We’re not talking about a SmartPhone

Ever since man decided to strap on an engine to at least two wheels, we’ve been hooked on the idea of motorized transport; either to make life a little more convenient or just to fulfill the need for speed. A few years back, personnel utility transporters were introduced to the masses and gearheads alike. While most people may have dismissed these vehicles as mere toys for the big boys that would get in the way of actually using your feet to exercise and get around, these electric powered vehicles have seen more practical application – we’re sure you’ve seen security personnel in malls riding in Segways and thought to yourself “that looks like fun”. The problem with gadgets such as these, they come with a rather hefty price tag that can be put towards buying a secondhand car instead. Enter, The ChillMobile.

Guaranteed Head Turner

We first saw this two-wheeled marvel on our Facebook feed soon and found ourselves salivating. It was awesome to discover that it was a cousin of a friend that brought these babies into the country. We got in touch with awesome folks at JuanderBayan and they gladly met with us and gave us a closer look at The ChillMobile. We met Reggie Guevarra, Robbie Guevarra and Rodney Liwanag at the lobby of our designated meeting place and they proceeded to ride off to where we could sit down and talk. Every person we passed either stopped in awe or were quick to do a double-take as we passed them; one guy even mentioned how envious he was of the crew.

As mentioned above, the ChillMobile is a two-wheeled personnel utility transporter that runs on an electric engine; much like the Segway… Minus the grab bar. Each engine is located next to each of its wheels and at the heart of the ChillMobile is a Lithium-Ion battery that can run for an hour non-stop depending on road conditions. Once low on juice, all one has to do is plug in the ChillMobile and wait 2 hours and it’s back on the road.

Safety, of course, is a primary concern when all motorized vehicles are concerned and they were quick to point out that the safe running speed of the ChillMobile was 8kpH, but something tells us it can go faster. Try at your own risk though and don’t tell us we didn’t warn you. One thing to also keep in mind is that the maximum weight the unit can bear is 100KG – if you’re packing the pounds in tight, you might not be able to ride it.

Time for a Test Drive

We’ve been wanting to test out the ChillMobile for awhile now and it really couldn’t be easier… In theory at least. All you have to do is shift the weight on your feet forward to move forward, backwards to move backwards, and a combination of both to turn the vehicle. But before we could even put those mechanics in practice, we first had to get on. Reggie and Robbie got on either side of us to help us get on. The absence of a grab bar means that users would have to learn how to balance on the unit first, but that also means you need to engage your core to make sure you’re nice and stable. See, you get a workout even if you’re on a motorized vehicle! After a few tense, wobbly minutes, we were able to comfortably stand on the ChillMobile and was soon zooming around our designated area. Thankfully, muscle memory makes everything easier as your practice getting on and off, and operating the ChillMobile.

Reggie mentioned that the problem once you were able to balance and control the unit is overconfidence and it was definitely tempting to go a little faster but that is best reserved for people who have spent a little more time on the ChillMobile as bigger cracks on the pavement might cause newbies, like us, to fall flat on their face or back. 8kpH may seem slow on paper, but you might want to take it easy if you guys get to test this out.

The Verdict

The ChillMobile is something to add to the collection for those of us who love our gadgets and toys. It is also something that factory operators, or even golfers, could consider as another option over carts to ferry them around the facility. We said in the title that the ChillMobile is affordable and it comes in at Php 36,000. That’s 1/5th of the price of even the unbranded “Segways” that come from China or 1/20th of the cost of a golf cart or if you want something closer to home… That’s almost the same price of one of the flagship phones of an international brand.

if you guys are curious about the ChillMobile and want to check them out for yourself you can go to their Facebook Page: ChillMobile (https://www.facebook.com/1chillmobile/). You can also occasionally see them on one of their caravans. In fact, they have one scheduled on February 26 from 11AM to 1PM and they’ll be starting from Greenbelt 3’s People’s Park and going all the way to the North Court of Rockwell. Be sure to check them out if you’re in the area.