Kenyan company ARC Ride has launched its Panther electric motorbike in South Africa. The roll-out starts in Gauteng and the Western Cape, Engineering News reported.
The company said the bike and its battery swapping network could raise the take-home pay of delivery riders by up to 20%. These riders have been hit by high fuel prices and repair costs.
“There is a human on that bike doing a tough job every day,” said ARC Ride SA managing director Mikael Cloete. “We engineered the Panther specifically for durability, safety and operational efficiency, ensuring the unit-economics allow riders to increase their net weekly earnings.”
Riders do not buy or charge their own batteries. They swap empty batteries for full ones at swap stations and ARC hubs. The company calls this battery as a service.
ARC Ride SA said a full battery swap costs R50 and gives up to 110 km of range. That works out to about R45.45 per 100 km.
With petrol at about R27 a litre in September, a normal 125 cc delivery bike uses more than R59 in fuel for 100 km. The company said its cost is about 23% lower. Riders who swap a half empty battery only pay for the energy they used.
The company’s own fleet data shows maintenance costs can fall by up to 40%. Together with fuel savings, this can cut up to 20% of a rider’s weekly running costs, it said.
The Panther costs from R22 500, including VAT. Rental and lease options are offered through ARC Ride fleet partners in both provinces. The company said owning a Panther should cost no more than owning a petrol bike.
The bike has a 5 kW motor that can reach 10 kW of peak power. It can carry a load of up to 292 kg. It has hydraulic disc brakes, a combined braking system and LED lights.
ARC Ride keeps ownership of the batteries when it sells a bike. “ARC retains ownership of the batteries and riders access energy through our battery-swapping network,” Cloete said.
Parts come from global suppliers, mostly in China. Final assembly happens at the company’s plant in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town. “The Panther is not an off-the-shelf Chinese motorcycle that we import, assemble and rebrand,” Cloete told Engineering News.
Cloete said the Western Cape government helped the company get its regulatory approvals and vehicle registration within months. Premier Alan Winde spoke at the launch event in September.
“Africa is coming into its own, and we love to see businesses invest here with a clear African strategy,” Winde said.
ARC Ride SA employs 30 people, nine of them at the assembly plant. The steel brackets and plastic boxes used for deliveries are made locally, Cloete said.
The company launched in Cape Town on 10 September. It has since put about 200 motorbikes on the road. It is adding more in controlled phases.
Cloete said South Africa uses far fewer motorbikes than Kenya and other African countries. Here, the main use is last-mile delivery. The company is mainly targeting fleet owners and large fleet operators.
“There is no fundamental reason why motorcycles cannot play a much larger role in South African mobility over time, as they already do elsewhere on the continent,” he said.
In Kenya, the company is working towards 10 000 active vehicles. In South Africa, its 12-month target is 5 000 motorbikes on the road, Cloete said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Engineering News. Image: Engineering News. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Technology desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Werner Jacobs covers technology for Tzaneen Voice. Werner reports on mobile networks, data prices, internet access, smartphones, apps, AI, cybersecurity and South African tech companies. Each story explains what a new product, price change or policy means for ordinary users in South Africa.