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FiestaST
Honorary Master
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2009
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Intriguing concept./
Agilitee Africa’s electric motorcycles that you can’t charge!
Agilitee Africa is an almost entirely female run Electric Vehicle company aimed at providing “whatever Africa needs to get from A to B” . Launching its first dealership in Portside Building in Cape Town at the end of June, it will be selling electric motorcycles at affordable prices.
Agilitee’s aim is to provide cheap transport to the likes of students and delivery services, as well as personal commuter bikes, whilst expanding their network into as many other industries as possible. With small purchase fees and no running costs, Agilitee hopes to tempt those on a tight budget, but that require personal transport. All their vehicles will come with a 3 year maintenance plan, and as of right now they have three options from which to choose, with a fourth to be revealed when doors open at their first dealership.
Apart from the almost entirely female team running the company, of which the CEO Mandla Lamba is the only man, the most interesting point made is that these vehicles cannot be charged, instead they have removable batteries which are to be recharged at the dealerships. This is different to any other electric vehicle company we have come cross, and is more akin to electrically assisted bicycles’ methods of re-juicing. Whether this is Agilitee’s way of getting around the cable crime problem in South Africa, or a lack of funding to build charging stations, we are not sure, but it is a curious choice to make. The swapping of batteries is said to be a quick process, and is entirely free of charge for the customer. It is done through an app, in which the process is registered, and access is granted to the new battery. The used battery is then placed into the same charging slot from which the fresh battery came, and the process is complete. How all of this works in practice is yet to be seen, but with only one known dealership opening in the city centre it limits the customer to a specific geographical area.
In terms of product, the first of the three bikes launching is the Wild Grace. A Café racer that has the potential of doing 360 km/h, but has been limited for obvious reasons. One of those reasons presumably being that one look at the wheels, tires and brakes will confirm they have no intention of any serious speed. Agilitee claims upwards of 300 km of range, and it will cost R 175 000 off the showroom floor.
Its next product is far more purpose built. A student-aimed scooter called the RTF. The idea with this scooter is that it will be a vehicle that will provide more to a student than it takes. The firm has looked into the monthly government grant given to students and made sure that their bike is within that budget. To rent, through Finance Africa, the RTF will cost R 1 300 per month, and to purchase once off will be R 48 000. Charging, like with the other bikes, is free, and it has a claimed range of 350 km.
www.carmag.co.za
Agilitee Africa’s electric motorcycles that you can’t charge!
Agilitee Africa is an almost entirely female run Electric Vehicle company aimed at providing “whatever Africa needs to get from A to B” . Launching its first dealership in Portside Building in Cape Town at the end of June, it will be selling electric motorcycles at affordable prices.
Agilitee’s aim is to provide cheap transport to the likes of students and delivery services, as well as personal commuter bikes, whilst expanding their network into as many other industries as possible. With small purchase fees and no running costs, Agilitee hopes to tempt those on a tight budget, but that require personal transport. All their vehicles will come with a 3 year maintenance plan, and as of right now they have three options from which to choose, with a fourth to be revealed when doors open at their first dealership.
Apart from the almost entirely female team running the company, of which the CEO Mandla Lamba is the only man, the most interesting point made is that these vehicles cannot be charged, instead they have removable batteries which are to be recharged at the dealerships. This is different to any other electric vehicle company we have come cross, and is more akin to electrically assisted bicycles’ methods of re-juicing. Whether this is Agilitee’s way of getting around the cable crime problem in South Africa, or a lack of funding to build charging stations, we are not sure, but it is a curious choice to make. The swapping of batteries is said to be a quick process, and is entirely free of charge for the customer. It is done through an app, in which the process is registered, and access is granted to the new battery. The used battery is then placed into the same charging slot from which the fresh battery came, and the process is complete. How all of this works in practice is yet to be seen, but with only one known dealership opening in the city centre it limits the customer to a specific geographical area.
In terms of product, the first of the three bikes launching is the Wild Grace. A Café racer that has the potential of doing 360 km/h, but has been limited for obvious reasons. One of those reasons presumably being that one look at the wheels, tires and brakes will confirm they have no intention of any serious speed. Agilitee claims upwards of 300 km of range, and it will cost R 175 000 off the showroom floor.
Its next product is far more purpose built. A student-aimed scooter called the RTF. The idea with this scooter is that it will be a vehicle that will provide more to a student than it takes. The firm has looked into the monthly government grant given to students and made sure that their bike is within that budget. To rent, through Finance Africa, the RTF will cost R 1 300 per month, and to purchase once off will be R 48 000. Charging, like with the other bikes, is free, and it has a claimed range of 350 km.
Agilitee Africa's electric motorcycles that you can’t charge! - CAR Magazine
Agilitee Africa is an almost entirely woman run Electric Vehicle company aimed at providing “whatever Africa needs to get from A to B” . Launching its first dealership in Portside Building in Cape Town at the end of June, it will be selling electric motorcycles at affordable prices.
www.carmag.co.za
