Energy company EcoFlow has just unveiled three new portable power stations in South Africa – the Delta 2, River 2, and River 2 Max. We probably don’t need to tell you a backup power solution has become a necessity in our electricity-starved country. So deepening the pool of locally available devices aimed at alleviating some load shedding stress might sound like something worth celebrating.
Meet EcoFlow’s new arrivals
EcoFlow, still a relatively new company founded in Shenzhen China and headquartered in San Francisco US, showed off the new Delta 2 portable power station and two devices from the River 2 series, the River 2 and River 2 Max. A third, more powerful, River 2 Pro is also on its way.
EcoFlow isn’t the only portable power station retailer represented in the country. But it sets its products apart with compelling features – its quick-charge technology and ability to support power-hungry devices.
The Delta 2’s price might be a little staggering at R25,000, yet it still manages to make a compelling offer with its feature set. With a total power output of 1,800W (and up to 2,200W in what EcoFlow calls “X-Boost” mode), it can power up to 13 devices at once including heavy power drawers like a hair dryer or microwave. If the 1kWh battery isn’t enough for your household, the Delta 2’s capacity can be expanded up to 3kWh with additional external battery packs. Those are sold separately.
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When you’ve used up all its juice, it’ll charge from 0 – 80% in 50 minutes or 0 – 100% in 80 minutes. That’s fast enough for a full charge between even the highest of load shedding stages. Alternatively, you could charge it with EcoFlow’s solar panels. That will take slightly longer, three to six hours, depending on the panel and weather conditions, presumably.
Additionally, the Delta 2 can be used as an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) for an instant switchover when Eskom flicks your switch. The Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) battery inside is rated for 3,000 charge cycles. EcoFlow says it should last 10 years but in SA, that’s being optimistic.
Flows like a…
Joining the Delta 2 is the River 2 series. The River 2 and River 2 Max were announced at EcoFlow’s launch event with the River 2 Pro hot on their heels. Starting prices here are a little easier to stomach with the River 2 costing R7,000 and the River 2 Max going for R13,000. No word yet on pricing for River 2 Pro – you’ll have to wait like the rest of us until it launches in May.
The River 2 series also features LiFePo4 batteries rated for 3,000 charge cycles. The base model offers 256Wh of capacity and a rated output of 300W, or 600W in “X-boost” mode. The River 2 Max kicks that up to 768Wh of stored capacity and a rated power output of 500W or 1,000W in “X-boost” mode.