Vectrix Electric Scooter tested

2008 model test ridden

charge level on right, speed and `ready' indicator on left dial

Grabrail just a fraction too close for larger hands to grip.

Had a quick ride on the Vectrix electric scooter the other day and was impressed, and pleasantly surprised at how balanced and easy to ride it is.

 I expected something as unwieldy as the Burgman 650 or Silverwing 600 looking at the tech spec, as the Vectrix is very heavy, ( 234kgs ) but the batteries are set low, so feet-up, move away and it feels like a 250cc scooter.

It also looks well made, apart from the pillion grab rail, which is set just a fraction too close to the bodywork to let stubby, gloved fingers hold on properly. Handy cubby hole for odds n ends at the front, plus some underseat storage make it practical -uses domestic three pin plug in cable, takes 3 hours to recharge.

I didn’t get to run the scoot’s battery flat – it has a theoretical range of 60 miles, but my guess is that stop-start traffic, especially in winter, might reduce that range. It does have a handy device on the throttle which acts a charging dynamo when you fully close the twistgrip, also brakes the vehicle quite effectively.

The twin disc brakes are excellent, probably too much for novice riders in fact. I also think some riders will crash it whilst reversing, which it does from standstill once you close the twistgrip really hard – the Vectrix hesitates for one second, then lurches backwards fairly rapidly.

It will catch some riders out who have no real ability on two wheeled vehicles, but buy a Vectrix because they fee they’re saving the planet.

If we build another ten nuclear power stations, open the coal mines again and use horses/bicycles to ride to the local shops, I think we can all have an electric vehicle like the Vectrix for longer trips. Trouble is, the billion chinese and 800 million Indians who want cars will use all the world’s oil up anyway…

Oh, and one final thing – I nearly got run over by another journo riding the Vectrix, as it is utterly silent on the move. If electric vehicles catch on just think how many ipod/phone radio entranced students and teens will be mown down…there is an upside to electric scooter then, hurrah!

insider

2 Comments

Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI