You in all probability know Cake for its lineup of electrical grime bikes, together with the Kalk& and Kalk INK SL, which have made waves for his or her full of life efficiency each on and off the pavement. In the present day, the Swedish electrical bike firm added a brand new mannequin to its rising lineup, and it has a lofty function. Cake is releasing simply 50 Kalk AP bikes to most of the people. While you purchase one, you’ll not solely get a motorbike for your self—you’ll assist assist anti-poaching efforts in South Africa too.
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The Kalk AP is the results of a partnership comprising Cake, the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC), and solar energy firm Goal Zero. The SAWC, positioned simply exterior Kruger Nationwide Park, trains and deploys rangers (normally on bikes) to implement anti-poaching legal guidelines. The thought: Electrical bikes, on paper at the least, are well-suited for anti-poaching work. This product launch goals to check that principle. At 25 grand, the Kalk AP is an costly prospect, however needless to say your buy features a bike for the SAWC, together with a photo voltaic panel charger from Objective Zero to maintain it juiced up whereas out within the wild.
It’s a novel partnership, and the electrical bike fills a really particular want for SAWC rangers. The gasoline-powered bikes they at the moment use have vital drawbacks: Conserving the bike fueled whereas patrolling distant areas presents a severe logistical problem (and prices some huge cash), and the noise from fuel engines typically alerts poachers to the rangers’ presence, giving them time to keep away from seize, in keeping with an explainer video from Cake. A silent electrical bike paired with a photo voltaic panel to maintain the batteries juiced up wherever ought to clear up each issues. The primary Kalk AP bikes will arrive in South Africa later this yr for testing, in keeping with Cake.
As for the bike itself, the Kalk AP relies on the Kalk platform, however comes with a number of tweaks to deal with the tough terrain of the African bush. It options 18-inch rims (entrance and rear) with beefy 3.5-inch tires for added traction, a low-maintenance suspension, fenders and panels constituted of a biodegradable polymer, and drivetrain software program that’s modified for extra torque and a reasonable high velocity. You will get all the small print and specs on the Cake website.
[$25,350; ridecake.com]
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