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Detour and Valternative Energy

Go electric. We are here to help with the deposit.

An electric bike from R1 225 a week, or an Uber Electric car from R2 500 a week. Can't pay the deposit? Apply for funding, and we look at it with you.

Apply for deposit funding See the vehicles

Who Valternative are

South Africa's largest electric fleet

Valternative Energy builds and runs electric vehicles with battery swapping behind them: a swap station hands you a full battery in under a minute, so the bike never waits to charge. Their motorbikes carry Uber Package deliveries and their cars run on Uber Electric, with swap stations and chargers in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

  • No fuel to buy The biggest cost on a petrol subscription is the one nobody controls. A battery is swapped or charged, and Valternative say it costs up to 60% less than fuel.
  • Swap, don't wait A battery swap takes under a minute at a station. A delivery rider is back on the road in the time a fuel stop takes.
  • Already on Uber Uber Package runs a fully electric fleet on these bikes in Cape Town, and Uber Electric runs the EV4 at entry-level fares.

How it works with Detour

Three steps, the same as any Detour car

  1. 1

    Apply for the vehicle

    Pick a car or a bike below and apply. Your agent calls you, usually the same working day.

  2. 2

    One weekly amount

    A bike is R1 225 a week with battery swaps included. A car is R2 500 a week, and charging is R7 per kWh you use. Can't pay the deposit? Apply for funding.

  3. 3

    Drive, or deliver

    The passenger cars go onto Uber Electric. The Cargo and the bikes go onto Uber Package deliveries. Cars fast-charge; bike batteries are swapped at Valternative's stations.

We are here for you

Pay a small part upfront. We lend you the rest.

Pay R225 upfront for a bike or R500 for a car, and Detour Capital lends you the rest of the deposit: R1 000 for a bike, R2 000 for a car. You agree to pay it back within a week of getting the vehicle, from your earnings: R1 220 for a bike (R1 000 + R120 interest and fees + R100 On-The-Go subscription), R2 370 for a car (R2 000 + R120 interest and fees + R250 MyOwnBoss subscription). Detour Capital is a short-term loan from a registered credit provider. Each request is assessed, so approval is not guaranteed.

Apply for a bike Apply for a car
Electric bike: you pay upfront
R225
Deposit R1 225 (one week). We lend you R1 000, paid back as R1 220 within a week.
20 available until 30 November
Electric car: you pay upfront
R500
Deposit R2 500 (one week). We lend you R2 000, paid back as R2 370 within a week.
20 available until 30 November

The vehicles

Three cars, three bikes

The EV4 comes as an Uber Electric car, an unbranded passenger car and a cargo car. The bikes carry deliveries on Uber Package. Starting in Gauteng.

Four-wheelers

The EV4 on Uber Electric, and the Cargo on Uber Package.

  • Four-wheeler 4 seats

    Electric · Valternative Energy

    Valternative EV4 Uber

    Electric car in Uber Electric livery

    battery
    25 kWh
    range
    280 km
    top speed
    90 km/h
    DC fast charge
    40 min
    • Uber Electric livery
    • App-linked telematics
    • Zero tailpipe emissions
    • Uber Electric

    from R2 500 / week

    Charging is extra: R7 per kWh you use, on Valternative's network.

    R2 500 deposit: you pay R500 upfront, and we lend you R2 000, paid back as R2 370 within a week. How deposit funding works

    See the offer
  • Four-wheeler 4 seats

    Electric · Valternative Energy

    Valternative EV4 Passenger

    Electric car, unbranded

    battery
    25 kWh
    range
    280 km
    top speed
    90 km/h
    DC fast charge
    40 min
    • Double-screen dashboard
    • CarPlay and Android Auto
    • Reverse camera and parking sensors
    • Uber Electric

    from R2 500 / week

    Charging is extra: R7 per kWh you use, on Valternative's network.

    R2 500 deposit: you pay R500 upfront, and we lend you R2 000, paid back as R2 370 within a week. How deposit funding works

    See the offer
  • Four-wheeler 2 seats

    Electric · Valternative Energy

    Valternative EV4 Cargo

    Electric car with a delivery rear

    battery
    25 kWh
    range
    280 km
    top speed
    90 km/h
    DC fast charge
    40 min
    • Cargo-optimised rear
    • Reverse camera and parking sensors
    • Air-conditioning
    • Uber Package

    from R2 500 / week

    Charging is extra: R7 per kWh you use, on Valternative's network.

    R2 500 deposit: you pay R500 upfront, and we lend you R2 000, paid back as R2 370 within a week. How deposit funding works

    See the offer

Two-wheelers

Motorbikes on Uber Package deliveries, with a battery swapped rather than charged.

  • Two-wheeler

    Electric · Valternative Energy

    Valt VPro

    Electric motorbike, the flagship

    motor
    3 kW
    top speed
    85 km/h
    range
    100 km
    load
    150 kg
    • Battery swap in under a minute
    • Delivery box fitted
    • Uber Package

    from R1 225 / week

    Energy included: Valternative's battery swap network is in the weekly price.

    R1 225 deposit: you pay R225 upfront, and we lend you R1 000, paid back as R1 220 within a week. How deposit funding works

    See the offer
  • Two-wheeler

    Electric · Valternative Energy

    Valt VPro Max

    Electric motorbike, more power

    motor
    3.5 kW
    top speed
    85 km/h
    range
    100 km
    load
    150 kg
    • Battery swap in under a minute
    • Delivery box fitted
    • Uber Package

    from R1 225 / week

    Energy included: Valternative's battery swap network is in the weekly price.

    R1 225 deposit: you pay R225 upfront, and we lend you R1 000, paid back as R1 220 within a week. How deposit funding works

    See the offer
  • Photo coming
    Two-wheeler

    Electric · Valternative Energy

    Valt V1 Max

    Electric motorbike, everyday delivery

    motor
    3 kW
    top speed
    85 km/h
    range
    100 km
    load
    150 kg
    • Battery swap in under a minute
    • Delivery box fitted
    • Uber Package

    from R1 225 / week

    Energy included: Valternative's battery swap network is in the weekly price.

    R1 225 deposit: you pay R225 upfront, and we lend you R1 000, paid back as R1 220 within a week. How deposit funding works

    See the offer

Which Uber products a car qualifies for depends on Uber's requirements in your city, and those change. Your agent confirms it before you take the car.

Closed · back tomorrow at 10:00

Talk to a person on WhatsApp

A person answers on weekdays, from 10:00 to 15:00. Outside those hours, Kairah answers straight away, and the team picks up your message on the next working day.

For a payment that went wrong, an accident or damage, or a problem with your account. Have the mobile number on your Detour account to hand.

WhatsApp +27 67 424 8163 Ask Kairah

Need to send a document? Send it on WhatsApp, or call +27 67 424 8163.

Partners we work with

The platforms and providers behind what a Detour driver gets.

  • Uber
  • Cartrack
  • Automobile Association of South Africa
  • Bluecom
  • Inscape
  • Valternative Energy

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What brings you to Detour?

Pick the one that sounds like you. You'll sign up in the Detour driver app, where it takes a few minutes.