ICOMA Tatamel Bike Receives 2023 CES Innovation Award

Keep in mind the ICOMA Tatamel Bike? It was launched as a pre-production idea again in October, 2021. Now that it’s January, 2023, guess what confirmed up at this 12 months’s Client Electronics Present (CES) in Las Vegas? That’s proper, it’s the Tatamel Bike—and it’s now allegedly a minimum of a few steps nearer to manufacturing. 

ICOMA can be the recipient of a 2023 CES Innovation Award within the Automobile Tech and Superior Mobility class for its Tatamel Bike. After all, since ICOMA introduced Tatamel Bike to CES, that raised one query specifically for us: Are there any plans to supply this electrical folding bike within the U.S.? 

The reply, it appears, is sure. In response to the corporate, if all goes based on plan, it hopes to supply Tatamel Bike to U.S. prospects beginning in April, 2023. It’s additionally at present actively searching for U.S. distributors. Pricing will begin at round $3,999, not together with supply charges—and will change based mostly on the trade price on the time that ICOMA truly begins promoting these. 

Again in 2021, after we first wrote in regards to the ICOMA Tatamel Bike idea, the corporate listed a complete lot of pre-production measurements for us to contemplate. On the time, we theorized that this may very well be a modern-day electrical reply to the cult traditional Honda Motocompo. The idea is extraordinarily comparable, even when the design has modernized to suit present aesthetic modes. 

One factor we didn’t know in 2021 was its weight, which appeared honest sufficient because it was nonetheless an idea at the moment. Now that it’s 2023, although, ICOMA has revealed that data: 110 kilos, or 50 kilograms. For the reason that unique Honda Motocompo weighed about 99 kilos, the similarity turns into even clearer. On paper, a minimum of, the ICOMA Tatamel Bike is, for all intents and functions, a modern-day electrical Motocompo. 

The measurements, each in prolonged and folded types, stay the identical as within the idea model. Tatamel Bike is categorized as a Class One Moped based on Japanese licensing guidelines, which implies that it may be ridden with a regular drivers’ license alone. Really useful load is 220 kilos, which may very well be an issue for bigger riders. High pace is slightly below 25 miles per hour, and estimated cruising vary on a single cost is eighteen.6 miles.

The Tatamel Bike can cost on a regular family outlet, and claimed cost time is three hours. It rolls on a 10-inch wheel within the entrance, not not like some extra typical saddle-type scooters—nevertheless it has a smaller 6.5-inch wheel within the again. It’s not clear whether or not any customary scooter tires will match the entrance wheel, however discovering tires for the rear wheel is perhaps of higher concern, do you have to need or want to vary them sooner or later. 
ICOMA Tatamel Bike has a 12 amp-hour battery, which explains its extraordinarily small vary.

The corporate says that it’s at present growing methods to broaden capability to 29 Ah, nevertheless it’s unclear if or when that may occur—nor what it can value, nor the logistics of such growth for any early adopters who beforehand bought a Tatamel Bike previous to that improve, assuming it does develop into a actuality. 

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It’s clear that ICOMA intends Tatamel Bike to be a last-mile state of affairs, appropriate for very brief, low-speed commuting wants. Though it folds up so compactly, its 110-pound weight presents sure challenges in transportation and storage. 

The shape issue and vary would seemingly work properly in the event you stay in an condo and want one thing easy to journey to your close by work or faculty, and also you don’t need to have to fret about parking whenever you get there. Nonetheless, you’ll want to have the ability to roll it to wherever you propose to retailer it, since you’re clearly not meant to hoist it up and carry it wherever. Once more, this isn’t an issue with out precedent, because the Honda Motocompo solely weighs about 10 kilos much less. Nonetheless, a lot as we’d find it irresistible, that’s most likely additionally one of many causes that the Motocompo was (and stays) a cult bike. 

There’s one different concern that may very well be a dealbreaker, although. In response to ICOMA, there is no such thing as a product guarantee for Tatamel Bike. As of January 6, 2023, its FAQ entry about warranties reads, “No product guarantee. Nonetheless, if there may be exterior harm or lacking elements on the time of arrival, we are going to organize for the elements. Nonetheless, we won’t pay for the set up charge or the harm related to it. We take care in packing, however we don’t assure advantageous scratches.”  

For the reason that plan is for Tatamel Bike to be produced in Japan after which shipped to any nations (together with the U.S.) the place it will likely be bought—and in a minimum of some circumstances, on to customers—that looks like a probably important drawback.