from that of their competitors, and so is their business model. SWAG EV owns their designs (Swag bikes are designed by the British designer Rom Sim) and many core components are developed and produced as much as possible within the company.
Although this is capital-intensive, they know that their bikes can not easily be copied or replicated. After a year of prototyping and R & D, they finally launched the bikes in their target markets – the ASEAN regions. Today, their bikes are sold in Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos. SWAG EV is probably the first and only E-Scooter company in ASEAN that has EEC / COC certification for all their models and also fully lithium powered.
But as they move on, they are confronted with a lot of new challenges. Each ASEAN country has its own unique demography and perception on two-wheelers. Despite the differences, they share one thing in common: affordability. In the case of LAOS, the air in these regions is so fresh and almost free of pollution. This makes marketing efforts for “clean energy” seem almost unnecessary.
Type-S Electric scooter
The fuel prices on aggregate are very high, however, and the household income of the citizen decreases. Moreover, rural villagers and farmers stay away from petrol stations. SWAG EV has sold more than 1,000 e-scooters over the last six months and they consider this as a pretty big success – because Laos is not the most advanced technology country in the world. Their population in the working class and their purchasing power are generally also very low compared to the EU.
They have successfully proven that SWAG bikes have become a practical solution to this problem rather than another luxury alternative mode of transport. The Type-S sells for USD 1800 in the ASEAN countries (which is exactly the same price as a Yamaha Grand Filano in LAOS). For the future SWAG EV wants to be one of the most important players on the market in this region and enable people to own high-quality and reliable E-Scooters without having to pay too much.
In 2019 SWAG EV will launch 2 new models, the Type-X and Type-E. Type-X is more robust, aimed at men and also at food / mail delivery companies. Type-E is a lighter version for light, daily commuters. They also hope to reach out for more commercial (B2B) customers instead of retail customers.
SWAG EV is currently talking to GRAB (Grab is the leading Online-to-Offline Mobile Platform in Southeast Asia) to form an exclusive EV partnership soon.
Janson Chen, Managing Director SWAG EV: “This will be a great success as GRAB uses too many motorbikes in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. At this moment we’re probably the first and only E-scooter manufacturer with EEC/COC certification in ASEAN (also no other companies are using BOSCH motors here). UBER failed in Thailand and sold their operations to GRAB. As Uber ventures into electric scooters in USA, GRAB is also betting big on EVs in the near future.”
Model Type-S Electric scooter
Their German partner BOSCH has provided a specially tailored motor with a nominal power output of 2000w. The Field Oriented Control (FOC) is the key in balancing range and speed. You can think of the FOC as the brain controlling the motor in real-time. It recognizes your riding conditions and instantly calls on the motor for optimal performance.
Striking a fine balance between performance and energy consumption.
Re-inventing the future of urban exploration requires a deep understanding of lithium-ion technology. SWAG EV has tapped into the state-of-the-art 18650 series of Ii-ion batteries and adapted the technology to the needs of two-wheeled urban transportation – lightweight, efficient and dependable.
SWAG types are built to surpass daily commuting and cruising. Users all around the world make SWAG their preferred choice for all kinds of challenging and adventurous activities. Whether it is an inter-city road trip, work-travel trip, or food and mail delivery.
The SWAG App activates even more features from tuning your vehicle’s riding performance to the way it sounds. SWAG Types have on-board computers that constantly communicate with the cloud so you can receive real-time data on your mobile phone like anti-theft alerts, daily riding habits, diagnostics, power supply, and navigation to the nearest service station.
Specifications Type S
- Motor Rated power: 2000W
- Motortype: BOSCH hub motor
- Battery type : Panasonic Li-Ion 72V 26Ah
- Max speed: 55 km/h (COC)
- Range per charge: 70 km
- Recharge cycle: 1000 charges
- Electric consumption: <1.8 kw/h
- Charging time: 5 hours
- Tyre size: 3.0-10” tubeless
- Electric Input: 110V or 220V 50-60Hz
- Hill capability: 12 degrees (23%)
- Max Loading: 155 kg
- Size: 1730 x 680 x 1080 mm
- Net weight: 93 kg
- European Certification: 168/2013 EEC, L 1e-B
- Colours: Ghost White, Lava Red, Space Grey, Meteor Black
For the moment, SWAG EV uses Indiegogo as an alternative sales channel for overseas customers who want to experience their electric scooter. But in 2019, SWAG EV has plans for Europe and their presence will not be unnoticed.
New website will be launched mid November 2018
SWAG EV shall be participating at the EICMA Motorcycle Show 2018, in Milan Italy this November.
