Voltra Matrix E-Scooter in Cambodia : Review after one year in use

It’s a year now since I bought the Voltra Matrix E-Scooter from a company in Phnom Penh, foreign owned. As you may have seen in previous posts, the promised range-wise wasn’t close to reality. But in general, it’s a good city-scooter. In one year I clocked 3,000 km on this vehicle, and never really ran into any issues apart from the battery. It lasts now 60km with a full charge driving on Set 1 (36-40 km/h). 

It’s seeming to me the performance of the Voltra Matrix is slightly going down: In the first months the first green bar disappeared after 20 km, now is after 18 km. Let’s see how the next year is going. What went down recently was the service in Siem Reap. They refused to do a 3000 km inspection (“no need”), what I would have paid for, of course. Also, after two punctures, they didn’t want to help me buy a new tire (“can have more”). 

No software updates for the Voltra Matrix

The Voltra Matrix uses the same tires as a Honda Today. But I figured out it is not as easy to purchase as I was told when I bought it. The company isn’t strong in communications with customers, and I am still not sure how long they will last. I haven’t seen many models in Siem Reap, and from what I saw in Phnom Penh, most scooters were sold to companies, embassies and alike – I guess mainly for greenwashing reasons. Where electric cars update their software regularly, you won’t see that much in E-scooters. 

The Voltra Matrix is “open design”, as the owner called it, what means it’s a Chinese off-the-shelve-model with a few modifications. They did not develop the software, and I still haven’t figured out who is developing the battery management system. Sources within Voltra told me the BMS at the first model was better, and the battery lasted longer. 

New challenger is coming up: Pople

The market for electric scooters will grow, although it is now dominated by cheap Chinese low-speed vehicles. This will not change until Honda or Yamaha will come up with a proper model (Honda is promising one for a while now). So at least in south-east Asia we have to live with what we have. There is a new player in Cambodia on the market: Pople is renting out scooters and they have a huge charging station. The company behind it, with the obscure name Verywords, told me that they consider putting the white scooters on sale in 2023. I have yet to try them, but the look as good as the Voltra. 

Money saved in a year with my E-Scooter

A Honda Scooby-i consumes 6 liters per 100km, average price is 1.5 USD per liter. So I saved about 270 USD for fuel. Add $ 40 for oil and maintenance I didn’t have to pay for. Charging costs are 12 Riel per kilometer, that would be 9 USD for 3000 km. Initial cost for the Voltra Matrix was 1400 USD. Considering that the battery may decline in the next year and I have to buy a new one ($500), than there is - apart from the lower price for the purchase compared to a $2500 Honda – not much of a saving. But I was told the battery would last up to five years. Let’s see. 

Voltra Matrix E-scooter experience in Cambodia 3rd update

 It's been a while. I am driving the Voltra Matrix now every day. Since I bought it in December 2021 I rode a total of 1980 km on it.  And I still like the riding experience. It has a comfortable seat, the small wheels are great in the city as well as on the few red roads left in Siem Reap. I had no mechanical issue, breaks are good (had a check at 1000 km). 

But: The battery and the range are still disappointing. Yesterday, the battery (and the Voltra Matrix) died after 64 km. I still had a green bar left, but a few minutes later the e-scooter went dark. Again, I had to push it home (not a pleasant experience when it's raining).

One green bar was left.

Minutes later the Voltra Matrix went dark.

I am not sure if the battery display works with the best software, or if it is a calibration issue. But the rule of thumb for me now is: first bar goes off after 20 km, then you have 30 km maximum left, if you want to be on the safe side. That reduces the advertised range by half, from 100 km as promised to actually 50 km. 

This is ok as long as you just charge every two days, so the battery has enough juice. I strongly recommend taking a picture of the km once fully charged. I drive 99 percent on drive 1, only use setting 2 or 3 for overtaking. If I would use it more often, I may have to charge daily. That will also affect the costs – although still less than gasoline.

Since Voltra basically assembled parts and software made by others, I do not expect any updates (I never received an answer about software updates). It seems the eying a energy recovering system for a next generation, but I doubt it is developed in house. They may see what the (Chinese) market offers in terms of quality.

Is the Voltra Matrix 2022 worth buying?

I still think its a good scooter, and for now the best available in Cambodia. If you are fine with the battery limits and count the km left, the its a much better choice than a Honda Scoopy-i or the Zoomer. and of course, its much better for the environment. If you are in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh, you can ask for a test drive at the company's office. Somehow they are still not able to provide a website. 

 

Voltra Matrix electric scooter in Cambodia – 2nd review

 It's been now 3 months since I bought my Voltra Matrix E-Scooter 2022 edition. There were initial hick ups you can read here about in my first assessment. Now it's time for a review of this e-bike after 1000 km of daily use.

The range

The company selling the Matrix, Voltra, with offices in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, gives a range of 100 km with a full charged battery. However, this is for people under 70 kg, driving in set 1 (up to 40km/h) and on asphalt. A more realistic range is 60-70 km, which is still reasonable. I charge my battery now every two or three days, when it still has around 30 percent capacity. Talking about capacity: There are only three green and one red bar showing you the current capacity. The first bar disappears after roughly 20 km. The second after an additional 20 to 40 km, depending on the speed and traffic (the more you accelerate, the more power is needed). Once there is only one green bar left I recommend to charge as soon as possible. The manual (yes, there is one now) recommends to not let the battery go to zero.

The driving

Cruising on the new roads in Siem Reap is pure fun. The Matrix is made for an urban environment, and downtown Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are made for them. The seat is extremely comfortable, sitting position is good as well. The brakes are extraordinary compared to those on my Honda Scoopy. I haven't used the electric scooter in rain yet, but I was told a bit of flooding won't be a problem. The owner of Voltra, Yann Vaudin, explained to me at a visit in Phnom Penh how they kept all cables and electric parts away from the bottom. The main controller is actually under the seat. The battery case is sealed. 

The front lights are very bright and great at night. All LEDs have been especially selected for the Matrix, I was told. The Display is great at night, but sometimes hard to read in full sunshine (what is normal, I think).

You need to get used to the driving, in particular when you start on a low speed. As most e-bikes, they start immediately in full power. Driving in Set 1 is ok most of the time, I used the speed 2 and 3 usually for overtaking and long empty stretches. 

The quality

After 1000 km I had only minor issues. A rubber seal under the seat had to be replaced, the stand was adjusted to a better angle, and I use a sticker for the display to avoid scratches. Riding is smooth, the shock absorbers are ok, but when you hit an obstacle or a pothole you feel the plastic casing around the metal frame. 

The software seems to be hard-coded, so I cannot expect optimizations and changes.

Overall conclusion of the Voltra Matrix Electric Scooter

After riding other e-scooters, I think the Voltra Matrix is the closest to an actual scooter and the best you can get in Cambodia. Even if I wished the battery would last longer, it's much more than those electric shopping carts you can see around or the three wheelers. The lithium-ion battery cells are indeed mad by one of the leading Chinese manufacturers, which was just bought by Volkswagen. They should last 1000 full cycles.

Also, there is now a third-party liability insurance offered by Forte for 48 USD per year. 

The selling price includes now the insurance and is $1500 at the time of writing this post.