How do you feel about reaction videos? That’s essentially what Kymco just released as a teaser exactly one week ahead of EICMA 2019. The plan: Unveil their new RevoNEX machine, presumably in Milan on November 5. This teaser video instructs us to get excited, but offers no real information other than the name to get excited about.
At EICMA 2018, Kymco unveiled its prototype SuperNEX electric bike. Is this an evolution, or another vehicle entirely in the all-electric NEX family? No one knows for sure, except maybe the people in this video.
Assuming these are actual people-on-the-street (and not actors) in a handful of major European cities, the Kymco teaser appears to show their reactions to seeing and hearing the RevoNEX for the first time. At least, that’s what the editing would have you believe. All seem suitably impressed by what they’re witnessing, but those of us watching the teaser are none the wiser.
Kymco is mostly well-known for its scooters, so it’s totally possible that the RevoNEX is an electric scooter. Still, we can’t forget the adorable little Spade 150 motorbike that the Taiwanese company also still sells on US shores.
What this teaser does tell us is that, should this be an actual production vehicle announcement and not a concept, Kymco intends this to serve the needs of city-dwellers. That, to us, says it will be an electric two-wheeler that is comparable to a small-displacement internal combustion bike. It should be light, nimble, maneuverable, and have a reasonable range.
Presumably, it will also take advantage of Kymco’s IoNEX swappable battery ecosystem. Since it’s being announced at EICMA, and the teaser calls out European rather than Asian cities, we might also hazard a guess that Kymco has plans to expand its IoNEX infrastructure there. Again, that’s all going with the presumption that this is a production-ready vehicle announcement, and not merely another concept announcement.
As to when or if we can expect the IoNEX system to spread to the US, well, your guess is as good as ours. According to Motorcycles Data, domestic sales in its home market make up about 63 percent of total Kymco global sales. Southeast Asia is next-most important, with 19 percent of sales. Europe, meanwhile, represents 8.9 percent of Kymco’s sales. Although they’re sold in the US, we simply don’t make up a significant portion of the company’s overall sales. Also worth noting: For the first half of 2019, Kymco’s global sales have fallen for the first time in four years.
Interestingly, Motorcycles Data also reports that Kymco Philippines president Allan Santiago announced a major Kymco investment in a new facility in that country that will specialize in electric two-wheelers. That facility is currently scheduled to start producing up to 6,000 units per month, and will open in 2023.
With a solid three years between now and then, Kymco’s electric two-wheeler production plans—for sale anywhere, let alone in the US—aren’t completely clear yet. Hopefully, we’ll have greater insight into what we can expect after their formal announcement at EICMA.
Sources: YouTube, Motorcycles Data
