I'm Francesco from Italy and i'm (not) an happy user of Sunra Robo-s. I purchase this scooter in nov '21 with ecobonus (40%) from Italian state funding.
Sunra Italia sold me this scooter with the following range: 135km with D1 mode (50km/h), 100km with D2 mode (70km/h) and 90km with D3 mode (90km/h). For now the maximum range that i reached out is 76km simulating the WMTC test: D1, only one battery for time, in the middle of the countryside (flat land) witouth any start&stop.
In my regular trip (house-work-house, 8km) i can only ride for 53-60km before the on-board pc turn on the "reserve" light (and usually i travel home in these condition the ride before charging the scooter.
During the last service, while I was waiting, I had the opportunity to speak with the seller of Sunra and other electric scooters; he asked me some feedback about the Robo: what range I have reach and in general some feedback on the vehicle, I point out that the only thing I am unhappy with it, is the range of maximum 60km against the 90km for which it was sold and advertised (https: / /sunraitalia.it/robo-s-sav-2022/), he replied that the "service" scooter for Trieste runs for 90-100km and therefore it was better to update the workshop on the fact.
From here begins the odyssey with Sunra Italia and their technical office in Italy.
I leave the scooter for a week at the workshop that carries out a repair (one of the two batteries would not charge if the scooter was connected to the power supply, I could only charge it if I disconnected the batteries [at the beginning I lived in apartment and I didn't realize of the defect, I had to unplug the batteries and take them home, now I have a garage and I noticed the defect], now it is solved) and Sunra italia told me that I have to test the range of the scooter by myself and then report everything with video tests and photos to the workshop (it annoyed me but I thought it was a quick thing : roll
, which in turn would forward the material to the technical offices of Sunra Italia.They told me to test the scooter on my usual route (home-work) taking the ODO km indicated on the invoice as the starting mileage (924km); during peak hours (morning and lunch) I run my route which includes the SS13 of Pordenone in the stretch
Fiume Veneto-PN and the center of Pordenone.
Those of the area know well that in the morning everything is almost always blocked and it is rarely possible to reach 70km / h for long stretches, even exceeding with the scooter in the stretches where it is allowed, more than 50-60km / h is not done , also for security reasons.
In the end, as always, I cover 3 trips (round trip) with a total of 57km since the "reserve" light came on at 981km:
Sunra Italia technicians told me that the range I reached in the specified journey and with the indicated speed of 70km / h (they took the maximum limit as a reference) is plausible, they also specify that the speed is still sustained for the scooter: shock:
[pity that even on the site {https://sunraitalia.it/robo-s-sav-2022/ or https://sunraitalia.it/scooter-elettrico-125-robo-s/ but with much lower autonomies} and in the brochure they proudly advertise the maximum 90km / h and 135km of range, but in any case they did not take into mind that in an SS (statal street) during peak times you cannot do acceleration races or anything else, also because not all of us drive recklessly];
However, they invite me to test the scooter "on the same journey" in D1 mode (50km / h maximum). Although it may be a stretch that I travel at 50-60km / h for the most part, there are also many heavy vehicles that travel the same road and as often happens, they do not keep very far when they have to overcome a snail on the 70km / h limit. that gets in the way at 50km / h. I decide that it is too dangerous to go so slowly as it is not a car and I travel a route with fewer stops and restarts in the open countryside on wider and less busy SP or SS, as indicated in the manual I help to maintain a better autonomy since it was a mild day, little wind and plain.
To demonstrate that I am taking these measurements seriously, I use a Yamaha app that tracks the route and records the maximum-minimum-average speeds etc ..
I start driving with the D1 mode only and travel 72km in 1h and 46min crossing the localities of San Vito al Tagliamento, almost at the height of Cordovado to return towards Azzano Decimo and finally to the starting point:
The dealership's workshop told me (he is always professional and courteous) that the technicians want more tests, now I have to take the same route as the last test always at D1 speed but first with one battery and then switch off and on the other one (disconnecting them via the switches located under the saddle) to understand if one of the two batteries has a defect or are both defective.
I am now quite steaming because this things has been going on since 6/04/2022 and ok, we all need the Easter holidays, but as of 04/22/2022 I still have to conduct some tests (and there is up to a certain point, usually the tests there conducts the brand's workshop at the expense of the brand since it is under warranty, so there's also a certain certainty that the data are real and not "rigged" by the customer) and if in the unfortunate fate there is only a battery to replace (unfortunate up to at some point, at least it resolves ..) I find myself a vehicle that has a worn battery of 1500km (or more, who knows if they actually have the spare parts and therefore how long I will have to wait) and a brand new one.
Now for the principle that if one of the two shoes is broken you change both, I spent time, energy and wear of the vehicle to make tests that could certainly be carried out on the bench by connecting the battery pack to a test bench or a device that verifies its functionality, rather than being the CUSTOMER on the street grinding km and wearing out the vehicle (and consuming battery charge cycles, tbt) for tests.
Looking online I saw that Niu has managed to develop a system that tests the batteries on the principle of the OBD of the car, if a competitor of theirs has succeeded I imagine that for the largest manufacturers of electric vehicles in China (as they advertise themselves), it's child's play ... also because in 2022 the Oral-B toothbrush also communicates with my smartphone and save some data for somone about how many times I brush my teeth or the state of any one; I don't think that a BMS SMART (as indicated by them ) is not able to tell that something about one or more of the cells installed is worn out or that it has some other problem or maybe to the BMS itself? I am perplexed.
Also, I tried to contact Sunra by phone and through their social networks, but no one answers ... if you write even only to their English colleagues, they will answer you within a few hours (and they also say that they are sure that the batteries are faulty. given the autonomies that I recorded).
Ok that we are Italian with the classic stereotypes that we all know, but if a newborn brand treats customers like this ...
In a product the most important thing is not so much the means / object, but how the customer is treated in case of need; and I must say, for now only the dealership is saved, which has always had an impeccable and professional behavior, while on the part of Sunra I perceive a great lack of interest in keeping customers, since in the end the product is also valid.
By the time had carried out 25 recharges, all documented and looking at the data of routes and recharges (ditto the kWh consumed to recharge it) I do not notice alarming variations, however the data collected are still few to be able to observe something:
- mode D3: declared 90 [km] to 85 [km / h], measured 57 [km] (taking into consideration the first test communicated), therefore the 36.66% difference;
mode D2: declared 110 [km] to 70 [km / h], measured 57 [km], therefore the 48.18% difference;
- D1 mode: declared 135 [km] at 55 [km / h], measured 72 [km] (last test) at 42 [km / h] on average, therefore the 46.66% difference.
Probably Sunra Italia has blown out the autonomy (but the British colleagues of Sunra confirm at least 90km in D3) compared to the real capabilities or it is actually defective. Should it be the first, appropriate paths will be taken with some association for customer.
For you, I'm exagerating about my experience or maybe there is something wrong in what happended to me? Is the scooter broken? Is Sunra Italia that has declared something that doesn't exist?
This is my only daily ""car"" and I need it so much, I can't imagine to be cheated, because my money were not fake.
