Electric scooters you can buy in South Africa
While electric cars are increasing in popularity in the country, they are often far out of the reach of South Africans’ budgets, especially for those who only make short city trips.
However, a few electric scooters, or e-scooters, are available in South Africa at more achievable prices that boast impressive performance.
It should be noted that the selection of e-scooter manufacturers in South Africa is severely limited.
MyBroadband compared five e-scooters available in South Africa — two from each the Ewizz and Silence brands, with the other belonging to Vespa — in terms of price, range, and performance.
The cheapest electric scooter listed is the Ewizz Spark 5 (N38) which can achieve a top speed of 90km/h with its 8.5kW motor.
Its 3.8kWh “Quickswap” lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NCM) battery provides a range of up to 140km when travelling at 50km/h. Travelling at higher speeds will cause the battery to drain faster.
Ewizz is selling the Spark 5 for R72,171.
The scooter promising the best performance in terms of top speed and range is the second-most expensive one listed, priced at R143,696.
Ewizz’s Volt 9 (N86) reaches a top speed of 120km/h with its 15kW motor, and its 8.6kWh lithium NCM battery offers a range of up to 200km.
Silence’s e-scooters have three driving modes — eco, city, and sport — that provide different top speed limits depending on your needs.
The eco setting limits top speeds to 50km/h to increase range, while the city mode limits speeds to 70km/h. Activating sport mode removes speed limitations.
Silence’s e-scooters accelerate from 0 to 50km/h in 3.9 seconds.
They also feature onboard chargers, meaning owners can use any standard power outlet to top up the battery.
Silence’s S02 e-scooter is designed for only one rider, while the S01 model has an extended seat to accommodate two people.
The S02 costs R98,205 and reaches speeds of up to 90km/h with the sport setting activated. Its 5.6kWh lithium-ion battery provides a range of up to 127km.
Silence’s S01 e-scooter has the same battery and, therefore, the same range as the S02. However, it boasts a top speed of 100km/h.
The Silence S01 is available for R139,900 from the manufacturer.
Vespa sells one e-scooter — the Elettrica — in South Africa, boasting a range of 100km from a single charge of its 4.2kWh battery.
Vespa’s Elettrica offers two driving modes — eco and pro — based on whether the rider wants to get the maximum range or performance out of the scooter.
It has a top speed of 100km/h, with a peak power output of 4kW. Vespa is selling the Elettrica for R169,000.
Five electric scooters available in South Africa, and their performance stats, are listed below.
Ewizz Spark 5 N38 — R72,171
- Top Speed: 90km/h
- Range: up to 140km @ 50km/h (Average: 100km)
- Peak power: 8.5kW (Nominal: 5kW)
- Battery: 3.8kWh lithium NCM “Quickswap”
Silence S02 — R98,045
- Top speed: 90km/h
- Range: up to 127km
- Peak power: 9kW
- Battery: 5.6kWh lithium-ion
Silence S01 — R139,900
- Top speed: 100km/h
- Range: up to 127km
- Peak power: 9kW
- Battery: 5.6kWh lithium-ion
Ewizz Volt 9 N86 electric scooter — R143,696
- Top speed: 120km/h
- Range: up to 200km @ 50km/h (Average: 150km)
- Peak power: 15kW (Nominal: 9kW)
- Battery: 8.6kWh lithium NCM
Vespa Electtrica — R169,000
- Top speed: 70km/h
- Range: up to 100km
- Peak power: 4kW
- Battery: 4.2kWh lithium-ion
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