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Vectrix to Launch Electric Maxi-Scooter in November
23 October 2006
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| The Vectrix Maxi-Scooter. |
Vectrix has announced that it will launch its high-powered electric Maxi-Scooter (earlier post) during the 64th International Motorcycle Exhibition in Milan in November.
The Maxi-Scooter combines a 3.7 kWh Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery pack and a 20 kW electric motor that delivers 65 Nm (48 lb-ft) torque. The battery pack is designed for up to 1,700 full charging cycles. Recharge time is about two hours.
The scooter also uses a throttle-activated regenerative braking system to capture some of the braking energy. The all-digital throttle also controls a slow-speed reverse function.
The scooter offers a top speed of 62 mph and a range of about 68 miles (110 km) at 25 mph (40 kph). Acceleration from 0-60 mph takes 5.8 seconds.
The company is using the core design to support the development of fuel-cell hybrid and three-wheel models of the scooter as well.
Assembly of 50 pilot scooters began this summer in the New Bedford, MA facility, which has a production capacity of 12,000 units per year. Vectrix plans to shift full-scale production to Wroclaw, Poland by the end of the year. That plant has a capacity of 38,000 units per year.
(A hat-tip to John!)
Resources:
Vectrix Countdown to Launch
October 23, 2006 in Electric (Battery) | Permalink | Comments (39) | TrackBack (0)
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Comments
Huh. 26 horsepower but 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds? Well, regardless, it sounds like a very impressive offering as far as EV's go. I'm sure they will find many happy owners.
Posted by: Sid Hoffman | Oct 23, 2006 2:31:27 PM
Suzuki Savage LS650 (now known as the boulevard C40 or something) has ~30hp on a single 650cc cylinder has almost the same 0-60 time (and a 15 second 1/4 mile time) so if this scooter is close to the same weight (360lbs dry weight) then it seems like a completely reasonable acceleration time. Especially since it has significantly more torque than the Suzuki Savage. 68 miles is great for the type of vehicle, but I wonder what the target price will be?
Posted by: Patrick | Oct 23, 2006 2:45:55 PM
Sharp-looking machine. I first read about it a little over a year ago. Glad to see them finally ramping up to production.
Other conventional maxiscooters in the market are: Honda Reflex (250cc, the model I have), Silverwing (585cc twin), Helix (244cc), Suzuki Burgman 400, 650 twin, Yamaha Majesty (400), Morpheus (250cc). I've routinely hit 65mpg on my Reflex, and have actually done some freeway riding.
Posted by: Cervus | Oct 23, 2006 2:50:52 PM
Impressive (all around) electric vehicle. Kids could leave the Hummer, Camaro, Charger, Mustang, etc home and use this electric scooter to go to school-university and drive around. Ladies could go shopping and take a child or two to school with the three-wheel version.
Assembly in Poland, with Chinese made parts, is a smart way to keep the price within reach.
The Big Three could learn something here.
Posted by: Harvey D. | Oct 23, 2006 3:19:47 PM
It is 68 miles at 25 mph.
Noone would drive a scooter like this at 25 mph.
What is the milage at 40 mph or 50 ?
On the other hand maxi-scoots are a very good thing in terms of personal transport. They are more comfortable than motorbikes and faster and more comfortable at speed than vespa style "mini-scoots".
It looks very like a Piaggio X9 / X8 (only electric).
Posted by: mahonj | Oct 23, 2006 3:55:09 PM
Don't confuse horsepower and torque. Electric motors don't behave as ICE engines, and stronger torque is available at low rpm.
This motorcycle is great, especially because the best electric scooters available were/are too weak. EVTs are reliable, for example, but lack power and range.
What the market needs is more scooters using advanced batteries like NiMH or Li-Ion.
It's a pity that the price of this machine is simply unreasonable. I have seen several quotes going near $9000.
An scooter between the e-max/evt and the vectrix is needed!
Posted by: Luis Pons | Oct 23, 2006 4:00:25 PM
I would really like to buy a high quality factory built EV. When I contacted vectrix to ask how much it would cost to get one of the first ones built they told me it was going to cost 12,000.
That seems a bit high when you can buy an 883 Harley Sportster for 6,595.
Anyhow I hope they bring the price down someday to a reasonable level.
Posted by: KJD | Oct 23, 2006 4:24:39 PM
LMAO ... every time I buy a vehicle ... a better one enters the market. Mine has a 2kW motor and gets arround town just fine. (I'm going to upgrade it for hills) This one should fly.
Posted by: Neil | Oct 23, 2006 5:00:42 PM
Nice. Hope they price it soon.
Posted by: plz | Oct 23, 2006 8:51:11 PM
it should do well in some niche markets in europe b/c of tax incentives, zero pollution areas in italy, no london congestion charges, free parking and charging in paris, etc.
i doubt it'll serve too many people in the states very well, though. too expensive, too short range, and too much a scooter.
Posted by: shaun mann | Oct 23, 2006 11:50:26 PM
$8,ooo-$12,ooo? That's outragous pricing. And it's only a scooter. You can buy the GEM EV for around $7,ooo with four wheels! Great marketing strategy.
Posted by: Richard | Oct 24, 2006 2:19:53 AM
Richard -
this is intended for European city driving, where streets are much narrower and parking much harder to find. There will be certain markets in the US (e.g. Boston, SF) where this applies as well. Consumers in densely populataed areas in Asia might be interested as well.
Mahonj -
in the target markets, you'll actually be lucky to average 25mph on your morning commute. There are also legal speed limits regarding the type of driver' license, registration and insurance required for a powered vehicle.
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | Oct 24, 2006 5:46:32 AM
Nice machine, ideal for short range quick trips when gas motor doesn't get warmed up. Short trips are bad for ICEs, so you'd be saving your car for longer service life. Less maintenance and hassle (gasoline, oil,...) than ICE bikes. Actually, hardly any maintenance is required, I guess.
On pricing, hmmm, tough call. You have cheaper "fuel" (electricity is much cheaper than gasoline), less parts (no chain, motor oil,...) less wear (on breaks, less break pads),.... So the savings might add up to pay for the extra money (ICE vs this one). The again you have other expenses ICEs don't. Batteries last 5-10 years, electric controllers last ????
After all you don't spend that much on ICE bikes maintenance either. Still for city, especially living in a building without a garage (no tools), certainly less maintenance is appealing.
Posted by: q | Oct 24, 2006 7:56:56 AM
I've been wanting one of these, but it sounds like they will be priced well out of my range.
Posted by: micah | Oct 24, 2006 9:18:03 AM
200 mpg equivalent at full discharge and 68 mile range.
Posted by: pizmo | Oct 24, 2006 10:14:22 AM
If you don't have your own garage, basic hand tools, and a bike lift the cost of maintenance for a motorcycle is exorbitant (I'd imagine it would be similar for scooters as the only sellers and maintainers of scooters I have seen around here are also motorcycle dealerships). $50 for an oil change on a motorcycle...and that is for only 2 quarts of oil with an oil plug that is much easier to get to then the one on a car. Motorcycles usually are expected to be maintained after fewer miles than a car (and if it is your commuter vehicle that means it will need maintenance more often then your car).
Posted by: Patrick | Oct 24, 2006 10:43:26 AM
I can't help thinking that they might be better off putting a smaller motor on each wheel. 20kW is overkill for going 50kph on the flat. (It would only take about 3kW to maintain that speed) If the front motor were on a switch then you could turn it off for cruising speeds on the flat and you would extend the range. I know that may be counter-intuitive for EVs but my experience is that the smaller motors are more efficient. Comments from the engineers?
Posted by: Neil | Oct 24, 2006 11:22:01 AM
Neil -
you need the higher power rating during acceleration and especially, during recuperative braking. Electric motors aren't equally efficient at all points in their torque-speed map but given that this is a brushless model, the difference is fairly small. This is in marked contrast to an ICE, which suffers from substantial internal friction losses in part load.
Adding a second electric traction motor would add cost and weight but yield little by way of vehicle energy economy. Switching to Li-ion would make more sense but apparently, the initial cost is already very high anyhow.
Btw, Micah: the standard ways to get around the financing problem are dealer loans and leasing. There is no reason why these could not be applied to scooters. As G points out, you have to compare alternatives on the basis of total cost of ownership.
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | Oct 24, 2006 12:44:49 PM
Raphael: I was thinking in terms of two 10kW motors on each wheel, with a switch on the front wheel so that you can turn it off for cruising and conserve battery.
Posted by: Neil | Oct 24, 2006 1:17:16 PM
Waiting for Godot done in Italian with pictures of an electric scooter. Someone needs to read the Vectrix people "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" story.
Posted by: Jonathan Smith | Oct 25, 2006 5:42:18 AM
Rafael - yes they offer leasing. www.asifinance.com is the company doing it. its just that you can get a comparable 250cc gas scooter that gets 60-70 mpg for 4000-5000. This will cost twice as much. Still considering it though.
Posted by: micah | Oct 25, 2006 8:17:52 AM
Economically, it's a very long payback period -- 151,000 miles without considering the cost of battery replacement (which I assume is net negligible, since other service and repair costs are likely lower for the electric).
The biggest advantage is obviously the zero emissions at the tailpipe, since the major drawback for motorcycles and scooters is that they are relatively dirty compared to other motor vehicles, mile for mile. One could also power using carbon-neutral electricity.
At 6,000 miles/yr, the electric's going to cost about $1.13 more per day. For me, that's worth the money.
Posted by: pizmo | Oct 25, 2006 9:59:08 AM
Plus it's good to keep some perspective. A basic Civic 2 door with an automatic will cost $31K over a 5 year period, compared to under $8K for the Vectrix. And that's before accounting for parking costs.
It'll do really well in places like San Francisco, LA, Seattle, NY, Miami, and Portland.
Posted by: pizmo | Oct 25, 2006 10:10:43 AM
$50 for a motorcycle oil change?!? Yeah, if you take it to a stealership...and if you take a motorcycle to a stealership for an oil change you probably can't even change a burned out light bulb yourself.
Posted by: a | Oct 25, 2006 2:06:29 PM
Great for countries with $11 gas but the US needs ethanol scooters instead.
Posted by: Da | Oct 26, 2006 9:09:52 AM
Great for countries with $11 gas but the US needs ethanol scooters instead.
Posted by: Da | Oct 26, 2006 9:11:59 AM
I'm really upset by the price. I was looking forward to maybe buying one (I'm a college student and this would be ideal for me), but I can't afford to. Nor will I be able to until it is no longer practical or necessary for me. "Price-competetive with ICE scooters" my foot! *sigh*
It seems entirely unreasonable to price this scooter in that range. Either their production is not scale-optimized yet, or their margins are outrageous. I can only hope that time and numbers will drive the price down to competitive levels, and that it doesn't hurt their business too much.
Posted by: Ryan | Oct 26, 2006 5:55:43 PM
Ryan: This is a high end scooter. The EV Scooter I bought is the rough equivalent of a 50cc vespa and was comparable in price ($4k Canadian) (if you want Li-ion batteries its a different story but the performance/range is much improved)
Posted by: Neil | Oct 26, 2006 9:20:11 PM
Honda's top of the line Silverwing scooter has a MSRP for $8,499....there are some other pricey scooters out there as well.
Posted by: doh | Oct 27, 2006 8:36:19 AM
It's been a long time coming... can't wait to buy one!
Posted by: Fabio | Nov 5, 2006 12:54:25 PM
$8000!!!!! That's disgusting! Even if it is a 'high-end' scooter.
Perhaps Vectrix need to offer a smaller, more affordable, bare-bones version. That way the average person would consider purchasing one.
Posted by: dissappointed | Nov 11, 2006 7:53:28 AM
E-scooters ? how about $2500
see falconev dot com
Posted by: Andy | Dec 17, 2006 6:08:52 PM
yes a bit pricy when you can get a Oxygen long range scooter that goes 40mph for 100 miles for 6,000.usd and charges in 1 hr.
Posted by: capthank | Apr 3, 2007 1:07:54 AM
I'm interested in the vectrix keep me posted
Posted by: Arthur James | Jun 1, 2007 7:22:41 PM
The dealer near me said $11,000.00. It needs to be 1/2 that to be viable (imho). What's so expensive to build on it? It seems to me it's a far simpler machine. The Burgman, Majesty, Siverwing, Piaggo, etc are much faster (90-125mph) and have much farther ranges yet cost 1/2 the money and are produced by marquis companies w/ 20-30 years of solid reputation for reliability, etc... I believe most people will have to choose between a car and the Vectrix, and they'll have to choose a car. At $5,000-6,000 I would purchase one. I appreciate their ground-breaking offering though and hope they can sell enough to bring the price down.
Posted by: Jack | Sep 4, 2007 7:13:08 AM
For those, like me, do not exactly like the price. I ask you to keep in mind this is not a gas scooter. I'd like to remind everyone what the cost of a 10MB HD was when they first came out. They cost more than whatever you are probably driving as a car right now. This is not a gas scooter, it's electric. A totally different technology. I think it's naive to think this scooter with a new technology that is far ahead of the competition will come off the line with a MSRP of $4,000. They have lots of R&D to recoup.
Just a thought to keep in mind.
Posted by: Chris | Dec 9, 2007 10:52:21 PM
Of course you must factor in the fact that parts are made in China when you are discussing longevity.I'll say no more.
Posted by: John | Jun 18, 2008 3:11:01 PM
My experience with Chinese products that have electric motors,they get their power and save copper by shortwinding them,they scream,sucking up current,putting out an ungodly RPM then they add some kind of reduction (and that screams too) until you get a usable RPM ,hence the planetary gear set...You'll be making payments long after the smoke dissipates.
Posted by: John | Jun 18, 2008 3:30:16 PM
I bit the bullet and invested in a Vectrix when gas prices skyrocketed, and am very glad I did. (The recent price drop to ~$9,000 pushed me over the hump.)
This is a road-worthy vehicle, perfect for short trips like the ones I do every day. I hardly ever need to move my car at all, and can't recall the last time I bought gas. Happy to answer any questions - not affiliated, just a delighted owner.
Posted by: Arlo Guay | Aug 22, 2008 12:35:29 PM
