Vietnamese startup sells electric motorbikes for 220 million VND

Nuen Moto, a Vietnamese electric motorbike startup, has launched the N1-S. The company previously introduced its first concept model, the NU-E. The model is priced from VND180 million for the standard version, and VND220 million for the premium version.

The Nuen N1-S is designed in the style of large displacement motorcycles in the nakedbike and scrambler lines. The vehicle has a capacity of 32 horsepower, torque of 190 Nm, maximum speed of 130 km/h, and a travel distance of 200 km per charge according to the manufacturer (economy mode, moving at a steady 40-50 km/h).

The vehicle uses an aluminum frame and weighs 165 kg, lighter than the Honda SH350 scooter (172 kg). All of these parameters were measured on the prototype of the N1-S, not the commercial version.

On the premium version, limited to only 50 units, the N1-S is equipped with front/rear shock absorbers from Ohlins, front/rear brakes from Brembo with ABS technology on both channels. In addition, the vehicle is also equipped with a regenerating brake feature. Other amenities of the vehicle include cruise control, reverse gear, 3 driving modes: Rain, Street, Sport.

The N1-S's battery has a capacity of 8 kWh, with an on-board inverter. According to the manufacturer, the battery can be fully charged in 4.5 hours with household current, or 1 hour when charging with a DC fast charging station. Nuen Moto said it will install a DC fast charging station at a dealership in Ho Chi Minh City, and will expand in the future.

The startup did not specify which supplier the motor and battery are from, nor whether the company wrote the vehicle’s management software itself or ordered it. Previously, on the NU-E concept, the company said it produced the frame itself and wrote the software itself. With a price of 180-220 million VND, the N1-S is much more expensive than other electric motorbike models in Vietnam.

Currently on the market, electric motorbikes are mainly popular scooter-shaped models, with prices ranging from a few tens of millions to about 90 million at most (VinFast Theon S). Meanwhile, another startup that also makes masculine-style electric motorbikes is Datbike, which has a Quantum priced at 50 million, of course with a much smaller capacity than the N1-S. In particular, Datbike has equipped fast charging stations for motorbikes at authorized dealers.

The highest price for an electric vehicle in the Vietnamese market is the BMW CE-04 model, priced at 569 million VND, with a capacity of 42 horsepower, a travel distance of about 130 km on a full charge, and a maximum speed of 120 km/h. The price of around 200 million VND for the N1-S is equivalent to the large-displacement gasoline-powered motorbikes currently on the market, with a capacity of 500-700 cc.

According to industry experts, an electric motorbike model worth hundreds of millions is not for the majority, especially from startup brands, because there is no quality verification. Opening orders when there is only a prototype is a familiar way for startups in this field. Customers who buy motorbikes mainly evaluate based on information about the startup rather than the product itself. Therefore, the biggest challenge for startups is after-sales. Previously, Datbike or electric bike startup 3D SuperStrata received many bad reviews about product quality and service quality, after-sales.