R22,500 for a heavy-duty electric motorcycle in South Africa

[Newsfeed]

R22,500 for a heavy-duty electric motorcycle in South Africa

Kenyan e-mobility infrastructure company ARC Ride has launched its heavy-duty electric motorcycle, the Panther, in South Africa.

 

[genetic]

Kenyan assembled maybe - but it's all made in China.

 

[Jake45]

This should be great news for the Sixty60, PnP asap!, Mr D, UberEats etc. delivery drivers - they should be able to reduce their running costs substantially.

 

[gogga_]

Brilliant idea!!! Well done to WC government in getting red tape out the way ASAP.

Love the battery swapping instead of having to charge them always yourself

 

[PhireSide]

I wonder how long before some enterprising individual hacks the battery packs and gets it right to charge them at home without having to swap them out

 

[Scooby_Doo]

So they cannot be charged privately?

 

[mypetcow]

This should be great news for the Sixty60, PnP asap!, Mr D, UberEats etc. delivery drivers - they should be able to reduce their running costs substantially.

Finally. Thanks Kenya.
It’s quite funny that despite SA being such a massive economy we don’t have a home grown EV car or bike company making these solutions.

 

[Justanotherguybythesea]

This should be great news for the Sixty60, PnP asap!, Mr D, UberEats etc. delivery drivers - they should be able to reduce their running costs substantially.

By me in Durban there is a large fleet of electric scooters, which, as I asked the one delivery rider who was waiting for an order, he pays R2500 per week for, and that is unlimited battery changes, and they are always running at all hours, even now when it is raining, and they still are riding out doing deliveries in the rain. I even see them on the freeways as well, doing around 60kph, in order to extend range on that trip so as to not need to have somebody bring them a battery to swap on the road, which I think they probably do get charged for. seen way too many other bikes with the same empty fuel tank, waiting for a colleague to bring them a 5l plastic bottle of petrol, but not the ebikes yet.

 

[Justanotherguybythesea]

Finally. Thanks Kenya.
It’s quite funny that despite SA being such a massive economy we don’t have a home grown EV car or bike company making these solutions.

We had a few, they all died, thanks to government regulating them out of existence, by drowning them in red tape, and delaying any approvals, even if they qualified, to the point they all ran out of money.

 

[lexor]

You pay per battery swop.
Unfortunaly no details on their websire relating to cost , but in Kenya it cost about R44 per swop( as per their facebook page).

 

[airborne]

Surely those specs aren't correct 10kw max power on a small little bike like that, that's massive power?
"It also boasts a durable 5kW continuous-output motor, delivering up to 10kW of peak power when required, a departure from standard off-the-shelf imports."

But these guys are hardly the first to market, there's already a similar fleet of scooters that have been zooming around Cape Town for the last year or so, also with a battery swop system. I actually had a Pnp Asap delivery with one this week and the guy showed me how the battery swop system works, same thing he goes to a swop location and the battery has a quick release plug and handle and you swop it out in 2mins.

 

[spiff]

I wonder how long before some enterprising individual hacks the battery packs and gets it right to charge them at home without having to swap them out

Probably brick the bike if you don't swap out a battery after a certain period of time - I'm just speculating

 

[wingnut771]

I wonder how long before some enterprising individual hacks the battery packs and gets it right to charge them at home without having to swap them out

I'm sure its as simple as taking a charger and connecting + to + and - to -. Just need to know the pack cell config. NMC or LFP and number of cells. Probably has a proprietary connector so wont be able to just connect some simple crocodile clips.

 

[wingnut771]

Probably brick the bike if you don't swap out a battery after a certain period of time - I'm just speculating

Doubt.

 

[The Gilded]

Is this available to the general public or only for companies? I would like to buy one for use as a daily commuter but it seems pointless if you can't charge it yourself. BYD Dolphin Surf instead.

 

[JustAsk]

You pay per battery swop.
Unfortunaly no details on their websire relating to cost , but in Kenya it cost about R44 per swop( as per their facebook page).

Logically one would look in the article first.

It is R50 per swap.

 

[JustAsk]

Is this available to the general public or only for companies? I would like to buy one for use as a daily commuter but it seems pointless if you can't charge it yourself. BYD Dolphin Surf instead.

But these guys are hardly the first to market, there's already a similar fleet of scooters that have been zooming around Cape Town for the last year or so, also with a battery swop system. I actually had a Pnp Asap delivery with one this week and the guy showed me how the battery swop system works, same thing he goes to a swop location and the battery has a quick release plug and handle and you swop it out in 2mins.

Big Boy

VS4 E Motorcycle

Cutting-edge technology and design, impressive torque and smooth dual-battery performance make the VS4 is ideal for urban commuting, business deliveries and everyday riding. *For riders 16 years+ (A1 License required).

www.samotorcycles.co.za

 

[rph72]

Saw these 2 e-Bikes at Route 27 Roosterkoek on the West Coast. Fun to drive. Locally built in Paternoster.

E-Bikes – WOW E-Bikes

www.wowebikes.co.za

 

[The Gilded]

Big Boy

VS4 E Motorcycle

Cutting-edge technology and design, impressive torque and smooth dual-battery performance make the VS4 is ideal for urban commuting, business deliveries and everyday riding. *For riders 16 years+ (A1 License required).

www.samotorcycles.co.za

Thank you for that!