Honda's Cute Seated Electric Scooter

by TreeHugger on 02.11.05
Science & Technology (prototypes)

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If you are looking for a seated electric scooter, then you are going to love this!

Honda has been showcasing this little gem since last summer. The electric Moped-EV is designed specifically with in-city commuting, and designers kept its size down accordingly.

Weight and Battery Make It As Fast As A Gas Scooter

The bantam weighs only 44kg (just under 100lb) and employs an innovative nickel hydrogen battery to store 360 watt-hours of energy (compared to your digital camera's battery, which holds around 3.5 watt-hr). This gives the little seated scooter enough kick to climb a twelve-degree incline, and rocket off the line with acceleration and range comparable to a similar gas scooter.

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In addition to the new battery style, the Moped-EV has a lever-based throttle system which is easier for novice riders (like us) to get a handle on. Even cooler, the electric motor allows for regenerative breaking, and battery re-charging when coasting down long hills. Honda hopes to further develop this concept with fuel cells in the future.

Sadly This Scooter Isn’t For Sale Yet

Sorry, no word yet on when they will just sell us these things already; It's only a prototype so far. If you want something that is already on the market, you should check out Yamaha’s Seated Electric Scooter that folds in half!

Update: See also The 7 Best Electric Scooters: From Prototypes to Production Models

More On Honda’s Seated Scooter Prototype
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Electric Scooter With iPod Cradle

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Comments (32)

I want to to make an electric mini-vee. Cheers!

jump to top George says:

QUIERO MAS IMFORMACION CARGOS Y ENVIO....

jump to top JORGE RODRIGUEZ says:

Wow - that's a direct a rip-off of the eGo scooter.

http://www.egovehicles.com/

I expect more from Honda. In fact, why in the world don't they sell an electric, hybrid, or standard version of the Gyro Canopy in the United States?

http://www.honda.co.jp/motor-lineup/gyro-canopy/

Why bother waiting for Honda when there's a great electric scooter already available?

http://www.evtamerica.com/

I've had an EVT 4000e for 2 years now, and am completely thrilled with its performance, reliability, handling, and complete silence when operating. I can't recommend them highly enough!

jump to top denise says:

There are a number of electric scooters already available in the US. (They range from formal "scooters" to what looks like kick boards)Just Google electric scooters). They make enornmous good sense for close-in trips, and could substantially reduce gas usage - and like California and the North West where electrical generation is substantially green - could make a hugh difference in Green House Gases. The lighter models can be combined with public transportation, to improve the range / speed of public systems. I don't understand why they haven't caught on yet in the US.

jump to top Brent says:

When the heck are they going to sell this thing in the U.S. and for how much?!?

Most of the electric scooters out now are just too small and flimsy or to big and bulky.. this one looks juuust right.

jump to top Eryn says:

i want one!!!!

jump to top brandon says:

Please let us know prices of your list electrics scooter

A year and a half later is there any new news on this one? Is Honda any closer to making this little lovely a reality? I can't find anything recent about it online.

I would like to ask Denise how much does it cost in electricity to recharge his scooter. My work is 22 miles round trip.. and I wonder if the price with a recharge each night and battery replacemtn in 2 years would make this not worth it.

Ian

jump to top Ian says:

Hello Trehugger people. Why is is so hard to copy a website adress here at your site? There is a lot moore coming on when i try to mark the website adress...

--
editor note: It's a known bug in our html. It's not intentional and will be fixed. I think the bug is only in IE, and not in firefox (www.mozilla.org)

jump to top Paul Berg says:

I have a older honda gas scooter and it cost me 25 dollars to get. It gets 150 miles per gallon. if people used any kind of moped or scooter gas or electric to travel short distances the enviroment would be helped.

jump to top Gunnar says:

I have a older honda gas scooter and it cost me 25 dollars to get. It gets 150 miles per gallon. if people used any kind of moped or scooter gas or electric to travel short distances the enviroment would be helped.

Actually, no, the air would be so polluted people would get very sick. Mile for mile your old scooter is MUCH more polluting than a modern automobile. Less CO2, yes, but every for every other pollutant it is much worse.

Emissions control technology has advanced considerably over the years, and standards for light vehicles are much more stringent than for motorcycles, scooters, and pretty much anything with an engine.

jump to top Anonymous says:

I LOVE IT, BUT CANT AFFORD IT. I WANT IT SO MUCH!!

jump to top GIANNA says:

this products is really cute.as a travelling tool,electric scooter has become a economical and evironmentally helpful tools,with 350w motor,500AH battery,its trip range reach up to 65 km or even more with one charge,and its power cost per 100 kilometer is about 0.14USD,so it is a ideal travelling tool for the average citizens,the are tens of styles of electric scooters available for your choice.and the price is very lowww.

jump to top bruce says:

I would like to ask Denise how much does it cost in electricity to recharge his scooter. My work is 22 miles round trip.. and I wonder if the price with a recharge each night and battery replacemtn in 2 years would make this not worth it.

jump to top Oyunlar1 says:

Another vote for the EVT 4000. I have 600 km on my EVT in 3 months. It costs 1cent per km at 15 cents/kw/h (expensive electricity), so I would think most of the USA should be 1 cent per mile.
Recharge time about 1 hour for each 10 km. Goes 50 km/h occasionally 65. 50 km range.
It weighs 150 kg with a 150 kg payload - not many cars will carry their own weight.
If I drive 1000 km/year and have to replace batteries in 2 years that will be 10 cents/km, and will produce about as much lead 'waste' as a car in the same time. I expect to do much better than this.
Wait years for PHEV, Vespa Hybrids etc or buy an EVT now for the price of a similar gasoline scooter.

jump to top Bryan says:

EVT owner - past distributor

My 48V lead-acid EVT has carried me for 3k miles, at speeds

approaching 40mph and with style too! ORIG. BATTS now

deliver about 1/3 the 30mph original range - about (5)miles.

Steep (6-10%) grades may pull my 200lbs approx. 10-15mph,

but hey, the torque is always impressive at take-off!

Problem that I haven't seen addressed is Driver Safety: on

American Roads, the acrid American driver is not amused

with Lo-Speed Green Transport Alternatives, less

accomodating than for even a bicycle.

My EVT was America's first Li-ION powered EVT - using ThunderSky batteries and chargers. The range and speedfor my weight and Kentucky terrain were lead-acid comparable.
The cost-forget it!! Plus, I had to alter the battery seating arrangement by slitting open the stylish battery comp. skirt.


that's so cute!

jump to top Anonymous says:

Great scooter I wish they have more info...?
I am almost done with My 3 wheeled eclecrtic scooter 2 wheels in the front
1000 watts 24 volt so only 2 high am/h batt needed . 52 inch long X 32 inch wide wgeel base and 20 inch high with handle bar folded.
20 mph 0-20 in 3 sec.. 3 wheeled disc brakes on all wheels and Full Double A arm susp. i the front and swing Cheak plate arm 0ne shock rear.
going to ost about $1,299.00 retail !
Can you link me with all new Concepts in electric scooter as they come out and MORE Info from the vendors please
thanks alex in las vegas lasvegasak2@aol.com

jump to top alex kattas says:

love it

jump to top michelle says:

STILL no news?!?!

jump to top anonomous says:

It's more cute then practicle for me.

I'm looking for something more the size of a Vespa, that can go at least 60 MPH, with removable batteries (so that I can take them inside my condo for recharging).

That's a true commuter scooter. \


Scott

jump to top Scott says:

I'm researching electric scooters now (May 2008) and have found the following:
1. Vespa is not yet offering one. Bummer.
2. MIT's RoboScooter looks cool (foldable, 150 parts in toto, two batteries allows you to use one/carry one) but is not in production.
3. The EVTA Z-20 looks good. One thing I worry about is the (apparent) rapid decline in range after only 15 full cycles. Can I ask Denise to comment on where she uses hers and how much her total range has decreased over time? Thanks!

jump to top Mac McDougal says:

i want an electric moped bad! which are the best

All your reviews of electric scooters are great. You leave out ONE thing though. Where is the space, and the basket to hold two standard full shopping bags from the grocery store???

The idea of a scooter is to replace using a car. Where do we go the most locally? To the store. So, we need built in ability to hold full grocery bags, two of them, safely.

Makes sense to me...!!!

jump to top James York says:

All your reviews of electric scooters are great. You leave out ONE thing though. Where is the space, and the basket to hold two standard full shopping bags from the grocery store???

The idea of a scooter is to replace using a car. Where do we go the most locally? To the store. So, we need built in ability to hold full grocery bags, two of them, safely.

Makes sense to me...!!!

jump to top James York says:

Yes it's all fun and great and important BUT so far it's so much prototypes and so little - in Indonesia NONE as far as i know - real available bikes. Honda, Yamaha an Suzuki, where are you??? I'm more than ready to buy a electric motorbike, but so far i can't get one here!!

Johannes K.

jump to top Anonymous says:

What is the problem? with your scooter! if you d'ont put it on sale soon, it must be no good.

jump to top David Pearse says:

I have a Honda Canopy 1982 Model, would like to fins out how many was built. Please if anyone can give any info.

Cat

jump to top Anonymous says:

Wonderful Stuff you post!! I LOVE it!.

jump to top Oyunlar [TypeKey Profile Page] says:

Cool stuff, but in the isometric, is the perspective meant to be inverted? Things get larger as the distance increases, which isn’t really how that whole thing is supposed to work.

http://www.oyuncambazi.com

jump to top cicicocuk [TypeKey Profile Page] says:

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