the new Vetrix electric maxi-scoot: no emissions, but is it full of hot air?
Published by Crystal October 23rd, 2006 in news & gossip.
I received a press release this past week about the new Vetrix scooter. With a claim to be the first electric maxiscooter, the Vetrix will be launched in November at the International Motorcycle Exhibition in Milan, Italy.
Here are some sample specs:
- 0-50 mph in 6.8 sec.
- 68 miles on a single charge
- top speed 62 mph
- zero emissions
- low sound
- 2 hour recharge time
- government subsidies in some countries
Unlike many other maxis, the Vetrix doesn’t seem suitable for any sort of touring, since the battery’s spec of 68 miles has fine print that it goes 68 miles if you’re going 25 miles per hour for those 68 miles. If you could carry some extra batteries with you, maybe with a solar charger, then it may be more practical for longer distances. I couldn’t find specs that state how long the battery lasts if you cruise at top speed.
Speaking of top speed, with a quoted top speed of 62, my guess was that the Vetrix is probably most equivalent to a 150cc scooter - but being non-technical, I don’t know how to translate its engine specs to compare to a gas-powered engine. Its site, though, claims a comparison to scooters in the 250 cc – 400 cc range. Its comparison, however, seems more marketing-speak than actual numbers. Telling me that gas powered scooters are “high” maintanance while its maintainance is “minimal” doesn’t tell me much at all, and it could be argued that it would be higher maintanance since I’m sure any mechanic around here won’t know what to do with it. I don’t know what it means when they say its technology is “sunrise” and gas powered scooters are “sunset.” And simply stating that gas powered scooters have “high” emissions compaired to its “none” is warped: Any emissions compared to “none” doesn’t look good, but to call a scooter “high” in the world of motor vehicles is a misnomer. There’s a page dedicated to an interview with an “independent tester,” but they fail to mention who this tester is.
I don’t want to be hard on the Vetrix, since I love the idea and I want it to work. It will be a hard sell even if you save money in the long run, because scooters are inherently cheap to run even when gas is super expensive. I guess we just have to wait and see. Any point I bring up here will be even more scrutinized in the press and on forums, so the Vetrix folks should be ready to answer questions about its mileage range at top speed (why drive a maxi if you’re only going 25 mph?), and how to justify its initial cost (even though I couldn’t find a price, I’m guessing it will be more expensive than a standard scooter) versus a fairly clean-burning high-mileage 4-stroke gas scooter. I’d hate to see it have the same fate as the electric car.
A feature mentioned - but not dwelled on - is its multi-function throttle. Apparently, you can turn the throttle forward to help slow down without braking, and this action also somehow recharges the battery 8 to 12 percent as you’re slowing down. I wanted to read more. The most I found was:
“The patented throttle-activated regenerative braking system (DAaRTâ„¢) helps to extend range by up to 12% by redirecting energy back into the battery during braking.”
I couldn’t find a price anywhere. According to the site, in the US, the Vetrix may be found in major metropolitan areas and online “as early as 2006.” The company is activly seeking dealers.
The Vetrix has its heart in the right place, and I hope it’s heading in the right direction. This scooters and others like it could potentially be a smart choice for those people who have a fairly short urban commute to a place where they can then plug it in and recharge for the ride home. I’ll be watching for it.
The Vetrix web site:
http://www.vetrix.com
Hi Crystal,
I had a look at the specs and the engine power of 20kW is approximately 27 horsepower (1hp=746 watts). Quite impressive for an electric but the problem remains the battery weight; to increase the range you take a performance hit due to the extra weight. As configured, going continuously at full throttle will discharge the battery in about five minutes so this bike is definitely a city critter. Forget about a solar charger- any panel that would fit on a bike would take several weeks of continuous sunlight to make any noticeable difference.
As much as I like electrics (I rode a 250W electric mountain bike before I bought my Vino and there’s a shop on Pelee Island that rents them), the achilles heel is the battery technology. Until they’ve solved that the only way to make this machine practical would be to go hybrid. Take out half the batteries and put in a generator driven by a 25 to 50cc motor and use the battery to supply power for the peak loads of acceleration and hill-climbing.
On another note, there’s a relatively new group here in Toronto. The Toronto Moto Scooter Club was founded in June this year and after a slow start we’re now doing 2-3 events per month, some in-town and some longer rides as well. Feel free to visit us at http://scooter.meetup.com/197/
Regards,
JPL
I have and am currently trying to sell an electric eMax scooter and have read a lot about the Vectrix scooter. In terms of pricing, a final price has not be published yet but initial units will probably cost around $10,000 and later units as production ramps up will be around $8,000. This makes it significantly more expensive than a maxi scooter at purchase. Of course, the cost per kilowatt to recharge makes it less expensive in the long run.
In terms of the regenerative braking and the throttle back you mentioned, this is something that will probably confuse some riders of scooters. Regenerative braking uses the resistence of the electric motors to generate power for the batteries whenever the throttle is off. This makes cruising on an electric a bit more of a challenge. So, if you are riding at 50mph and let off the throttle, you bike will get more power but you will also start decelerating at a greater rate due to the motor resistence and this is without the brakes being applied.
Apparently Vectrix is putting in some sort of control that lets you dial in how much regenerative braking you will get. This is why the wide range of regenerative power generation. Turned down it will give you a more traditional scooter ride while increasing will cause much more fluctuation in cruising speeds.
In terms of range, the various forums on electric vehicles are estimating probably around a 20-25 mile range at speeds between 45-50mph with their current battery specifications and motor rating. The range of the battery will also vary greatly depending upon the rider weight, passender, cargo and even the terrain.
Hope that answers some of the questions you might have. For now, I’ll just stick with the Vespa.
Your review misses the point of the Vectrix and other electric scooters. They are EV’s, targeted at people who want to get off the gasoline habit, and may otherwise not be interested in scooters or motorcycles at all. The maxi-scooter platform allows plenty of room for passengers or large people - a big limitation of the current 50cc-sized electric scooters. Most environmentally conscious sorts who would buy one live an urban lifestyle anyway - so their trip distances are short and traffic speeds are rarely over 35 mph. The availability of outdoor electric outlets alleviates the range issues somewhat.
I have finally cleared the bugs out of mine and my wife’s e-maxs and they are running reliably. I bought the e-max’s because they were the only really-existing affordable EV’s available I otherwise wouldn’t have ever bought a scooter or other two-wheeled vehicle.
On a carbon or cost basis, they get the equivalent of about 350 miles per gallon. The 50 to 80 mpg of 50cc scooters never seemed that impressive to me considering their limitations. A Toyota Corolla carrying two persons does as well while keeping the occupants warm and dry.
Well, I understand where you’re coming from but I think you’re minimizing the (gasoline powered) scooters virtues. The Corolla gets approximately half the mileage of the Vespa GTS. Both are capable of highway travel (Vespa approx 80mph, Corolla 111mph). The GTS weights 326 lbs vs. the Corolla’s 2595 lbs, consider the embodied resources used for production and the end of life recycling costs. If Paolo Timoni, President and CEO of Piaggio Group Americas is to be believed, scooters would reduce US pollutants; “their emissions of carbon monoxide by 90%, and their emissions of carbon dioxide by 80%â€. From:
http://www.vespaway.com/2006/02/vespa_places_fu.html
I spoke to the Newport office today. $11,000, available by March 07.