Best Electric Commuter Scooters
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.15.06
Here is a list of the best electric commuter scooters we could find.
1) Zero Emission Urban Scooter - The ZeUS is a Zero Emission Urban Scooter that will go up to 30 miles on a single charge, and uses regenerative braking to top off the battery.
2) Honda's Seated Electric Scooter – This Honda scooter is designed specifically for in-city commuting, so its weight and size are just right.
3) Electric Folding TricycleThe Rider is an electric folding tricycle that folds up to a size just larger than an umbrella.
4) German Electric Scooter - The E-Max is a Vespa look-a-like that will do 30 mph for 40 miles before needing to recharge.
5) Tiny Electric Scooter- IKOO is a cute, contemporary scooter that'll get you there and back in style.
6) Large Seated Electric Scooter - EVT's Z-20 is a beefier, zippier upgrade from its older versions.
All of those are too expensive or nonexistent (and probably will be too expensive when they come out).
I should develop a low-cost electic scooter that runs off of good ol' lead-acid batteries, powers a washing machine motor or something, and uses scrapped motorcycle parts. Get it under $300 and we'll talk. I can buy an old car for $1000 and haul a lot more around than a scooter.
Wow, awesome. I was going to write to Treehugger and ask what kind of scooters are OK for the environment. I wish Vespas weren't crazy polluting - I wonder if anyone has successfully converted one to electric?
If you're looking for in-city electric transport that's under $300 and fits in the trunk of a car, I'd suggest the Go Motorboards 2000X (or 1500X if you can find one on eBay). I'm not affiliated with the company, I'm just a happy customer. You can optionally use human power too to get some exercise.
$300?? yeah sure..
why not free? maybe we ought to demand free everything. free solar panels, free hemp, because i can buy a crappy non organic tshirt for $.99 at wallmart, right
a new vespa cost $3K so why castigate the eco options because you can buy a used car?? why not compare apples and apples?
And while a lot of those aren't out yet, the EVT certainly is, and will run you less that $2K (BTW Colin the EMax looks nothing like a vespa, but the EVT 168 looks exactly like a Vespa
Those are all good choices. sjbrown is on target with the Go Motorboard, but I would stay away from the 1500X. There were some problems with that model that they ironed out in the 2000X version (or so I've heard). There are a lot of high quality electric bikes and scooters on the market today. There's also alot of junk out there, so it's important to stick with solid brand names. GoPed makes some great electric scooters. The Segway is always a good option, too. Segway puts a lot of effort into making personal transportation of this type street (or sidewalk) legal, so kudos to them for that.
I'm looking for a good, reasonably priced, all terrain/on or off road, kids(age 12) scooter. I also need it to climb hills.
Any suggestions?
The problem with Go Motorboards 2000X style scooter for me is that I live where the streets are pretty bad so I need a scooter with larger wheels so that I don't end up flying over the top of it when it hits the inevitable pothole or crack (like what happened to me when I tried to ride one of those razor scooters). I'm getting really fed up with the local public transportation system (you wouldn't believe the problems Chicago has been having recently), so I'm in the market for a scooter myself, and I need something small that I can lock to a bike rack, fit in my apartment, and that isn't too heavy to lift.
Not sure it exists, but I'm looking.
There are two scooters out now that are great for commuting and folding bikes or folding electric bikes work as well. The Go Motorboard 200XR is a good choice as well as the Go-Ped ESR750 Sport for electric scooters. Do a search for folding electric bikes, they're out there and another good option.
The GOPED is not a good product.
I got a ESR750x a while back and the thing did not go the distance that they said it would. I tried to get it looked at, but the repair guy said that it was working fine. He did however loosten the brakes enough to make the thing dangerous.
I would not go with the ped. I sold it for 500 a few months later, lost 400 in 90 days.
I purchased a 125 CC Yamaha Vino gas scooter. This has a speed of 45 mph and consistently gets 90 mpg. While not as good as an electric, it is a great alternative to driving my SUV to work. The Vino has a catalytic converter, so in theory the carbon footprint should be tiny.
Thanks for sharing this information!
I believe that scooters are one answer to the growing problem of pollution and global warming! They are perfect for commuting within a city, or for any short trip.
I also have a website about scooters that you may wish to check out. Feel free to visit at: http://www.electricscooteroutlet.com
Thanks again!
I've been following electric scooter developments for a few years now and I'm just about to take delivery of one of the newest e-max 110s electric scooters which I will be using for about 120 miles a week and posting the results to my blog at http://www.zerocarboncommute.com