Pretoria-based electric vehicle specialist GridCars is in the process of homologating an electric trike, which director Winstone Jordaan hopes will find many commercial uses.

GridCars is a registered vehicle manufacturer.

Jordaan says GridCars aims to keep the price tag on the trike – called the eSpanBoni, roughly translated as donkey – under R45 000 for a single unit. However, should orders reach around 1 000 a year, economies of scale could see the trike’s price drop to R30 000 a unit.

The trike plugs directly into a wall socket for recharging, with no special charging station required, as is the case with full-size electric vehicles.

“A full charge will cost around R3.60,” says Jordaan.

Range on the trike is an average of 45 km, depending on the weight loaded onto the trike. Without a load, range can be up to 110 km.

Charging time to full is two hours.

The trike uses lithium-iron phosphate batteries. Top speed is around 30 km/h.

Jordaan says the trike has temperature sensors, which will see the vehicle cut out should the batteries overheat.

He believes the vehicle will find favour with small businesses, government, security firms and housing estates.

The trike can carry a payload of 300 kg, and can operate under all weather conditions.

The trike’s standard framework can be adapted for many applications, including carrying restaurant waste, making deliveries, providing estate security, fixing potholes, and for use as a small mobile clinic or taxi.

The trike’s operator requires a motorcycle licence.

GridCars specialise in electric vehicles and their requirements.

Apart from building electric vehicle prototypes, the company provides advanced mobility systems, such as vehicle tracking and the software interface between the power utility and the electric vehicle. It also supplies charge points, manufacturing a local AC charge point, while importing a French DC charging unit.

The company can produce three types of charge points: public charging where the electric vehicle user swipes a card to make payment and to release the plug; at home charging stations; and occasional charging systems, where specialised cabling allows for charging through a wall plug.

GridCars imports fast-charging facilities, where electric vehicles can by charged close to full in a short time-span.

The company, housed at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), is busy with the certification of charging systems for two vehicle manufacturers for their electric vehicles.

“We think our product can be competitive compared with overseas products,” notes Jordaan.

GridCars has also built a public charge point at the CSIR for electric vehicles.

Jordaan says it is the first public charge point in South Africa where any electric vehicle can be charged, with payment through a membership card.