Roam was established in 2017 as Opibus. The company formed out of a Swedish technical university project to figure out how to introduce EV tech to emerging markets. Kenya was chosen as the headquarters of the operation and the resulting motorcycles are designed and engineered right there. Roam was able to raise $7.5 million in equity and grants. Now, it says it’s about ready to put its super cheap motorcycle into production.
Roam says that its goal is to provide electric mobility in Africa. A lot of people in this part of the world get around on little motorcycles and other vehicles that add to the region’s air pollution problems. Roam’s thinking is that if you get enough people into cleaner forms of transport, everyone can breathe a little easier. One way it intends to do that is with a motorcycle cheap enough for many to afford. So, what do you get with a $1,500 electric motorcycle? The Roam Air doesn’t really do anything clever. It’s not employing any aerospace materials like a Ryvid and it doesn’t look like it came from the future, either. Instead, when you look at a Roam Air you see a lot of things that look familiar.
For example, the frame of the Air looks like that of a standard motorcycle. Here, it’s housing up to two battery packs. But cut the cage off and you could easily place a little ICE in there. The rest of the motorcycle is just as simple. Up front is the kind of fork that you’d find on a 150cc motorcycle, in back is what appears to be a standard swingarm, and you even get drum brakes on both ends. Nothing here looks extraordinary, futuristic, or even all that custom. The instrument cluster is monochromatic, the wheels are narrow, and the headlight looks like the off-the-shelf unit that some people put on their Jeeps. Roam says that these are designed around affordability and functionality and you can definitely see it.
The spec sheet is also nothing amazing, but practical. Bolted to the frame is an electric motor putting out 136 lb-ft torque. It’s good for a top speed of about 56 mph. The frame has room for two 3.24 kWh battery packs. The $1,500 version gets you just one pack, and it’s said to be good for up to 56 miles of range. There doesn’t appear to be any regenerative braking, but that makes sense because that would add cost. Adding in the second battery adds $550 to the price. Roam says the second battery approximately doubles the range. Charging time for these batteries is listed at four hours from the included 240V charger.
Like many small electric motorcycle designs, that file cabinet drawer of a battery can be removed and charged inside at home. Roam sees a lot of buyers being riders who use their motorcycles for deliveries. For that use case, Roam expects the rider to have one battery charging while the other is being used on the bike. Further adding to the practicality of the motorcycle is a rack out back and a 485-lb payload. And the whole package comes in at 298 pounds when set up with one battery. Roam doesn’t say what these batteries are made of. I reached out for additional information.
So, how does this compare to gas-powered motorcycles? Here in America, $1,500 either gets you a beater bike from Craigslist or a 125cc clone motorcycle. In Africa, about $1,000 gets you a new 100cc machine while $1,400 gets you a 150cc motorcycle with a rack for deliveries. The spec sheet of this motorcycle would put it in the 150cc class, so the price seems competitive. And the rider won’t have to worry about oil changes, the price of gas, or engine repairs, either. Roam says that the first 3,000 deliveries begin later this year in Kenya with a goal of mass-production in 2023. The company also has eyes on other markets in the world. It hasn’t stated where the bikes are going, but I suspect it’s going to other places where cheap bikes sell well. The 150 prototypes are a great sign that this isn’t vaporware, and I hope that these actually reach production. These bikes may be riding on old tech but the price is incredible. The 240V charger may or may not be a problem, but I’m guessing not for two reasons. One, most motorcycles are ridden in and around cities, where people do have access to electricity. Two, the bike was designed by Kenyans for Kenyans, so you’d think they wouldn’t give it a charging system that was hard for Kenyans to access. Also, it is 230V, not 240V (just like 220V, that’s dated terminology, the spec is 230V +/- a specific percentage). The explanation I’ve heard is that when Europe switched from 115V to 230V, it was far easier and cheaper because major appliances like fridges, washing machines and such were less common there. And then it’s obvious why in even less developed countries/areas (Africa) that as they began industrializing and developing later on, they would choose the “better” system. Anyway, I think this seems like a great idea that will hopefully allow people around the world to travel in an energy-efficient manner that also produces fewer toxic fumes (at least locally). In the high likelihood that many people in the countryside are using solar panels to recharge them, this could be hugely beneficial to the environment. I don’t get it. People default to what they know. If you had an article on scuba equipment for quadriplegics, most of the comments would be about how it’s not applicable to their personal swimming style. “Lead -acid batteries suffer in hot climates. The heat saps water from the battery and causes sulfation, the accumulation of harmful lead-sulfate crystals in the battery. Excessive heat … can also make the battery’s plates buckle.” This is a problem in itself but with rough roads, those lead-sulfate crystals get shaken loose from the plates, fall to the bottom of the battery and eventually form a bridge between plates shorting out the battery. In Central America, where I encountered this phenomena , a battery was good for about two years maximum (in a car) and no, they weren’t dumb enough to give long warranties and thus keep giving you free replacements. Naturally this would not be a problem if the manufacturers are using Optima batteries as endorsed by this site, as they’re good in high-heat, high-vibration use, but I bet they’re not THAT enlightened. So, assuming that you’re on the hook for a new lead-acid battery every couple of years suddenly maintenance costs become -at least- comparable. Then there’s always the problem of charging the bike. Infrastructure in Africa is not generally as sophisticated as in Europe et al. On the other hand, a Coke bottle of borrowed gasoline will get you home. FWIW, I’m generally not an early adopter of new technology. I don’t have any objections to electric vehicles; I actually think that they’re good in the right circumstances, but I don’t think they work in the proffered scenario. Also, comparing MPG to a vehicle specifically designed to get rid of anything per gallon feels kinda silly. The goal is to better the air, not just put less fumes into it with a high MPG bike. You “bet they’re not THAT enlightened”, huh? OK, bud, I see you… This looks like a very solid offering at a great price but it is hard to see electric being the current choice for the 3rd world. (no pun intended) A CSC City Slicker is $2,500 A Lifan E4 is ~$2,300 A Lifan E3 is ~$2,000 Lexmoto has several offerings, one starting around $2,000 Would need to get a charger for it as I have all gas appliances and the only 240 runs my HVAC. 🙂 I don’t want to unplug that to charge my bike (hardwired and all that). That means a second line and upgrading the system to handle that. Would be the same if I get an EV car, would have to wire up for a L2 charger or two. I know it can be done, there are just quite a few things that are more important. If the meter is near your driveway, there is an new product that would help. That’s a heck of a big pay load for the weight of the vehicle. Balancing that payload while riding seems like a full time job. Maybe large saddle bags to get the weight a bit lower is the answer? Fairly sure its not vaporware.
