British firm launches '1p a mile' scootersThree new electric models revealed
23 October 2009
e-motive has launched three new electric scooters
A range of 'affordable' electric scooters has just been launched by e-motive, a new British company.
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Three versions will be available - the e1, e3 and e5 - and running costs are said to be as low as 1p a mile.
Electric motors
The e1 comes in three variants: e1S, e1 and e1+. The e1Shas a 2kW electric motor (that’s only around 2.7bhp, but electric motors are good for torque - pulling power - which they deliver instantly to give good response) and a low-cost silicon battery. Top speed is 28mph, and it's said to be able to cover 35 miles on a single charge. Modest, but at just £1,399, it's being pitched as a starter scooter for 16-year-olds.
The regular e1 has a 2kW motor and a lithium ion battery, giving it a range of more than 40 miles, and it's priced at £1,999. The top spec e1+ has a 3kW motor (4bhp), lithium ion battery, 50-mile range, and a £2,249 price tag.
The larger e3 can carry two passengers and is said to be suitable for longer A-road journeys. A 4kW (5.3bhp) brushless hub electric motor takes its power from a lithium ion battery, making it capable of 55mph and journeys up to 70 miles long, depending on speed. It costs £2,999.
Performance figures
The more aerodynamic e5 features a 5kW (6.7bhp) brushless hub motor and lithium ion battery, and has a range of 80 miles. The £3,999 price tag buys you a top speed of 65mph.
Performance figures have not been given, but we would expect each scooter to accelerate briskly and smoothly thanks to their electric motors. According to e-motive, the scooters can keep up with regular petrol-engined scooters.
The scooters will be distributed through a network of 25 retailers, which are already taking bookings for test drives.
Cheap to run?
Each e-motive scooter comes with a two-year unlimited mileage warranty, plus two years' AA roadside assistance. Charging times have not yet been revealed, but each model plugs into a standard domestic socket.
Average running costs are claimed to be 1p a mile, leading e-motive to suggest the average British commute ‘would cost just 20p’.
Paul Williams, e-motive managing director, said: ‘We are thrilled to be the first brand to make electrically powered vehicles a real option for ordinary people in the UK.’
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