Lipa is very much doable with the ZEEHO AE8
In 2023, I had a rather bold idea: to take an e-bike on a long-distance ride. Locally, the term “e-bike” broadly refers to a range of compact electric vehicles, whether two-, three-, or four-wheeled. It happened during that year’s Touratech Travel Event in Dingalan, and while e-bikes are clearly not built for extended journeys, I wanted to see if it could be done, if only to prove a point.
I managed to pull it off, but I have to admit, taking an e-bike on a long-distance trip is no easy feat. It demands meticulous planning of charging stops (which double as snack and rest breaks) and constant monitoring of battery levels. My ride to Dingalan took roughly 12 hours or about twice as long as it would have on a gasoline-powered scooter, mainly because of the time spent recharging the batteries along the way.
Two years later, another chance for a “long ride” came up, and it’s the grand opening of CFMOTO’s new Flagship Store in Lipa. With advancements in technology, particularly the addition of a fast-charging system on most e-bikes, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try again. So, I asked our friends at CFMOTO Philippines if I could take the ZEEHO AE8 on the journey.
Full charge in just 3 hours
While Lipa may not qualify as a “long ride” for most riders today, it serves as the gateway to many of Batangas’ most scenic riding destinations. Getting there using only an e-bike, however, is a different kind of adventure.
With the ZEEHO AE8 NOT fully charged since I forgot to plug it in the night before, I started my journey from Las Piñas with 89% battery juice, taking the Manila South Road (National Highway) all the way to Lipa City, which is a simple, straightforward route that promised an interesting test of range and endurance.
The route may have been straightforward, but the traffic was anything but. From the moment I entered the national highway in San Pedro, it was a slow crawl all the way to Lipa, thanks to the sheer volume of vehicles sharing the road. Based on my observation, much of the congestion stemmed from jeepneys and other PUVs that had converted several sections of the highway, especially the intersections, into illegal terminals.
Anyway, the slow crawl to Lipa took me and the AE8 nearly four hours, but we made it just in time for the Flagship Store’s grand opening and with about 7% battery charge left. Fortunately, our friends from New Nemar, the owner and dealer of Motorrad Alley Lipa, were more than accommodating. They kindly let me plug in the ZEEHO AE8 inside their newly opened service area at the CFMOTO Flagship Store, allowing me to recharge the bike while I joined the opening festivities.
I initially expected the recharge to take around four to six hours since the AE8’s batteries were nearly drained and I was already preparing myself for a late-night, possibly 1 or 2 AM ride home along the national highway. To my surprise, it only took a little over three hours to go from 7% to a full 100% charge, and I was able to take off and go home much earlier than I initially imagined.
By then, with fewer vehicles and people on the road, the return trip from Lipa to my home took only about an hour and a half—a much quicker and smoother ride.
Few takeaways
As I’ve said before, a trip to Lipa may not count as a long ride for most riders these days—but it feels entirely different when you’re a beginner or riding an e-bike. Here’s what this trip taught me:
- If your e-bike claims a 100-kilometer range, a ride to Lipa is absolutely doable (anywhere from south of Manila).
- Having a fast charger is a major confidence booster for riders who want to go beyond Metro Manila (or wherever home is). It works much like a DC fast charger for electric cars—plug in, grab a meal or take a short nap, and you’re good to go.
- The ZEEHO AE8 supports battery swapping, so I brought an extra set just to be safe. If your e-bike offers the same feature, carrying a spare pack can greatly extend your travel range.
- Based on my experience, there’s not much difference in battery consumption between ECO, STREET, and SPORT modes, though the AE8’s SPORT mode definitely gives a more satisfying throttle response.
- From my own testing, the AE8’s practical range can be estimated as the remaining battery percentage minus five. For example, if the charge is at 70%, you can still go around 65 kilometers before running out of power.
- With an extra battery set and a quick top-up during a meal break, I can comfortably travel anywhere within a 250-kilometer radius from home.
- And best of all, ZERO fuel expenses.
