Below is a table of all the scooters I will be testing, starting with the first machine and the benchmark for this testing, my 14 year old petrol scooter. More will be added as they arrive. Click the following link to read the in depth electric scooter reviews.
Suzuki AE50 Style- 50cc Petrol Powered.
Pros: Quick acceleration and small size makes this an ideal commuter. Much quicker than a train.
Cons: Polluting 2 stroke engine burns petrol and oil. Unreliable engine and fuel system don’t like extreme temperatures. Tiny fuel tank gives a “range” of only 32miles between fill ups.
Costs: £7.50 per week (average) fuel, £15 a year road tax. Congestion charge exempt. Price – N/A (it’s already mine).
Conclusion: Far cheaper than the train, but on the greenness scale it is dark brown. Burning 2 stroke oil and petrol does not help London’s air quality problems. Unreliable due to its age and although acceleration is excellent due to it weighing very little, top speed is a poor 35/40mph so out of town riding is out of the question. A good, cheap commuter but very bad for the planet.
Elecscoot E1 – 2000w 48v Electric Powered.
Pros: Very low running costs, the rider could save over £1000 per year in London. Good bike for entry level price. As quick through dense traffic as the Suzuki. Can be upgraded (40mph) for out of town use.
Cons: Acceleration is not blistering and for use outside congested city centres a battery upgrade is highly recommended. 30mph leaves you vulnerable to being “bullied” by larger vehicles if used on large roads.
Costs: £0.08p per day, £0 a year road tax. Congestion charge exempt. Price £1297 (on the road).
Conclusions: In 48v form good for short (10 mile total) commutes through heavy traffic. If you were to charge this bike for 8 hours a day 365 days a year on my (100% green) electricity tarrif, your annual fuel bill would be a shade over £69.00. Greener than a train (and faster, less crowded etc). Battery upgrades are essential for suburban use (60v and lithium ion available). Batteries need to be treated with respect for maximum performance. Petrol 50cc riders will not appreciate the slow acceleration, this doesn’t affect journey times though. In all a budget bike that does the job for cheap, green commuting.
Elecscoot E2 – 1500w 48v Electric Powered.
Elecscoot 2 Electric Scooter
Pros: Very low running costs, the rider could save over £1000 per year in London. High “fun factor”, this is a good bike for cruising about the place. It’s fun to ride and looks the part. Performance doesn’t change much with a passenger aboard either.
Cons: Acceleration is not much better than the E1 and for use outside congested city centres a battery upgrade is highly recommended. The 40mph advertised top speed is elusive and the bars a bit wide for commuting in anger.
Costs: £0.08p per day, £0 a year road tax. Congestion charge exempt. Price £1497.oo.
Conclusions: In 48v form good for medium (15 – 20 mile total) commutes through light traffic. Even better for general leisure use and general cruising about. Running costs are similar to the E1. Battery upgrades are essential for suburban use (60v and lithium ion available). As with the E1, petrol 50cc riders will not appreciate the slow acceleration, this doesn’t affect journey times though.
Elecscoot E3 – 2000w 48v – Lithium Battery – Electric Powered.
Elecscoot 3 Electric Scooter
Pros: A real 50cc petrol alternative. Very fast battery charge (2 hours). Keeps up with some petrol bikes. Actually exceeds claimed 30mph top speed. Lithium battery is light and the handling shows it. Lift out battery pack. Good braking thanks to twin discs.
Cons: Not quite as fast as London’s favourite 50cc, the Vespa LX. (but so, so close)
Costs: £0.08p per day, £0 a year road tax. Congestion charge exempt. Price £2597.oo on the road.
Conclusions: After a couple of days I forgot this one was electric, it did everything I asked of it and the little bike fit in well in London’s rush hour. The charging time was amazing, to have a full battery after the time it takes to visit a few shops makes it perfect for Central London’s “Juice Point” scheme.
Elecscoot E4 – 4000w 64v – Lithium Battery – Electric Powered.
Elecscoot 4
Pros: Very very (did I say VERY…) fast, probably up there with the quickest things you can ride that are “50cc”. Despite its size the E4 is a good commuter and will filter very well due to its narrow bars and high riding position. Puts you in a different league in town, you ride with the “big” bikes not the scooters.
Cons: For a “maxi scooter” the ride was a bit bumpier (in town) than I expected (due to “sporty” low profile tyres I think). Very Very fast… Definitely too fast for inexperienced riders (get some training you lot).
Costs: £0.08p per day, £0 a year road tax. Congestion charge exempt. Price £4097.oo on the road.
Conclusions: I only had the bike for a few days and can say with confidence that the performance is amazing (especially mid range acceleration). I was stopped by many astounded big engined “maxi scooter” riders after zipping past them on a supposed 50cc bike that doesn’t even use petrol.
