Smartphone and electric-appliance manufacturer Xiaomi has revealed two new electric mopeds, the A1 and A1 Pro from its 70Mai brand. Set to go on sale in the Chinese markets, these lightweight electric mopeds feature a functional design with the A1 Pro getting some additional equipment and a larger battery, to set it apart from the standard A1.
Both mopeds have a top speed of 25kph, keeping with the laws in the Chinese market, with power coming from a hub-mounted electric motor. The A1 has a claimed range of 60km while the A1 Pro can cover 70km before running out of juice. The A1 Pro has higher range because it comes with a larger 9.6kWh battery pack, while the A1 has a smaller 7.68kWh unit. The best bit though, is that the battery is removeable, making it convenient to cart it up to a charging socket inside your home or office.
A usual telescopic fork at the front and a set of conventional twin shocks at the rear make up the suspension — a big plus on rough roads.
Being an established smartphone and tablet maker has also helped Xiaomi incorporate some interesting features into its electric mopeds. The instrument panel, for instance, is a full-colour instrument cluster with GPS navigation. There is a 1080p wide-angle camera as well, allowing users to record their rides. The footage can be stored on the A1 Pro’s on-board memory bank. The A1, however, will need an external memory stick to store the video clips.
The company, for now, hasn’t announced any plans of introducing its electric two-wheelers in India, though the prospect should be highly lucrative. This is considering the boom in the electric two-wheeler market as well as Xiaomi’s popularity and wide network in India in the smartphone space.
