Life in a Tremendous Soco: Assessment of the TC-1900 (Plus, the Way forward for the Model)

In June 2022, simply earlier than the second spherical of Colombia’s nationwide elections, former President Ivan Duque introduced that the de-facto subsidy for gasoline* could be steadily dropped. The choice, fortunately, was authorized by the brand new administration of President Gustavo Petro, and the price of gasoline began to extend month-to-month. The method will proceed till parity is reached with worldwide oil costs. As soon as it was clear that the choice was last, I advised my companion it was time for us to purchase an electrical bike. To be clear, we didn’t have a gasoline-powered bike (or any sort of car for that matter), however I feared that rising gasoline costs would push e-bike costs up.

This wasn’t our first rodeo relating to e-powered two-wheelers. Again when she owned an ICE automobile, we had bought a lead-acid powered 800W e-moped ($500 value) to maneuver round in rush hour or when there have been transit restrictions. However when she bought the automobile, it turned clear the moped was not highly effective sufficient nor dependable sufficient as a principal car, so we bought it and began fascinated by a bigger, extra succesful e-motorcycle … till the federal government’s announcement made us soar the gun.

The selection? A two-year-old, 5000-km Tremendous Soco TC-1900.

(And, should you want to know, an electrical automobile was not even thought-about due to their excessive value and the hellish visitors in Bogota).

Tremendous Soco TC-1900: The Fundamentals

In case you haven’t heard about it, the Tremendous Soco model is owned by Australia’s Vmoto e-motorcycle firm. The 83-kg TC-1900 is a retro-style e-bike (or e-moped, in accordance with Colombia’s authorities rules) that features:

• A detachable 1.8-kWh lithium-ion Panasonic battery that gives 40 to 80 km of vary (and a slot for a second one, ought to the proprietor want for it).
• A 1.9-kW in-wheel motor, peaking at 2.7 kW, able to reaching some 80 km/h (50 mph) with one passenger.
• An analog speedometer and digital display screen.

And … that’s just about it. However for $6,000,000 COP ($1,200 on the alternate price again then), I discover it unreasonable to ask for extra. The bike is completely value its value, after which a bit extra.

Driving Expertise

The TC-1900 has three driving choices creatively referred to as Mode 1, 2, and three. They mainly restrict energy and velocity to 50, 65, and 80 km/h respectively. The longer vary, the decrease the ability. A fast estimate will be 80 km for Mode 1, 60 km for Mode 2, and 40 km for Mode 3. A quirk about this car is that energy will begin diminishing when you get to 70% cost or so: one can really feel within the acceleration and the highest velocity whether or not the battery is sort of full or not.

As all EVs, this one has instantaneous acceleration, to the purpose the place one have to be cautious if carrying a passenger: in that case, it’s advisable to start out in Mode 1. Small and light-weight, the TC-1900 is right for Bogota’s visitors situations, making it simple and sensible to maneuver round within the heavy jams that abound everywhere in the metropolis. The seat is comfy, however clearly designed for an city setting, not for lengthy(ish) journeys.

Its 1.9-kW motor is greater than highly effective sufficient for steep inclinations, even with two passengers, and the bike doesn’t stall when it wants to start out on a hill. Nevertheless, it’s value stating that the car’s carrying capability is barely 150 kg, so you might not have the ability to carry two passengers (Colombians, fortunately, are normally on the smaller facet).

On the Battery

One of many principal causes folks reject e-bikes right here in Colombia has to do with the period of the batteries. And regardless that it’s the identical previous argument used in opposition to electrical automobiles, this time, they do have some extent.

I — supposedly — know how one can look after batteries, and even then, I had three lead-acid batteries in a row fail me in my earlier e-moped (all, fortunately, underneath guarantee). Apparently, there was a brief circuit that broken them. Lithium-ion batteries are imagined to be sturdier, however most e-bikes lack any form of thermal administration system — don’t hearken to the producer’s suggestions (I’ve seen native manuals recommending 100% prices as frequently as doable and full discharges earlier than charging). Additionally, the minuscule batteries are unlikely to have that a lot of a buffer.

In consequence, one has actually no concept how lengthy a battery will final.

Our TC-1900 was registered in January 2021, so we’re approaching 3 years (and 7000 km) of use. We haven’t seen any significant degradation, however then once more, it’s laborious to measure it once you hardly ever make common journeys at fixed speeds. My expectation is for the battery to final a minimum of 5 years, and ideally 8, however we’ll have to attend and see.

The excellent news is: battery costs are falling far more quickly than we anticipated. Again when this e-bike arrived in Colombia, in 2018 or so, a battery alternative was anticipated to value $4,500,000 COP ($1,150), or half the value of the bike. In 2022, I checked once more and it was already at $3,000,000 COP ($765). Again in March, after we final did upkeep, it was already at $2,500,000 COP ($636). And final week, I referred to as and had it quoted at $1,800,000 COP ($464), which means a 60% value lower over 5 years. At this value, we’ve already determined to buy our second battery, in order that our city e-bike turns into a suburban e-bike able to making brief journeys to the encircling cities.

I do know a few of you in all probability want to know the price of charging the battery, however that has confirmed laborious to calculate, as we don’t know charging effectivity. Regardless, our month-to-month invoice hasn’t noticeably elevated with use, so we calculate some $6 a month, at most.

Points with the TC-1900

No car is ideal, and low-cost automobiles like this one normally have some quirks. Nevertheless, I solely actually have three complaints about my TC-1900:

1. First, the dearth of an anti-lock braking system (ABS) makes this car extra harmful than it ought to be.
2. Second, the again of the TC-1900 isn’t sturdy sufficient so as to add a small trunk or high field. Something one desires to hold, one should tackle their very own again.
3. And third … the parking button. It’s been reported by Tremendous Soco homeowners all all over the world that the parking button begins failing sooner or later, activating parking mode at random instances and thus dropping all energy to the accelerator. After we bought the bike, this was a minor nuisance that was solved honking, however over the months, it turned increasingly more problematic, leaving us stranded in the course of the highway for as much as 3 minutes. We ended up altering your complete half in the course of the yearly upkeep, at a value of some $30, and now, six months later, it’s as soon as once more sometimes beginning to fail. We could find yourself having to disconnect the button fully from the circuit.

Vmoto’s Mistake & the Way forward for Tremendous Soco

The Tremendous Soco TC-1900 is an effective wanting, reasonably priced, and dependable e-bike that can provide its gasoline counterparts a run for his or her cash.

It additionally appears it is going to be phased out quickly.

Vmoto ceased manufacturing on the reasonably priced TS-1200 and it appears will pull the plug on the TC-1900, as an alternative changing the mannequin with the attractive, bigger, and extra highly effective TS Avenue Hunter and TC Wanderer. Nevertheless, in doing so, it destroyed the area of interest the place it had succeeded (a minimum of within the Colombian market): reasonably priced but hanging and nicely designed electrical bikes.

The TS Avenue Hunter almost triples the price of the previous TS-1200, and the TC Wanderer almost doubles that of the TC-1900. At $16,000,000 COP ($4,000), they now not compete with reasonably priced 125cc and 150cc city gasoline bikes, as an alternative going head-on in opposition to far more highly effective and higher designed 200cc to 350cc bikes, in addition to extra succesful Chinese language sport e-bikes.

This can be a battle they’re sure to lose.

Tremendous Soco’s TS and TC lineup went from promoting a pair hundred items a 12 months in 2021 to solely 40 items to date in 2023… however 35 of them are the remaining TC-1900, so the true gross sales quantity is barely 5! For now, they continue to be as a viable model because of their scooters, a lineup which remains to be reasonably priced(ish).

The TC-1900 has disappeared from each the Colombian webpage and Vmoto’s official web site, so it might not be bought for for much longer. As soon as that occurs, we might even see a 95% or so market share discount for Vmoto on this phase.

Appears to be like have been one of many principal causes we selected the TC-1900, and it’s a disgrace this gained’t be an choice for these selecting an e-bike sooner or later. Should you ask me, changing the TS-1200 and the TC-1900 for costlier alternate options is senseless in creating markets, and can harm Vmoto’s gross sales numbers for the foreseeable future until they enhance energy and vary and make their bikes suitable with Kind 2 quick charging (in order that they’ll actually compete in opposition to these 200cc to 350cc gasoline bikes).

Regardless, we’re completely happy to have bought one whereas they existed, and we really feel the TC-1900 has clearly provided fairly the worth for its low value, after which some extra. E-bikes are an actual different for many who both don’t need or can’t afford an electrical automobile however nonetheless want to take part on the transition to cleaner, greener transportation. Oh, and costs for this mannequin have certainly climbed up (20% or so for the used ones), however now I don’t know if it’s as a result of gasoline costs are up or as a result of the mannequin has been discontinued and persons are scrambling to purchase no matter’s left in the marketplace (or a little bit of each).

I want to learn your feedback on my evaluation of Vmoto’s resolution. Am I being too harsh? Or is that this, actually, the top for the model in most creating markets (a minimum of on this phase)? Might this be offset by higher gross sales in additional developed international locations?

*It wasn’t initially a subsidy. For over a decade, greater oil costs would trigger a revaluation of the Colombian Peso (COP), and decrease oil costs would devalue it. On this context, gasoline costs principally remained fixed, and the Stabilization Fund was meant to stop fast value drops and/or hikes. However the direct relationship between oil and the COP began to erode again in 2016 and utterly disconnected after the pandemic, when large oil value will increase paired with vital COP devaluation. Below this situation, the fund discovered itself having a billion-plus deficit that needed to be lined by the federal government, turning into a de-facto subsidy that needed to be dismounted.

Photos courtesy of Tremendous Soco.