A new line of electric scooters designed in Taiwan and tested with Bermuda’s climate in mind has arrived on the island.

Cycle Care Ltd has launched three IOneX by Kymco electric vehicle models, which Paul DeCouto, the store’s technical director, says stand apart because they are “engineered, manufactured and assembled” in Kymco’s factory in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan — not pieced together from outside suppliers.

“Kymco controls every aspect of the manufacturing process,” Mr DeCouto told The Royal Gazette. “That’s very important to maintain a high degree of quality consistently. Other EV scooters on the market can be like ‘Frankenstein’ machines, built from bits and pieces. These are second to none.”

To ensure their suitability for Bermuda, Mr DeCouto travelled to Taiwan last year, touring the factory, test-riding the models at Kymco’s private facility, and training directly with engineers on diagnostics and maintenance. He even rented a Kymco scooter in Taipei and rode it 350 kilometres to the factory, stopping at dealerships along the way to hear first-hand experiences.

“As an island, Taiwan faces the same challenge we do — salt air,” he explained. “Significant research and development has gone into corrosion resistance. That gives us confidence these scooters will hold up in Bermuda’s sometimes harsh conditions.”

Steven DeCouto, director of Cycle Care, in a video introducing the new product, called the IOneX “a super-quiet, high-end electric scooter to get up any hill on the island without losing power.

The scooter has a small, removable battery, which Mr DeCouto called “high-end” and “ long-lasting”.

“[They] charge quickly and don’t lose power as the percentage reduces,” he added.

Three models are available locally: the I-One 2.8 kilowatt ($3,995), I-One 4.2kW ($4,595) and the top-tier S7 “Super 7” 9.8kW ($5,995).

Cycle Care has also shifted its business model to exclusively sell and service Kymco/IOneX products. “Between myself, my brother Steven and our veteran technician Alan Richardson, we have more than a century of combined motorcycle experience in Bermuda,” Paul DeCouto said. “We’re confident this is the right product for Bermuda riders.”