Taking the FONZ Z-Series on the AEVA Climate Action Week Rally

As part of the AEVA Climate Action Week Rally, we had the perfect opportunity to put the FONZ Z-Series Electric Scooter to a real-world endurance test across one of New South Wales’ most scenic routes.

Representing FONZ Moto, I rode alongside one of our most valued customers, Manfred - who also owns a Z Series. As the only electric two-wheelers in a rally dominated by electric cars. What followed was a 230 kilometre loop from Western Sydney through the scenic Blue Mountains, proving that electric two-wheel mobility is more than capable of long-distance adventure.

The Journey Begins: Sydney Olympic Park → Penrith

Our day started at 8:30 am with some set up, pictures and interviews. The community at this event was a great mix of young and old, first time EV owners and seasoned veterans. We rode off at 9:00am from the Waterside Café in Sydney Olympic Park.

From there we headed west toward Penrith - a journey of roughly 50 kilometres. This first leg demonstrated how comfortably the Z-Series handles urban and highway riding.

At Penrith we plugged into a public Type 2 charger charging at 25amps or 1.8kW, bringing the scooter up to 85% in just 25 minutes before heading up and into the mountains.


Climbing the Blue Mountains

From Penrith we began the climb into the spectacular Blue Mountains. This is where we noticed the highest drop off of battery percentage, however, with ups there are downs. We made up for this on the downhill section later in the day. 

The route took us through the southern section of the range via Katoomba before continuing toward Bell and looping around the northern side of the mountains.

With steep climbs, elevation changes, and strong winds in the mountains, the ride provided a challenging real-world range test. While the Long Range Z-Series has a range of 180 km, the challenging conditions meant we were seeing about 155 km of real world range on our first leg - a very solid result considering the terrain.

Lunch Stop at Mount Tomah

Our lunch stop was at the stunning Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah.

Here we met with the rest of the rally participants, all driving electric vehicles including support cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 - this vehicle was charging up our external battery in the boot of their car whilst driving the rally. We collected this now fully charged battery and switched out the nearly depleted battery for one at 100% giving us an additional 80km range.

At Mount Tomah we:

  • Swapped the external battery
  • Gave our journey update to media
  • Spoke with fellow EV and climate enthusiasts
  • Rally participants test riding the Z-Series

Being the only electric bikes in the rally sparked plenty of interest and conversation about the future of two-wheel EV transport.

Completing the 230 km Loop

With a fresh battery installed, we set off for the final leg back to Sydney Olympic Park. This 230km was towards the extreme of what the Z-Series is capable of. With more time and less constraint on where we needed to be and when. We could have made it around the whole loop with just one charge and no battery swap. With the incredible 180km range we would have charged at Katoomba on a public Type 2 charger for 1hr to 100% giving us another 180km of range. But due to strict timings, interview appointments and rally convoy content we had to be in certain places at certain times meaning we had to adapt to our EV counterparts environment. 

The Z Series completed the full 230 km route with:

  • One 25-minute charge
  • One battery swap
  • Continuous performance through very steep mountain terrain

Along the way we even used the scooter to charge our phones, highlighting the practical features that make the bike perfect for longer rides and touring.


Real-World Electric Mobility

Events like the Climate Action Week Rally show how far electric mobility and charging has come. The FONZ-Z Series isn’t just designed for city commuting - it’s capable of tackling long-distance journeys, mountain roads, and challenging real-world riding conditions.

For Manfred and I, it was a fantastic day of riding, meeting fellow EV enthusiasts, and demonstrating just how capable electric two-wheel mobility can be.

And perhaps most importantly, it proved that electric adventure riding is already here.

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