Suzuki Burgman electric scooter makes global debut, gets swappable battery

For the longest time, Suzuki has been developing its fully-electric scooter which is likely to flaunt the Burgman moniker. In fact, testing prototypes of the scooter have been spotted in India on numerous occasions in the last couple of years. However, there were no specific updates regarding its development until now.

The Japanese brand has officially taken the covers off the upcoming Burgman Electric in its home country while disclosing most details. The company listed the scooter as e-Burgman on its official website. A pilot run program for the e-Burgman will be carried out in Tokyo, from April to June, to test the e-scooter for production.

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New top-spec Suzuki Burgman Street EX variant launched at Rs 1.12 lakh

Swappable battery offerings

Earlier patent images of the e-scooter were also circulated around the internet which showed the scooter with a fixed battery type. However, its production-ready model is  said to be offered with a swappable battery pack. Suzuki will be making use of Honda’s Mobile Power Pack e: swapping stations where the batteries could be replaced once completely degenerated.

This battery pack is used in Gachaho, a battery sharing consortium created by four major Japanese auto manufacturers - Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki. This means, all upcoming electric two-wheelers from these brands will employ Honda’s swappable battery pack.

The design

The e-Burgman electric scooter looks uncannily similar to its fossil fueled sibling. It retains the signature maxi scooter design based on an underbone chassis tall body frame. However, to accommodate the battery and the electric motor, some critical updates have been made on the frame. 

For instance, dual shockers are placed alongside the hub-mounted motor to offer a better ride quality. Moreover, the battery pack is placed underneath the seat. Ergonomics remains the same with a seat height of 780mm, a raised single-piece handlebar, and a flat footboard. Further, Suzuki has smartly added the contrasting blue theme to lend it a distinct EV touch.

The specifications 

While Suzuki remains tightlipped on the capacity of the lithium-ion battery, this unit offers a single-charge range of 44 km when ridden at a steady speed of 60kmph on a flat surface. This is very low when compared to some of its rivals. The India version of this model is expected to offer more range, when launched. The battery delivers energy to a 4.0kW electric motor.

The all-electric Burgman weighs 147 kg, making it one of the heaviest scooters in its segment. When compared to the petrol-powered Burgman Street EX, it is 36 kg heavier whereas it is 28 kg heavier than the TVS iQube S. As for dimensions, it measures 1,825 mm in length, 765 mm in width and 1,140 mm in height.

The new fully electric Burgman is expected to hit showrooms in India next year with Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube, Ather 450X and Ola S1, as some of its primary rivals.