blueshark

About blueshark

Blueshark, a subsidiary of Sharkgulf Technologies Group, is an electric vehicle technology company founded in 2018 by KK Newco and Jeff Chong. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, the company specializes in manufacturing and distributing AI-enabled electric scooters, targeting the urban mobility market. In September 2022, Blueshark secured an undisclosed amount in a Series A funding round led by Maison Capital to expand its R&D team, increase production capacity, and accelerate its market presence in Southeast Asia.

The company's business model encompasses direct sales, corporate leasing, and a battery subscription service. Customers can purchase the scooters outright and opt into a monthly battery rental plan or a pay-per-swap plan for its battery-swapping network. Blueshark also offers a corporate leasing program, allowing businesses to operate a fleet of electric scooters with a significantly lower initial capital expenditure compared to purchasing traditional petrol motorbikes.

Blueshark's flagship product is the R-series smart electric scooter, which includes the R1 and R1 Lite models. The R1 is equipped with a 5000W high-speed electric motor, achieving a top speed of 80 km/h and accelerating from 0 to 50 km/h in 4.9 seconds. It features a dual-battery system using Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) packs, offering a claimed range of up to 110 km. A key feature is the swappable battery technology, allowing riders to exchange depleted batteries for fully charged ones in seconds at designated "BlueStations," often located at Petronas service stations in Malaysia. The batteries can also be charged at home in approximately 3.5 hours. The R1 scooter incorporates the ArkRide smart operating system, displayed on a 10.4-inch HD screen, which includes Bluetooth connectivity, GPS navigation, media playback, over-the-air (OTA) updates, and a built-in driving recorder with front and rear cameras.