Major Milestones
Taiwan’s Transformation Into a Major Global Scooter Supplier
Taiwan, known as the “Kingdom of Scooters,” has the highest density of scooters in Asia, with scooters being the primary mode of transportation for the local public. However, prior to the 1950s, Taiwan lacked the necessary technology in this field and mainly relied on imported scooters. As industrial and business sectors began to grow in the 1960s, employment opportunities increased, and scooters gradually replaced bicycles as the public’s main means of transportation. Though possessing the skills to produce the vehicle body, Taiwanese manufacturers did not have access to domestically-made engines at the time. To meet government policies and market demands, ITRI began the R&D for the scooter sector and introduced the MIRL80i in the 1980s. Known as the Rattlesnake, MIRL80i was Taiwan’s first jet engine scooter that could be swiftly produced, assembled, and made available on the market. This model’s jet engine system was more advanced than that of foreign scooters.
Since the 1990s, ITRI has been actively improving scooter engines and components, as well as collaborating with local manufacturers to establish scooter production lines. ITRI has also worked with major local scooter, battery, and electric machinery manufacturers to develop new technologies. With the goal of helping Taiwan’s scooter industry establish a firm foothold in the global market, ITRI has successfully launched two-stroke/four-stroke scooter engines and Taiwan’s first V-type multi-cylinder engine for 250cc displacement scooters. As a result, Taiwan’s satellite factories now are able to supply 80% of the world’s scooter components.
During the 2000s, ITRI achieved significant breakthroughs in electric scooter R&D. Among the products released were the new-generation concept scooter RoboScooter, URABat, Networked Amide Epoxy Polymer Electrolyte (NAEPE) for Solid State Lithium-Ion Batteries, and the fully Taiwan-made total solution to heavy electric scooter motor drive subsystem. From engine to electric vehicle motor production to battery and system development, ITRI has closely collaborated with industries to complete the EV industry chain and position Taiwan’s EV industry as a leader in the global market. An electric scooter alliance was also established with local manufacturers at the time.
ITRI developed the MIRL80i “Rattlesnake” jet engine scooter with fuel injection and water-cooled engine.
ITRI’s motorcycle technology was featured on the cover of Top Rider, a motorcycle magazine.
The motorcycle magazine Top Rider wrote a report on ITRI’s MIRL80i scooter. Nickenamed ”Rattlesnake,” the scooter featured jet engine with fuel injection and water-cooled engine.
ITRI started developing electric scooter and related technologies and completed the prototype of EC1 with Taiwanese manufacturers, including KYMCO, SYM, YAMAHA Taiwan, SUZUKI, and Kawasaki (scooter); Ztong Yee, YUASA, and KLB (battery); and Shihlin Electric & Engineering and Taigene Electric Machinery (electric machinery). The EC1 vehicle could satisfy short-distance travel demands.
ITRI launched the prototype of an electric scooter ZES2000.
ITRI successfully developed the drivers and motors for electric scooters.
ITRI successfully developed a two-stroke scooter.
ITRI jointly developed the low-pollution two-stroke scooter catalytic converter with Sentec Company. This strengthened Taiwan’s independent technology capabilities that could gradually replace imports.
ITRI helped SYM set up a fully automatic flexible joint manufacturing production line for 125cc scooter cylinder blocks.
ITRI signed the state-owned patent licensing contract with scooter manufacturers SYM and KYMCO. This was the first case of a legal research institution licensing patents to domestic scooter manufacturers and was the largest collaboration between the industry and a research institution at that time. Later ITRI teamed up with scooter and electric machinery manufacturers to set up the electric scooter technology alliance.
ITRI completed Taiwan’s first four-stroke water-cooled engine for 125cc scooters. The technology was transferred to CPI Motor.
ITRI signed a contract with Siemens to develop the hardware/software for the digital Engine Management System of four-stroke scooters and promoted the new technology among local businesses.
ITRI completed Taiwan’s first V-type multi-cylinder engine for 250cc displacement scooters. The technology was transferred to KYMCO, attracting businesses to invest NT$1.5 billion in the mass production of Venox 250 scooters, and helped the product enter the European market.
ITRI supported Taiwanese battery manufacturer YUASA in developing processes and technologies related to high-performance lead-acid batteries for electric scooters that meet market demands.
ITRI collaborated with SYM and MIT Media Lab to build the new-gen concept scooter RoboScooter. The vehicle is eco-friendly, energy-saving, lightweight, foldable, easy to park, and can satisfy future city energy-saving and carbon reduction demands.
ITRI facilitated the establishment of an electric scooter industry promotion alliance to form a complete electric vehicle industry chain. Its 33 members included scooter manufacturers SYM, KYMCO, and YAMAHA as well as lithium battery manufacturers E-One Moli Energy, Pihsiang Energy Technology, and SIMPLO Technology.
ITRI signed a contract with KYMCO on the electric scooter energy management system technology and started collaborations on 36 patented technologies, including the self-learning dynamic power estimation technology. The collaboration gave birth to new-gen AI concept electric scooters.
ITRI developed the fully Taiwan-made total solution to heavy electric scooter motor drive subsystem. This gives electric scooters high efficiency, high horsepower, long range, and eco-friendliness. This new solution, along with chips, driving subsystems, and vehicles can form a localized supply chain.
