The president of Kymco, Allan Ko, has presented the system KYMCO Ionex Smart StreetlightsA way of connect your battery exchange stations with the streetlights and traffic lights of the cities. A system of photovoltaic panels located in the upper part of the structure would be responsible for providing electricity to the batteries of the station. In addition, in the event of an electrical failure, these batteries would take care of keep running both the lighting of the city and the traffic lights that regulate traffic.
Since kimco began its electrification, it has offered a catalog that ranges from electric bicycles to future powerful and performance motorcycles, including the Ionex line of electric scooters, which seeks to offer a global solution for efficient mobility in urban areas. In April 2021, the Taiwanese decided to spin off their electrical division from the main brand, so that all products related to electrification are now marketed under the Ionex brand.
Beyond electric motorcycles, its product is based on the battery exchange service that was presented in 2018 at the Paris Motor Show. A practical solution for cities, where owners of a Kymco motorcycle can recover full autonomy very quickly. Now, Kymco is expanding the utility of these battery stations by turning them into auxiliary power devices for smart cities.
With the new KYMCO Ionex Smart Streetlights system, swappable battery base stations would be installed at streetlights and traffic lights which in turn would be connected to the cloud and the centralized management system. Some solar panels in the upper part of the structure they would be in charge of providing energy to the system and recharging the batteries. Thus, in addition to serving for users to exchange their batteries, in the event of a power outage, these would take care of power streetlights and traffic lightspreventing lighting and traffic control from stopping working during that time.
“With the Ionex Smart Streetlights system, a battery station has multiple functions while taking up very little space in the city. We provide a solution that benefits operators and consumers and makes cities smarter,” he says. allan ko.
In Taiwan, the home country of Kymco, battery exchange stations for electric scooters have become popular mainly due to the presence of its great rival: Gogoro. Many urban commuters have chosen to make their daily commute by taking advantage of the extensive battery exchange network installed there. In Taipei, its capital, battery exchange stations already outnumber gas stations, a situation that will soon occur throughout the country.
Early last month Taiwan was hit by a massive power outage. Millions of people were left without electricity for most of the day and even without the possibility of moving around, as it also affected service stations that could not operate without their electric pumps. In this situation, Gogoro was able to keep its battery swapping stations running as they can feed themselves and continue to operate for several days. During the power outage, system users were able to use them. This hands-on demo is an example of the usefulness of the KYMCO Ionex Smart Streetlights system beyond its primary use.
