BYD Electric Scooter Enters Final Testing Phase and Will Hit the Market Soon

After Reaching 5 Million Electric Cars Produced, Multinational BYD Decided to Enter the Two-Wheel Market, Producing an Electric Scooter Named X1.

BYD, the Chinese giant that operates in the electric car production sector, now announces that it will enter the electric scooter segment. In fact, the automaker’s involvement will be indirect in the sector. In November 2021, the Singapore electric vehicle startup, Scorpio Electric, revealed its first electric scooter, named X1.

BYD Scooter Will Be Equipped with 10 kW of Power

At the time, still in concept form, the electric scooter seemed to be an attempt to align with the growing trend of maxi-scooters. Now, about two years after the design concept announcement, scooters have witnessed substantial growth, especially in the European market.

In this way, Scorpio Electric recently announced a major development regarding the X1, BYD’s scooter. At the Nexus Europe 2023 Conference in Madrid, Spain, Scorpio Electric explained that it was in the process of finalizing the Pre-Production Prototypes (PPR) of its X1 scooter. These models will undergo further testing and, eventually, would be certified through the partnership with BYD.

In terms of specifications, the Scorpio X1 electric scooter is not very different from other electric motorcycles that have emerged over the years. It is substantially more powerful than some of them, as it has a 10 kW electric motor, which is equivalent to about 13 horsepower.

To give you an idea, the BYD scooter has similar power to gasoline motorcycles of 125 cc and 150 cc. However, it benefits from the instant torque of electric drivetrains, allowing for even greater agility in cities. The maximum speed of the model will be limited to 105 km/h, which is sufficient for an urban scooter.

BYD Electric Scooter May Hit the Market as Early as 2024

In terms of technology, the lithium-ion battery of the future BYD scooter features 72 volts and 5 kWh, delivering a claimed range of 200 km.

It takes about three hours to charge the component to 90%, using a 1.5-kilowatt Type 2 AC charger. Given that it is already in the final testing phase, Scorpio and BYD plan to launch the production version of the X1 in 2024.

However, it will be possible to see the electric scooter up close later this year, during the Milan Motorcycle Show, which will take place from November 7 to 12, 2023. This could be a great opportunity for Chinese BYD to showcase its capabilities in the electric scooter market.

Multinational BYD Advances in the Electric Car Market

While closing partnerships to enter the electric motorcycle market, BYD announced this Wednesday that it has reached the production of 5 million electric and hybrid vehicles. By July, the accumulated global sales of these models reached 4.8 million units.

The milestone was announced by Wang Chuanfu, the president and CEO of the automaker, at a ceremony held at BYD’s global headquarters in Shenzhen, China. According to the executive, the company has achieved a historic moment by witnessing the launch of its 5 millionth vehicle from the production line.

Electric cars have significantly propelled the pace of China’s automotive industry in recent years. It took 14 years for the industry to reach the level of 10 million sustainable energy vehicles and less than 18 months to double that number and reach 20 million vehicles produced. Last year, BYD’s electric cars saw enormous growth, reaching nearly 1.9 million units.