Johannesburg - The award-winning Silence S01 and S02 electric scooters have been launched in South Africa, hailing from Europe and featuring innovative battery technology.

The Silence S02 is a business-focussed model that’s priced from R97 750, while the S01 is aimed at commuters and comes in at R129 950.

Both are powered by a 7kW (9kW peak power) electric motor that allows the bikes to accelerate from 0-50km/h in 3.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 100km/h.

The Silence S01 is a more upmarket model aimed at commuters.

Both bikes also feature 5.6kWh batteries that allow a range of up to 127km between charging, depending on the riding mode selected as well as the load and prevailing weather conditions.

The S02 delivery bike boasts a load carrying capacity of up to 185kg and clients can opt for a 47 litre removable storage box, which can also be replaced by a passenger seat. A floor-mounted bag is also available to provide additional stashing space.

The innovative removable batteries are said to retain 97% of their capacity after 150 000km of use, which practically eliminates the need for a costly battery replacement during the life cycle of the bike, Silence says.

“Silence (South Africa) is in a unique position as far as the local electric scooter market goes. It is the first in the market with a proven product from a reputable and globally recognised European manufacturer of electric scooters,” the importer said.

“Silence (South Africa) is closely tied to other players in the green industry, and able to connect startups and businesses wanting to expand into the field of green transportation with appropriate financial services providers.

“It also offers support to small business and individual entrepreneurs who want to enter the electric scooter market in South Africa, and help them build capacity in doing so.”

Silence South Africa is based in Stellenbosch and the import company is owned and managed by Deon Engelbrecht and Brett Levine. For more information, visit www.silencesa.co.za

IOL Motoring