Transport Secretary of State, Geoff Hoon, said, “”We must look at these things not only in terms of the impact on the environment but actually in terms of the impact of our economy and the truth is using low-carbon vehicles can often be a great deal cheaper than using their carbon emitting counterparts.

“So looking at ways in which we help to develop that market is the right position for government to be in even in these difficult circumstances. ”

Part of money will go to installing more charge-points where people can recharge their electric vehicles.

This is a significant investement by the government and shows that electric bikes, scooters and cars have reached a point where they are being taken seriously.

We usually feature vehicles only. But I wanted to show you this. It’s only a concept vehicle at the moment. It’s called the Peugeot HYmotion and it’s powered by a combination of a 125cc engine and an electric motor. I really like the design. I guess it’s a trike, with two wheels at the front. And I’m showing it to encourage Peugeot to make an effort and try and turn it into an electric only vehicle. Wouldn’t that be great!

Electric scooters have come a long way in recent times. There are some very, very cool models out there. There’s the Ego Electric Scoota, or any of the E-Moto range. And, of course, if you need more power, officer, you can go for the Vectrix.

So, what do the Charleston police force go for?… er… well… hmm… This…

If you squint at the picture, I guess you can pretend it’s Ben Hur on his chariot.

Why, guys? Why?

If you want to see it in all its… er… glory… you can watch the video here:

Motion Scooter

If you think I’m wrong let me know.

They were so impressed that they’ve approved them and ordered another. Apparently they were extremely impressed with the versatility and performance of the bike. Most importantly it proved to be very reliable. The Vectrix is used for a variety purposes in a non-response role, which means it will be doing everything but chasing criminals.

Earlier this year, the A.A., which is the U.K.’s leading breakdown recovery service, ordered a fleet of Vectrix. They are used instead of vans for breakdowns in the capital. This was in response to average speed in London dropping to their lowest levels in forty years. It’s felt that the scooters can get to breakdowns quicker in the nation’s congested capital.

Porsche has unveiled its prototype all electric 911. Like I say, it’s only a prototype at the moment, but what a prototype. The eRUF prototype replaces Porsche’s flat six engine with a 204bhp motor powered by lithium-ion batteries.

It’s not as quick as the normal 911 but it still delivers 455lb-ft of torque and will accelerate from 0-60mph in under 7.0 seconds.You can plug it into your mains and it takes eight hours to charge. I’m smiling now because it seems funny to say, “Honey, can I unplug the kettle? I need to plug in my Porsche.”

It has a top speed of 160 m.p.h. and can go 180 miles on a single charge. No news yet on where Porsche intends to go from here. But, hey, thank you guys for making the future of the electric car sound sexy.

No, I’ve not gone mad. Well, perhaps I have but it’s not because of this. The confusion is caused by those electric bikes that actually look like electric scooters. Even though it is styled to look exactly like a scooter, it is an electric bike.

Let’s look at the legal ramifications of this and then I’ll explain why some manufacturers do this. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, take a look at the X-Treme XB-500. Despite what you might think, it’s an electric bike. These are the reasons why. It has a top speed of 15 m.p.h compared to a scooter’s top speed of 28-62 m.p.h. Depending on where you live, you won’t need to register it as a vehicle, pay road tax, need a driving licence, or wear a helmet (though it might be a good idea). And that’s about it.

So why do manufacturers make electric bikes that look like that instead of the more traditional electric bike, like the Salisbury LPX?

Here are my thoughts. Electric scooters generally, again depending on where you live, can’t be ridden by anybody under the age of 16, whereas electric bikes can be ridden by anybody over 14. So there’s a whole other market out there. Also some people are looking for an electric bike without any intention of using the ‘pedal assist’ mode of an electric bike so they think they might as well have the more comfortable seat and scooter styling. It all comes down to choice.

If you still haven’t got it, here’s a short video I made that explains it all.

So here goes.

First of all let’s assume all other things are equal, such as the cost of insurance and maintenance. We’re just going to consider the actual prices of getting an electric scooter and a gasoline/petrol scooter from A to B. We’ll also compare prices in both the U.S.A and the U.K.

Electric Scooter v Gasoline Scooter In The U.S.A.

Let’s assume we do 120 miles per week on our scooters. The current average price of gasoline, as I write, is round about $3.30 a gallon. Our 50cc gasoline scooter does an average of 90 miles per gallon. So, over the course of a year, the cost of the gasoline scooter is $211.20

Our electric scooter does the same 120 miles a week. It costs $0.80 per mile in electricity. For a year of electric scooting, that works out at $46.08

So the electric scooter wins by $165.12

Electric Scooter v Petrol Scooter In The U.K.

Well, the bad news for people in the U.K. is that both our electricity and our petrol costs a lot more than it does in the States. Here are the results.

The current price of petrol averages around £1.09 per litre, which is the equivalent of £4.40 per gallon. Wow. So, with our petrol scooter doing 90 miles to the gallon, over a year doing 120 miles per week, that works out at £316.80.

For our electric scooter, doing the same mileage, costing 1p per mile in charging, it works out, per year, at £28.80.

So, with an electric scooter you save £288.

I hope that helps.

If you squint you can see Jean-Paul, or Paul-Jean, or Jean-Paul-Jean, with a Gauloise hanging out of his mouth, and nothing on his head but shades. The ’spirit of the scooer’ is the Vespa.

How times have changed. Smoking is dangerous. Helmets are, thankfully, compulsory. But Vespas are still cool. One electric scooter manufacturer has realised this. So hats off, or should that be helmets off, to E-Moto.

Those very clever people at E-moto have four models, designed to appeal to four different kinds of customer. There’s the Volt - which looks like a racing scooter; the Metro - a real shoppers electric scooter; the Retro - pure sixties in flavour; and the top of the range, Classic - again, Vespa-type styling but with extra shine.

They come in at different prices. Having said that, they’re all great value for money, significantly cheaper than its competition in the States, which seems to be the only place you can get them.

For the technical out there, the E-Motos have a 2000-watt motor. As with all electric scooters, they cost virtually nothing to charge. Three of the models have a range of 30-35 miles on one charge. Inexplicably, the Retro version only has a range of 15 miles. For that reason alone, we’d avoid the Retro. But there’s more than enough choice in the other models.

The E-Moto’s seem smaller than some other models, which is no bad thing, as it means they’re easy to handle.

To sum up, the E-Moto range is fantastic value for money. It would be hard to find another electric scooter with the same spec for the price.

You can find out more about the e-moto range of scooters and order one by clicking here.

Customers will pay a monthly subscription. In return for that they get to charge their vehicles at car parks. That’s nothing new because major cities already have charging posts on streets, where electric scooter and car owners can plug in.

But where this scheme differs is the plan to set up fuel stations where you will be able to swap your dead battery for a fully charged one. The battery charging company itself will own the batteries and, as part of your subscription, you simply swap it when you need to.

I think this is a huge development, especially for the electric car. And it goes to show that there is a large wave of support from governments the world over to make electric vehicles the norm.

They’re beautifully made with aluminium frames and new lithium batteries that make it lighter and with a longer range. Weight makes a big difference to the performance of electric bikes and, thankfully, the Salisbury switched to lithium batteries to make it a top performer. The battery lasts 15-20 miles on a single charge.

The Salisbury is a versatile bike. There’s a switch on the handlebars that gives you three options. You can switch it so that you just use the motor and don’t have to do any pedalling at all. Or flick it to pedal-assisted and you’ll have to pedal but, on a flat surface, you get such a boost it doesn’t feel like you’re making much effort. And it’ll take you up to 15 mph in no time at all. The 200-watt brushless motor is very quiet.

The Salisbury is a mid-priced electric bike that won’t disappoint.

SPECIFICATIONS

* 25kg
* Triple - Mode of Operation– Motor power only - 15mph max speed; Assisted power - Motor and Pedals - 15mph max speed; Cycling only.
* Frame Size: 26 inch
* Frame: Alloy frame
* Gear Shifter: 6 Gears
* Rear Derailleur
* Brakes:Both alloy V brake
* Batteries 24v 8ah
* Battery Mechanism: lockable with side release and handle
* Max Range: 25KM–Max Speed:-24km/h
* Charge Time: 5-8h
* Battery Life:- 2years
* Hub Motor:-Brushless and high speed
* Handlebar height - 94 to 112cm
* Saddle height - 82cm to 102cm
* Length of cycle - 180cm