First the announcement
Yesterday, Roam announced the latest generation of its motorcycle, powered by its new battery pack. It is the pack that is worth talking about.
But first the motorcycle. Roam says that the Air Gen 3 features a reinforced chassis manufactured with 98% robotic welding, improving structural consistency and durability. The frame has been validated through over 200,000 vibration cycles under a 300 kg load to simulate real-world operating conditions.
It’s a strong motorcycle.
Moving on to the battery pack, as that’s the real deal here. Unlike most of the other players in Africa who offer battery as a subscription service, Roam sells the pack to the riders. There is no swapping support. So, what Roam needs is to build in fast charging and an assurance of longevity.
That is what it has achieved with the new battery pack. The new pack charges at 2 kW, one of the fastest charging packs in Africa. Charging is courtesy of a Type 6 connector. The other motorcycle in the market with a Type-6 connector is the Zeno Emara.
Thanks to the charging speed, Roam’s new pack can deliver more than a kilometre of range per minute of charging, enabling a 20-to-80% charge in under 40 minutes.
Most importantly, Roam says that the new motorcycle is designed so efficiently that real-world energy consumption has dropped to 28 Wh/km.
The pack comes with a 100,000 km warranty.
On the safety and durability front, the new pack integrates GPS location tracking and an IP67-rating. The pack has an industrial-grade aluminium casing, making it drop-proof while improving heat dissipation.
Management Speak
“We designed the Roam Air Gen 3 around the real challenges riders face: long charging times, affordability, theft, and tough road conditions. Every feature, from fast charging to tracking and durability, is focused on keeping riders on the road, reducing operating costs, and increasing daily earnings.” – Habib Lukaya, Roam Country Manager.
Impact
It’s great news for Roam and an even better one for the ecosystem. We consider Africa as the hotbed for electric mobility of the future. However, battery tech has lagged, mostly because batteries were engineered for durability and harsh climates rather than for optimized energy delivery, fast charging, smartness, cycle life, or other attributes that are common with portable batteries in other parts of the world. Here is how all the important packs in Africa compare.
We must point out again that Roam’s business model is different from the others in the market. Roam sells the pack while the others offer a subscription. So any warranty on the pack directly impacts Roam’s customers. It’s a 100,000 km warranty and fast charging, which are welcome additions.
Roam is not the only one that has a focus on the battery. Most players in Africa are playing energy arbitrage models, and the packs must be efficient, long-life, and capable of charging fast. We see considerable investment going into pack design in Africa in the near future. Spiro, the market leader, has already set up a Battery Technology Center in Bengaluru.