Cake—the Swedish producer of premium, lightweight, electric motorbikes—introduced at the Outdoor Retailer Snow Show in Denver last week its Ösa AP, the latest model used by the company to promote its anti-poaching initiative started in late 2020. The AP (anti-poaching) version is engineered to provide wildlife rangers in Africa with quieter and more sustainable vehicles. The company claims that its agility, towing performance, cargo possibilities, and long product life will help increase efficiency, lower running cost, and haul all necessary equipment to remote locations.

The company calls the new AP model its “workbench and tow truck on two wheels” designed to haul heavy and bulky loads. Its design is influenced by that of a workbench and builds on a horizontal bar that stretches from front to rear underneath the seat.

This facilitates a modular, highly flexible, clamp-on configuration system that serves as the backbone of the bike. Users can attach baskets, bags, tools, and more to create several possible configurations. The Ösa also runs on a powerful battery with multiple outlets, meaning the motorbike doubles as a power station, enabling the rider to be completely independent and off-the-grid.

“Clean, durable, flexible, and built to offer fast and convenient transportation off-road as well as in cities, the new Ösa AP clearly demonstrates our mission to inspire and contribute to accelerating the journey towards a zero-emission society, combining excitement and responsibility,” said Stefan Ytterborn, Founder and CEO of Cake. “Supporting multiple challenges in transportation, our electric motorcycles have proven to be a winner in areas with sensitive environments and uncertain supply of traditional fuel.”

The latest AP model comes in two versions.

The Ösa Flex AP, equivalent to a 50-cm³ moped, has an MSRP of $8500. Its 4 kW produces a top speed of more than 30 mph (48 km/h). The combination of 154 lb (70 kg) bike plus 37 lb (17 kg) battery has a WMTC (World Motorcycle Test Cycle) II range of 57 mi (92 km) in mixed city riding.

The Ösa+ AP, equivalent to a 125-cm³ motorcycle, is priced at $10,000. Its 10 kW produces a top speed of over 56 mph (90 km/h). It is slightly heavier at 159 lb (72 kg) with the same battery for a range of 52 mi (84 km).

Both models are street legal in the U.S. and Europe.

 

Company, bikes, funding

Cake was founded in 2016, launched in 2018, and its series production bikes hit the market in the spring of 2019. The company says it has focused on establishing a new category of light, quiet, and clean electric motorcycles, with performance and durability being the main objectives, but it has also prioritized extended life cycles, efficiency, and sustainability initiatives.

For those new to the company’s lineup of electric motorbikes, they feature utilitarian designs that can be fitted with a range of add-ons such as luggage racks, ski racks, and even mini-refrigerators. The power output of their electric motors ranges from 3.6 to 11 kW for top speeds between 30 and 60 mph (48 and 97 km/h), and battery ranges are between 31 and 87 mi (61 and 140 km).

The smaller Ösa line is mostly targeted at commuting and delivery applications. The company’s first model, the larger Kalk line largely designed for off-road use and racing, debuted in 2018 and received numerous accolades including the 2019 and 2020 Red Dot Design Awards and the IF Design Award. The Ösa was launched in 2019 as a utility platform with an integrated power station and off-road capabilities. In 2020, Cake expanded into racing with the Kalk OR Race and Kalk INK Race.

In 2021, the company expanded its model range with the “convenient and light” city moped called the Makka. In addition, it launched the “:work series” of bikes built on existing platforms but optimized for professional use including last-mile delivery and service applications.

In September, the company announced that its latest round of fundraising closed at $60 million. Anchored by Swedish pension fund AMF, the round included a handful of new investors with strong support from current shareholders including Creandum and Headline.

“We appreciate the opportunity to invest in one of Sweden’s most interesting companies within the field of electrification at this rather early stage,” said Patricia Hedelius, Portfolio Manager at AMF, about the new funding. “The products can be important in the transition to a more sustainable society, and Cake’s innovative design and solid customer focus have contributed to a strong market interest.”

“We are very happy to continue to support the team for the long term in their ambition to become the category leader in the premium two-wheeler electric vehicle segment,” added Staffan Helgesson, General Partner at Creandum Advisor.

“Together we can take a leap in developing the future for clean mobility,” said Conny Carlsson, Chairman of the board at Cake.

Aside from new product platforms, the new funding will help Cake set up manufacturing facilities in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its sites, including showrooms, retail, and service, started opening in major cities in the fall.

 

The first anti-poaching bike

Poaching has had devastating consequences for wildlife in Africa and is one of the primary reasons that some species face the risk of extinction. Anti-poaching teams have used gasoline-fueled dirt bikes for patrolling because they are considered the fastest and most agile vehicles in the bush. However, these bikes are loud and alert poachers from miles away with the sound of their engines.

Cake also points out that traditional combustion engine motorcycles require costly, inconvenient, and unsustainable deliveries of fuel to support the ranger teams as they work deep in the African bush. Those deliveries by diesel trucks or helicopters further drive up the cost of anti-poaching patrols and cause even more pollution in sensitive areas.

The Kalk AP was Cake’s first bike in the anti-poaching lineup. An off-road machine resembling a motocross cycle and priced at $11,500, it combines the off-road performance ability of the Kalk OR with a lightweight frame, sealed drivetrain, and more robust suspension. As one of the most powerful bikes in the Cake offers, the Kalk AP is designed specifically for rangers who spend their weeks in the African bush patrolling for poachers and illegal traps.

Since it’s almost silent, it’s easier to move around without alerting poachers. A mobile solar charging station designed and produced by Goal Zero allows rangers to take the bikes deep into the bush and operate far from the confines of both the electrical grid as well as traditional fuel supply lines.

Special features include 18-in custom-made off-road tires, a rear carrier to attach arms or medical equipment, and fenders made of natural fiber biocomposite material from Trifilon. The bikes are also outfitted with a powerful headlight from Silva for effective nighttime patrolling. Together with the luggage manufacturer DB, Cake has developed a Kalk AP first-aid kit to be used in the field to treat injured animals.

Until recently, the Kalk AP was only available for purchase in a special charity bundle, where buyers received one bike and another bike was sent to Africa to be used by wildlife rangers in the anti-poaching initiative. However, Cake recently changed that policy and now offers single-bike Kalk AP orders.

Working with the Southern African Wildlife College, Cake’s engineers developed the Electric Bush Bike as a silent, purpose-built electric off-road motorcycle that allows rangers to approach poachers without being detected. The electric bikes’ mobile power stations and solar panels for charging allow them to operate off the power grid and independently of traditional power sources.

Cake also goes beyond e-motorbike design to support anti-poaching initiatives. The company sends 3% of the proceeds of every order of Cake AP bikes and Cake Electric Bush Bike apparel directly to the Southern African Wildlife College.

To read the full story behind the anti-poaching project, visit www.ridecake.com/en/antipoaching.

 

Kevin Jost contributed to this article.