[mgibbons19]

Stud the tires with sheet metal screws.

[gg3]

What I think would be way cool is a new version of the old Messerschmitt Kabinenroller ("cabin-scooter"). Three wheels, two seats (passenger sits behind driver as on a motorbike), 80+ miles per gallon. Do a keyword search for pictures. That was 1950s technology. No reason we can't do likewise now.

And those will operate in snow and slush, with your grocery bags behind you in the passenger seat, all warm & cozy in a perspex bubble.

In California, 3 wheels is still a motorcycle. And if it's 49 cc or under, probably arguably a moped, exempt from licensing etc.

There is a company making replica Messerschmitts that are fairly precise copies, they're called TriTech if I recall correctly, and they're in the UK. Presumably the basic body could be outfitted with a hybrid/electric powertrain or something, and do even better.

[GoIllini]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dgacioch', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('GoIllini', 'J')OOC, I'm wondering why one might want to buy an electric scooter as opposed to a bike.Can it go faster? Operate on tougher terrain/ bad weather?

[Starvid]

Faster, faster, Harder, harder, SCOOTER!


Sorry, I couldn't stop myself.

[Eli]

Something I have been looking into is making my bike into a electric.

It can be done for about 500 bucks with a brush less hub motor. With a top speed of 30 mph without peddling, to do that you need a 1000w motor. You could easily add one of those tow behind child carriers if you wanted to make it a grocery getter.

[Kez]

There is also this scooter

http://www.vectrixusa.com/index3.html

That can go up to 60 MPH. It's much more expensive though, and like the others, not really in mass production anywhere.

[nocar]

I really can not see the point of electric bicycles or scooters. Seems good in theory, but in practice you have to drag a heavy battery around. Better to stick with the muscle powered bike and grow stronger muscles.

nocar

[Starvid]

Then you could please continue to do that, and leave electric scooters for the rest of us. Electric scooters are in many ways superior to bikes.
* They are faster.
* They are stronger, letting you tranport stuff.
* They can replace ordinary gas scooters, which many people in southern Europe and south and east Asia use for commuting to work and go shopping. Without scooters they would not use bikes, they would use cars.
* They can be used by people who can not bike, such as the elderly or the mildly disabled.
* They use just as little oil as bikes do, except if your grid is powered by stupid oil power plants.

[gg3]

Electric scooters are an idea whose time is long overdue for all of those reasons.

Though, retrofitting a bicycle to do 30 mph, I think is a bit of a hazard. Added weight of battery pack, plus the speed, is a double-whammy as far as the frame is concerned. For 30 mph, you want a scooter frame and running gear.

For me personally, most of the stuff I'd do via electric scooter, I do via bicycle, for the simple and compelling reason that I need the exercise. Otherwise, I'd be happy to use an electric scooter for all of those trips.

[skyemoor]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('GoIllini', 'J')OOC, I'm wondering why one might want to buy an electric scooter as opposed to a bike.

[j-dawg]

The electric scooter referenced in this post is the E-MAX.

I bought an E-MAX recently and have had opportunity to put it through some personal testing. I am impressed with this alternative transportation solution as are most people who have seen the E-MAX up close. It's not gas powered, it's not a hybrid, it's 100% electric powered.

The E-MAX is a full-sized electric scooter, or electric moped, and has now begun shipping in the United States. I was fortunate enough to be one of the first customers to get a hold of one of these beatutiful examples of realistic and reliable personal electric transportation. I purchased the 2,000 watt "Sport" model, although there is a 1,500 watt "Standard" model available as well.

For those more interested in reading a first hand account of the new e-max scooter, check out my personal website / blog: e-max.us

I have plans to eventually charge the E-MAX using my own solar or hydro electric charging station, instead of relying on "grid power". My area is fortunately powered by hydro-dam electric projects (primary source, since I'm in the mountains with serveral power generating dams on the river) with coal and nuclear as the other sources. I'd like to get away from dependency on these sources.

Curious? I'm open to questions and comments.

- j-dawg
http://e-max.us

See also: "The End of Suburbia" (documentary on oil dependancy)

[pilferage]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Starvid', 'E')lectric scooters are in many ways superior to bikes.

* They are faster.

* They are stronger, letting you tranport stuff.

* They can be used by people who can not bike, such as the elderly or the mildly disabled.

* They use just as little oil as bikes do, except if your grid is powered by stupid oil power plants.

[skyemoor]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('skyemoor', 'E')specially when a bike electric boost can be had for 1/6 of the money which should satisify the needs you mentioned.
http://www.zapworld.com/products/dxkit_bike.asp

[gg3]

The E-Max specs look really good.

Jason, here's a design case to consider.

Here's what I usually have to carry to client sites: Two laptops (Mac and Windows), a geek bag (telecom toolkit), a couple of spools of cross-connect wire, and some misc. materials including line cords and occasionally a PBX circuit card (in its box, about the size of a phone book) and/or a phone or two (in their boxes, each the size of two thick phone books).

So here's the key question: Does anyone know of a frame-type backpack that has WHEELS on it...? Or some other type of tool-carrier that has wheels on it and can be strapped to the back of the scooter successfully?

The tools & supplies go in the backpack, which goes on me, and I get on the scooter & scoot to the client site. On arrival at site, the backpack converts to a hand-cart (which is essential for work-site access as well as reducing physical strain).

If something like that could be done, it would be viable for the vast majority of my East Bay client sites. For the ones in San Francisco, a small electric micro-scooter to get me from BART stations (light rail) to the door of the client sites (walking is not an option; distances from BART stations to client sites can be too large to cover that way in a reasonable timeframe).

With all that, I could convert a very sizeable chunk of my transportation from the minivan (which gets a reasonably decent 27 mpg as of last test) to electric power & public transport, during times of year when the weather is decent.

BTW, I tried the bicycle-and-trailer option some years ago. Took an hour to get to sites that take 15 minutes by motor vehicle, and the trailer is a theft-attractant bigtime as well as a hazard in main-road traffic. Wasn't viable for my circumstances. Many years ago I managed to do acceptably well with two milk-crates full of supplies strapped onto the back of a small motorcycle that got 65 mpg. That wouldn't work today because the laptop computers wouldn't survive the rough ride, not to mention the hazard of routinely driving a small motorcycle over the Bay Bridge.

[Starvid]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pilferage', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Starvid', 'E')lectric scooters are in many ways superior to bikes.

* They are faster.

* They are stronger, letting you tranport stuff.

* They can be used by people who can not bike, such as the elderly or the mildly disabled.

* They use just as little oil as bikes do, except if your grid is powered by stupid oil power plants.

[azreal60]

Something i am suprised most of the bicycle vs scooter debate haven't addressed is the reason i would love a electric scooter. Have any of you tried going to a job after biking 30 minutes and your job doesn't have a shower facility? I mean, I don't know about you, but i can't stand sitting in a chair for 8 hours smelling like sweat. And i'm not in good enough shape yet to just bike to work without sweating.

If your work is enlightened enough to put in shower faucilities that's entirely different, but the only work that i encountered that did that was unfortunately also the worst place i ever worked. Hence i'm not there anymore. And for professionals, i'm sorry, but you can't show up for a meeting looking like you just biked 6 miles. People tend to react negatively to it. =)

[haydenwest]

GroovyGreen.com has put together a nice preview of the Vectrix Electric High-performance Scooter set to hit in early 2007. The diminished noise of these things alone gets me excited.

Check it out here:
[deadlink)

[eastbay]

$11,000.00 each yeah sure, like anyone would pay that. I paid $2,000 for my 150cc Derbi getting 86 mpg last fill-up. I wonder how long it would take me to burn $9,000 worth of gas?

[MD]

There will be some market for $11,000 electric super-scooters.

The mass market will more likely be populated by SEV's of all sorts in the $400-$4000 price range.