«Bring en hei» E-Scooter Experience Report Silence S01

A testimonial by Gabor Kiss

“Often new perspectives arise by leaving well-trodden paths. The A1 spans the central Plateau in a large arc. I would never have the idea of choosing a small country road in the hilly hinterland on a car trip from Bern to Zurich. Until recently, at least.

With the acquisition of an e-scooter in the Bern region, the question of the transfer to Zurich arises. It seems to me audacious to exhaust the advertised range of 100 km right on the first trip. The GPS based distance from the dealer to Zurich is 101km. It means dealing with the existing energy of the battery in a budgetary manner. The default is therefore; Don’t take a detour or miss a turnoff. A slight tension goes along.

The planned trip takes me over small country roads and through villages, which I think I know from Gottfried Keller. Many things remind me of Dürrenmatt when I roll through a “Konradsweilerwald” or dive down into the “lowlands of Pückenried”.

Gabor Kiss

Is one battery charge of the Silence S01 from Zurich to Bern?

It is shortly after eleven o’clock in the morning when I roll from the yard of Lehmann Motos, the display shows 97% battery capacity. The weather is spring-like cool, the rain cover is housed in the spacious helmet compartment of the Silence. In ECO mode I roll in the flat surroundings towards Langenthal. Reassured, I note that with smooth rolling and at moderate speed, the display of the battery capacity is hardly reduced.

Near Roggwil there is a first incline, which the scooter climbs confidently even in ECO mode. On the other hand, it is noticeable that recuperation hardly intervenes on a gentle slope.

Stage 1:

30 kilometers to Langenthal – 16 % battery consumption
It’s lunchtime, so I make a short food stop in Zofingen. The battery indicator stands at 81%, a consumption of 16 percentage points of the battery power. Not bad for a driving distance of 30km.

I have a fine bratwurst at the grill stand of the butcher’s shop Urban-Food, right at the entrance to the old town. While walking through the main street, I notice the inevitable changes to the grown cityscape. The “Gasthof zum Raben” grows into a Tex-Mex restaurant. – modern times…

The pictures…

Stage 2:

Hilly landscape and traffic as far as Bremgarten
Now that a hilly section of the route is pending, I am curious to see how the battery power “melts away” on inclines. On the only ridge that could be exuberantly described as a pass, the Böhler-Passhöchi (611m), I frighten racing cyclists by silently “gliding” from behind. Then it goes down in narrow loops to Unterkulm in the Wynental. Via Teufenthal, Seon and Ammerswil I finally turn into the main road, which leads from Lenzburg to Wohlen. Now the leisurely rolling is over. The heavy traffic forces me to an adapted speed of 60-70km/h. After Wohlen I continue on the bypass road to Bremgarten, where I pay a visit to the northern access to the city.

Stage 3:

Over the Üetliberg to Zurich. 23 % residual battery
Now it is time to master the last major incline to Birmensdorf on the west side of the Uetliberg. A short section with highway requires The Sport mode. At the top of the hilltop near Uitikon, the battery indicator still shows a reassuring 30%. Now it’s down to Zurich, into the hustle and bustle of the big city with heavy stop & go traffic.

At 16:15, with a residual display of 23%, I stand in front of the front door and pull the ignition key. I am impressed. The Silence masters this long-distance test without blowing, rolls along in an energy-saving manner if necessary, but then shows in Sport mode that it can also move forward dynamically.

With a demanding “mixed traffic” through the hilly Mittelland, a range of 130 km would certainly have been possible in the end.

Gabor Kiss

More long-distance experiences with the Silence will surely follow!