- Expansion to 120 stores and 320 units by the end of this year
- The same person who designed the H2 Bimota version was appointed for this project.
- Approximately 100 km can be traveled on a 3-hour full charge
- Zero exhaust gas and less than half the cost of a fuel motorcycle
- How will it be separated from the front two wheels that are under development?
Expansion to 120 stores and 320 units by the end of this year
AIDEA's electric 3-wheeled motorcycle "AA Cargo" has been adopted by McDonald's for its delivery service. The company's "AA Cargo" was introduced on a test basis as an electric three-wheeled motorcycle for the "McDonald's Delivery Service" at some stores in Kanagawa Prefecture from May this year and in Tokyo from July, but after verifying its riding performance and safety, it will be introduced on a full-scale basis.
First, about 100 units will be introduced at 44 stores during October this year, and the number is expected to expand to about 320 units at about 120 stores by the end of the year.
The introduction of "AA Cargo" to meet the growing demand for delivery is considered to be a part of McDonald's activities to achieved a sustainable society, and it will play a role as an environmentally friendly and socially friendly mobility.
The same person who designed the H2 Bimota version was appointed for this project.
AIDEA is a new mobility brand from Japan that was born at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. AIDEA's mission is to solve environmental problems and contribute to society through next-generation ZEVs (Zero Emission Vehicles).
Many people will be convinced when they hear that its predecessor was the Italian motorcycle manufacturer ADIVA, which was founded in 1996. It's easy to see that the motorcycle inherits the unique style proven by ADIVA, with its retractable roof with wipers, rear box, and three-wheel system. In addition, AIDEA is characterized by the fact that it is fully electric and is produced under strict Japanese quality control.
Also, don't overlook the infusion of authentic Italian design that blends the storefront with the modern, including the appointment of Claudio Zancini as a product designer, who created the Bimota TESI H2, which made its shocking debut at last year's EICMA 2019.
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Approximately 100 km can be traveled on a 3-hour full charge
The AIDEA "AA Cargo" is available in α4 (50cc class moped) and β4 (125cc class moped) versions, and the α4 version was introduced as the "McDonald Delivery Service" version.
The company says that its unique body configuration, which includes a highly stable three-wheeled structure with a large all-weather screen and roof, a fully flat cargo bed that can accommodate a variety of boxes, independent left-right suspension rear suspension, and large 13-inch wheels, solves many of the problems associated with conventional business motorcycles.
It is equipped with a high-capacity lithium-ion battery of about 4kWh, which can be fully charged in 3 hours from a standard 200V power supply and can travel 98km (α4)/90km (β4).
Zero exhaust gas and less than half the cost of a fuel motorcycle
The biggest advantage of the AA Cargo, which is an EV, is that it emits no CO2 and is environmentally friendly. It does not emit exhaust gas like an engine motorcycle and is quiet, making it ideal for companies that handle food products, and should contribute to improving their brand image. In addition, the running costs, including electricity and maintenance, are less than half those of fuel-powered motorcycles, so a considerable cost reduction effect can be expected when considering large-scale operation over a long span of time.
Furthermore, as a unique mechanism, the reverse function is convenient for parking and maneuvering in narrow alleys. It is also noteworthy that the motorcycle is equipped with convenient mechanisms that take advantage of the advantages of three wheels, such as a "roll lock" to lock the motorcycle's left and right inclination and a "parking brake" to lock the motorcycle's front and rear movement.
The AA Cargo is also available to the general public at a price of 877,800 yen for the Alpha 4 and 900,900 yen for the Beta 4 (both include consumption tax).
How will it be separated from the front two wheels that are under development?
If you look at the official website of ADIVA, you'll see that they're also developing a front two-wheel model. I actually test drove the ADIVA front two-wheeled EV that it was based on a few years ago, but I had a simple question about how it would be separated from a rear two-wheeled model like the AA Cargo, so I asked.
According to Mr. Narita, marketing director at AIDEA, the current segregation is that the front two wheels are medium-sized motorcycles for leisure and the rear two wheels are small motorcycles for business. The reason for this is that the priority for leisure motorcycles is to avoid tipping over when the front tires lose grip or the steering wheel gets caught on a bump, while the priority for business motorcycles is to keep the load on the back of the motorcycle as stable as possible.
Also, since AIDEA uses an in-wheel motor for power, in the case of a two-wheeled rear motorcycle such as the AA Cargo, it is said to be able to "turn the left and right drive wheels at different speeds and in different directions. The answer was, "I'll leave it to your imagination what this will allow us to do (lol)." This means that it will be possible to make ultra-small turns and ultra-quick turns that were unthinkable in the past.
Anyway, I guess I could say that this is a sign that two-wheeled EVs are finally on the verge of full-scale popularization. Let's start by ordering the "McDonald Delivery Service" from AA Cargo, shall we?
