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| The Zero SR does 0-100 km/h in 3 seconds. It is the Tesla of the two-wheeled world |
CAYENNE World is awaiting the arrival of the first shipment of new
Zero Electric motorcycles from the U.S.
Cayenne World told Wheels they will be introducing three
Zero models, the DS Dual Sport, the S Street Fighter and the high performance SR
model, early in May.
It took just over two years, but Craig Langton, sales director and
co-owner of the Cayenne Group, said the deal is finally done and Cayenne has
been appointed the official importer of Zero Electric motorcycles, the perfect
commuter for South Africans.
Billed as the Teslas of the motorbike world, the electric
drivetrains are powerful enough to out-accelerate anything on the road today.
Former Pietermaritzburger Craig Marshall, now executive director of
Electric Motorcycles Africa in Cape Town who pioneered the Zero bikes in South
Africa in 2008, said each Zero is a blast to drive.
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| The Zero S 'just simplifies biking' according to one commuter who has been riding one since 2008. |
Marshall welcomed the Cayenne deal, saying the group brings the
financial muscle to make Zero bikes more affordable in South Africa. He has
sold 14 in five years, and told Wheels each one is still “absolutely mind blowing to ride”.
“I’ve been commuting on a Zero since 2009 from Somerset to Cape
Town. It costs me six cents per kilometre and just simplifies biking because
there are so few moving parts.
“But because all the torque is available from zero revs, the Zero
bikes delivers a thrill each time,” said.
Asked what the Zero SR feels like with 144 Nm from the start,
Marshall said it does the 0 to 100 km/h run in three seconds flat. “This is one
bike we demo only in eco mode,” Marshall told Wheels.
Driven with verve, the batteries of the Zero bikes have a range of
up to 250 km plus on one charge, and the batteries can be charged anywhere from
a normal household plug. While overnight charging is recommended, one can do
short distances on a two-hour charge.
Andy le May, owner of Ewizz electric scooters in Cape Town, said
the best part of the Zero electric motorbikes are that they will prove cheaper
to operate than a car or even a medium to large motorcycle with a petrol
engine.
Langton said Cayenne’s finance partner Motor Finance Corporation, a
division of Nedbank, will support the new Zero with repayment options of R1 950
per month over 72 months, with a
three-year guaranteed buyback, a five-year or 160 000 km warranty and a
free service plan. Cash prices for the bikes will be confirmed when they land
next month.
To book a test ride, call Zero South Africa at Cayenne World at 011 244 1900.
