(credit: Tajima Motor Corporation) Tajima e-runner electric vehicle | ¥207,900.00 | www.naturalenergy.jp
Japanese firm Tajima Motor Corporation is serious about the EV business. it has just launched a new compact electric vehicle dubbed the e-runner. e-runner is essentially a compact, light and affordable electric scooter that is meant for everyday short distance commute. currently, four models will be made available with the base-model e-runner features a 10 Ah battery pack that is good for a modest 36 kilometers (22 miles) range but what it lack off in range, it makes up for a short recharging time – it takes just two hours to get this battery pack fully charged.
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the other three models feature a higher capacity 15 Ah battery pack that is good for 53 kilometers (33 miles) and it takes just three hours to get it fully charged. all models run off the same 48 volt DC motor that develops just 0.59 kW and 20 Nm of torque with the exception for the top ranging model, ER70-B15 that squeezes out 0.74 kW from the same DC motor. one of the highlight is perhaps the removable battery pack that allows the rider to remove it from the vehicle and bring it indoor to charge the battery from any wall outlet. this option should encourage more willing adoption of the e-runner. the built-in handle on the battery pack and its relative light weight facilitate easy removable for charging. the battery weighs 5.6 kg and 7.5 kg for the 10 Ah and 15 Ah battery pack respectively. of course, the rider can also choose to charge the scooter without removing the battery pack.
the e-runner is designed to accommodate one person and is available now in Japan for just ¥207,900 (about US$2,569). obviously, the e-runner isn’t design for performance but as a means for short commute in a more eco-friendly way. i would think it might just be the perfect solution for Asia urban city where scooters are the favored choice of transport for short distant travel.
