New eBike player hits SA market
I’ve just been contacted by James Swift from eZee SA - importers of the very impressive eZee electric bicycle range - to inform me of the availability of these bikes in South Africa. I immediately headed over to their site, and I must say, the products look very impressive indeed.
Unlike South Africa’s own e-Bike from Adequate Energy which runs on lead acid batteries, all eZee bikes run off Lithium manganese batteries which the makers claim offer significant advantages. From their FAQ:
Lithium manganese batteries… are on average 3 times lighter than lead acid batteries. This means a lead acid battery with the same power density would weigh more than 12 kg’s, i.e. it would use most of its energy just to move the battery around. It is also almost a third lighter than NiMH batteries with the same performance. It lasts about 60% longer than conventional lead acid batteries and almost 25% longer than NiMH.
The maganese cathode used in these batteries is also significantly less susceptible to thermal runaway (and resultant fires) than the cobalt cathodes used in many other Lithium Ion batteries. The bikes are fast and have a long range. The top-of-the-line Forza model has a top speed of 35 km/h and a range of nearly 60 km. These figures are significantly better than Adequate Energy’s bike.
Here’s the caveat, though: eZee bikes cost between R9 900 and R15 000 compared to R4 700 for an Adequate Energy bike. Nevertheless, if you can afford the difference, the eZee bike range offers far more features, performance and range than anything else on offer in South Africa. I’m seriously considering buying the eZee Torq, pictured above.
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I’m looking for Sawan heavy duty bikes