Two Worcester residents with a passion and determination to introduce first-world transportation to their community have started manufacturing electric vehicles.
Who would have guessed a small town like Worcester has been manufacturing electric vehicles for the past four years?
Locals Willa Nolte and Jaco Pieters partnered up to start an e-vehicle company, New Heights, which manufactures vehicles that use electricity instead of petrol or diesel.
The idea of this new venture was born a few years ago when the two attended expos overseas and noticed a significant use of electric vehicles in public transport, and South Africa was far behind.
Because the two were already in the business of manufacturing agricultural machines they thought it would be a good starting point to bring their business idea to life.
“We then started by importing the parts to South Africa, and the rest really unfolded almost naturally,” Nolte says.
He pointed out everything they have achieved with the e-vehicles so far has been through four long years of trial and error.
Hard work coupled with the willpower to achieve great heights has been integral themes in the men’s lives as one of their motorbikes recently took part in an off-road e-bike enduro race which took place at the Nuy Winery on Saturday 15 January. This event is a 21 km dirt route on which dirt bike riders put their skills to the test.
Nolte said: “The bike we took to this, the Funduro, was one of the e-bikes we have had to rework. So we took it there to see how well it would perform and, to our surprise, it did really well.
“Credit must be given to the rider, though.
“We received the affirmation we were looking for, so it was a proud moment for us.”
Owing to the e-bike’s performance Nolte said maybe it is a product he and Pieters could take to the next level of manufacture.
Located in Worcester’s industrial area, New Heights, according to Nolte, is now at a place where he and Pieters can start building on it successfully. This is so partly because they already have a bakkie that has been functional for more than a year.
E-motorbikes and quadbikes therefore form part of the plans to expand.
Later this year the two hope to launch another motorbike.
