Yinson GreenTech (YGT) is mainly known as the company that runs the ChargEV network which is the largest EV charging network in Malaysia to date. Truth to be told though, the company also has its hands in other segments of the market including electric motorcycles through a venture called RydeEV.
Instead of being a straightforward electric motorcycle manufacturer or distributor, RydeEV approached the segment through battery technology. This is made possible through YGT’s investment in a Singapore-based startup, Oyika back in 2021.
RydeEV service revolves around Oyika swappable battery technology
According to Oyika, its battery technology is brand-agnostic and can be fitted to almost all electric motorcycles. It also utilises a swappable battery design since this allows users to easily obtain fresh batteries quickly without waiting for hours to have the batteries fully charged.
In Indonesia where the brand has been operating since 2020, there are 19 electric motorcycle models from various brands that have been successfully converted to run on Oyika’s technology. In addition to that, the company have successfully created a conversion kit for Honda Spacy and Yamaha Mio which originally came with an internal combustion engine.
To get the ball rolling in Malaysia, RydeEV currently has two motorcycles under its wings including the Ryder and Hyper. Another model called Glyder is expected to be available by the end of the year.
Regardless of the model that customers choose, all of them are powered by two Oyika Gen-3 batteries. Each of them weighs 10kg and has a capacity of 1.65kWh which allows these bikes to achieve up to 100km of range, given that you rode them at an average speed of 55km/h.
One important thing to note about these RydeEV motorcycles is that they work EXCLUSIVELY through battery swapping, according to RydeEV representatives that we talked with at the launch of the RydeEV Experience Centre last night. Unlike the Blueshark R1, you are not able to charge RydeEV’s Oyika batteries at your home and this was apparently done to preserve the longevity of the batteries which were designed for 2,000 charging cycles.
While we are on the subject, the Managing Director of RydeEV, Syed Ahmad Faiz Syed Yusoff Fadzil said that Oyika is currently working on a semi-solid state battery which can deliver up to 200km of range with a single charge. The company is confident that the battery can be rolled out to consumers by the end of this year.
RydeEV Ryder and Hyper pricing
At the moment, RydeEV is not offering these motorcycles for outright purchases to consumers. Instead, they are available only through a lease-to-own program.
Under this program, customers can choose their monthly payment tenure to last for either three or four years:
- RydeEV Ryder 3-year contract: RM299/month
- RydeEV Ryder 4-year contract: RM250/month
- RydeEV Hyper 3-year contract: RM430/month
- RydeEV Hyper 4-year contract: RM339/month
Based on the above monthly fees, you are looking at a total ownership cost of around RM10,765 to RM12,000 for the Ryder. For the more powerful Hyper, the general cost is around at between RM15,480 to RM16,273.
During the contract period, the bike’s maintenance, insurance, and road tax will be covered by RydeEV. At the same time, customers will also be provided with unlimited battery swaps.
Once the contract tenure is over, they can choose to take ownership of the bike for RM1. Naturally, they also have to subscribe to a battery subscription plan in order to keep the RydeEV bike running since users are not able to charge the battery at home.
However, the price of the battery subscription plan has not yet been revealed by RydeEV. Based on our conversation with RydeEV representatives, details of the subscription plan will be announced later this year.
Meanwhile, RydeEV is also looking to deploy a bike-sharing service. At only RM2.50/hour, the service primarily targets students at higher learning institutions.
YGT has yet to reveal where exactly the bike-sharing service will be deployed but we believe one of the initial locations would be the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) campus in Gombak. This is because one of the battery swapping stations is located over there, according to the Oyika mobile app.
For businesses out there that want to embark on the green mobility journey through RydeEV, there is also the B2B Lease program. Comes standard with a 2-year contract, they can choose to lease the Ryder for RM299/month or opt for the Hyper at RM499/month.
Similar to the consumer program, the B2B Lease program also comes with unlimited battery swaps throughout the contract period. The program will also cover maintenance, insurance, and road tax.
We have since learned that YGT is currently in the midst of preparing RydeEV motorcycles for Pos Malaysia and Lazada. There were two Hyper motorcycles with liveries of both companies on display during the launch of the RydeEV Experience Centre in Petaling Jaya yesterday but YGT is not able to disclose further details regarding its RydeEV deals with them for the time being.
RydeEV Ryder quick specs
The RydeEV Ryder is essentially a TailG Warrior which has been given some RydeEV sticker treatment throughout its body. However, the TailG branding still remains pretty intact including the logo on its front cover set.
The bike is equipped with a 2kW electric motor which also produces a peak torque of 120Nm. It is clearly designed mainly for town riding given its top speed of just 65km/h.
Despite having a curb weight of 76kg, the Ryder has a loading capacity of up to 150kg. Comes standard with 12-inch wheels, this electric motorcycle has been fitted with disc brakes on both front and rear wheels but is not equipped with an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) nor a Combined Brake System (CBS)
As mentioned earlier, the Ryder is running on two Okiya batteries which have a total capacity of 3.35kWh. The dual battery setup allows the Ryder to deliver a maximum range of 100km, provided that its average speed is kept to 55km/h.
RydeEV Hyper quick specs
While it is less obvious than the Ryder, the RydeEV Hyper is also an existing electric motorcycle that has been given a RydeEV cosmetic treatment with traces of its manufacturer still remaining intact. In the case of Hyper, the bike is actually an Okla MX.
In addition to having a different physical design altogether, the Hyper is equipped with a 4kW electric motor that has a peak torque of 180Nm. Unlike the Ryder, this model has a much higher top speed of 90km/h.
Running on the same 3.35kWh Okiya dual battery setup, RydeEV claimed that this bike can still deliver 100km of range when ridden at an average speed of 55km/hm. This is even though the bike is heavier than the Ryder at 97kg and has a much higher loading capacity of 200kg.
The Hyper also features disc brakes on its 16-inch front wheels and 14-inch rear wheels. Unlike the Ryder though, this model does come with CBS.
RydeEV swapping stations
As noted earlier, RydeEV electric motorcycles run exclusively through the battery-swapping model. So, it goes without saying that the service needs to have a healthy amount of battery-swapping stations to make it feasible.
According to RydeEV’s Syed Ahmad Faiz, there are already 15 Okiya battery swapping stations throughout Klang Valley which can be located through the Okiya mobile app. The service is currently working to have its battery-swapping stations up and running at 100 locations by the end of 2023.
To know more about RydeEV or to have hands-on experience with its motorcycles, you can visit the newly opened RydeEV Experience Centre at Jalan Utara in Petaling Jaya. The centre is open Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM.
