eRod, the artist of the road: 45 kW, 120 km/h and over 180 km reach. Photo: Jeton Shali
Almost silently, the postman approaches the mailbox on a three-wheeled electric vehicle with a trailer, delivers letters and parcels, before zipping away to the next house. There might not be anything special about this daily occurrence but there is actually a small revolution behind it. “Back in the day, the Swiss Mail used two-stroke mopeds called ‘Töffli’, which smelled horrible and couldn’t carry much,” Martin Kyburz explains. In 2009, the electrical engineer changed exactly that. Thanks to him, the Swiss Mail upgraded to a contemporary vehicle fleet: The KYBURZ three-wheeled ‘DXP’ delivery vehicles are electric and can carry significantly more weight. They also score highly in efficiency and sustainability. Nowadays, the bright yellow vehicles made in Freienstein/ZH are a common sight across 92 |
Issue 96 |
August 2022
Switzerland. But they are also in high demand abroad. Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Hungary are among many customers. However, the second-largest market for KYBURZ is Australia. Since 2017, the mail in cities ‘down under’ is delivered by three-wheelers and over 3,000 ‘DXP’ vehicles are used there – a figure set to increase. The 30-year-old SME employs around 170 people and, since 2002, it has also offered fully enclosed, four-wheeled vehicles for the elderly called ‘PLUS’. Aside from producing electric vehicles for various applications, KYBURZ is fully committed to sustainability. Hence, it recycles three-wheelers used by postal services into full-featured 2ndLife vehicles with factory
warranties. However, the real sensation is the recycling of batteries, which KYBURZ has mastered since 2020. To do so, KYBURZ developed a revolutionary procedure and it’s the first company worldwide which manages to recover 91 per cent of the valuable commodities of a lithium battery in their purest form – therefore, it achieves a closed cycle of materials. It’s clear that KYBURZ is paving the way to the future. Among its clients are not only private customers but also delivery services, communes, industrial and small-trade businesses. Whatever country you are travelling to, chances are that KYBURZ might already be there. Aside from protecting the environment, the Swiss company also stands for maximum fun. The puristic sports car ‘eRod’ goes all-out regarding technology and road performance. It offers ultimate fun for passionate drivers – and provides an unforgettable ride.
TEXT: MARILENA STRACKE I
KYBURZ Switzerland AG is located in the scenic Zurich Unterland and has long turned into a global player.
PHOTOS: KYBURZ SWITZERLAND AG
INTO THE WORLD – ON THREE WHEELS
