Today, electric scooters or electric mopeds are just as powerful as their gasoline-powered counterparts, with the added advantage of being virtually silent, clean machines that can plug into a standard electrical socket to recharge. Typically, a charge will give you enough juice to travel 20-60 miles, depending on the scooter and battery system. Most scooter comes with lead-acid or nickle-metal hybrid (NiMH) batteries, but they can usually be upgraded to the more expensive lithium-ion batteries, which are lighter and last longer. A scooter’s top speed is usually limited or “governed” to 25-28 mph in the U.S. in order to be classified as a “moped”.

In terms of price, basic electric scooters start at $350, and even at this price level you can find a good electric scooter that will serve you well for neighborhood trips. At the high end, $11,000 will buy you the Vectrix (pictured above) which is really an electric motorcycle  — it has top speed of 62 mpg and range of about 60 miles (see more information below).

Let’s start by taking a look at electric scooters that are available for under $1000:

IZIP HG-1000 Hybrid Electric Bike

IZIP HG-100 Electric Hybrid Bike

The IZIP HG-1000 is a popular electric bike from IZIP that sells for around $750. The HG-1000 is called a “hybrid” because has a scooter-type frame, but it can includes pedal for human-assisted power. It has a range of 30-35 miles on a single charge and a top speed of 18 mph. It comes with lead-acid 36 volt batteries and a 240 watt motor. This bike is designed with commuters in mind — it comes standard with an integrated rack, lockable rear trunk, front basket and removable battery box. It also has a keyed power switch, a light, a horn and a battery gauge.

IZIP Sereno Hyrbid Electric Bike

This year, IZIP re-released this bike as the Sereno Hybrid Electric Bike. It has slight variations on the frame and accessories, but the specs are identical.

The IZIP HG-1000 electric bike is available from Amazon for around $750. The IZIP Sereno Hybrid bike is available from BikeMania for $750.

E-Zip Trailz 2008 Electric Scooter Bike

I’ve been testing the E-Zip 2008 Trailz bike. I’ve found that the range of a fully-charged battery is about 10 miles — that’s if you make liberal use of the electric assist. If you just use it to go up hills, the charge will last for about 20 miles. The battery detaches so that you can charge at a cafe or an office. You can also add a second battery for $120 from Currie Technologies, that will double your range (but it will also increase the bike’s weight).

If you use this bike for a commute that is 20 miles or less, you could definitely arrive at the office without breaking a sweat. I was pleased by the power of the motor. It was easy to achieve speeds of 25 mph while pedalling lightly.

The E-Zip Trailz Bike available from Amazon for $370. The women’s version of this bike is available here.

eGo Electric Scooter

The eGo is a stylish, electric scooter, that is well-liked by its owners. It’s built on an anodized aluminium monocoque chassis, and some that bicycle-like design features.

The eGo has a range of 20-25 miles, with a top speed of 23 mph. Twising the throttle will engage either of two operating modes (“Go Far” and “Go Fast”), letting you tailor your ride for either greater distance range or maximum speed.

The eGo’s regenerative braking system captures your momentum as you ride, charging the battery. The built-in 5-amp charger plugs into any standard AC outlet for an 80% recharge in just 3 hours – and a full recharge from empty in 4 to 6 hours.

A built-in rear rack holds briefcases, picnic baskets and extra gear; optional folding rear baskets each hold a full bag of groceries; and optional front basket converts to shopping basket; optional cargo trailer attaches in a snap, folds flat for storage, can haul additional 100 lbs., and keeps brake light visible.

There are three models of the eGo: a classic model which sells for about $1400, and a LX model which has more accessories for about $1900, and a limited “special edition” LX model that features alloy wheels for $2000.

Available from Real Goods for around $1400.

I-Zip EZgo Electric Scooter

Here’s a folding electric bike that can be used as a scooter: the I-Zip EZgo. You can ride it without pedalling for about 10 miles, or you let the motor assist you with pedaling, and go for 18 to 25 miles with speeds up to 18 mph. The I-ZIP EZGo weighs 53 pounds, including the motor.

The bike’s ability to fold makes for easy storage. The EZgo has a simple twist throttle with a battery gauge. The wheels are 16″ heavy duty alloy with stainless steel spokes. The bike includes an integrated rear carrier for storage.

It’s available from Amazon for $649. The bike’s home page is here.

EZip 900 Electric Scooter

Currie Technologies makes an range of electric scooters branded as I-Zip or E-Zip. These are my favourite sub-$1000 brand of scooters. They have a decent build quality, and they can offer you enjoyable trouble-free travel for years. The I-Zip 900 (pictured above) features both a deck for standing and a removable seat for comfort on longer rides. When you need to go a farther distance than a comfortable walk, the I-Zip 900 will get you there and back quickly thanks to its 12-mile range (depending on rider weight) and top speed of 15 MPH.

The I-Zip 900 Electric Scooter is available from Amazon for around $319.

Zapino Electric Scooter

Just about everyone seems to like the Zapino electric scooter by ZAP. Owners like its performance and its well thought-out design (see reports here, here and here). Strangely, ZAP has not marketed the Zapino much. It has a powerful 3000-watt brushless DC hub motor, which, according to ZAP, makes it the most powerful scooter in its class. It has a maximum speed of 40 mph, and its range is “up to 30 miles per charge”.

The hub motor in the rear wheel creates more room on-board for additional batteries. According to ZAP this eliminates the need for belts, or chains, resulting in a more enjoyable ride with less vibration and noise, and a smoother acceleration while reducing overall maintenance.

The Zapino comes with silicon gel batteries, but it will soon be possible to extend the range of the Zapino to 65 miles per charge, with an optional 60V 40AH lithium-ion battery.

The Zapino sells for about $3000.

Available directly from ZAP.

The Vectrix Electric Scooter

The Vectrix is a 100% electric vehicle which is more like an motorcycle than a scooter. The Vectrix goes 62 mph, has a claimed range of 68 miles, and it accelerates faster than most cars at the stoplight. The Vectrix is powered by a low-mounted, 3.7 kilowatt NiMH battery pack that recharges to 80 or 90 percent of capacity in two hours. Three hours is usually enough for a full charge, four if you start from flat empty.

The V is For Voltage forum for the Vectrix is here.

The Vectrix sells for about $11,000.

Update August 2008: The price has reduced to a much more reasonable $8,795 for the 2007 model, and $9,395 for the slightly improved 2008 version. They hope to launch a more modest $5,000 bike in 2009 featuring a “next-gen” NiMH battery that should boost the range by ten miles for a total of 70.

See our full review of this scooter for more details.

Available from these dealers

e-Moto Electric Scooter

The e-Moto Classic is a reto-styled scooter with a range of “up to 50 miles” and a governed top speed of 28 miles. The e-Moto Classic run on a 2000 watt motor, powered by a 48-volt silicon battery pack.

The e-Moto Classic sells for about $3000. A similar moped, the e-Moto Retro sells for about $2200.

Available from NeoScooters.

Skeuter Condor Electric Scooters

The Condor is an attractive, retro-styled scooter by a California distributor called Skeuter. It has a 1500W electric motor that is powered by a 48V Sealed Lead Acid battery pack or an optional lithium ion battery pack, It can be charged from a 110V or 220V outlet in about 6 hours using the 3 amp charger and range is quoted as 40 miles although I would expect more like 15 miles in real world riding. The Condor includes front disk brakes and rear drum brakes. It seat two people.

The Skeuter web site gets my Award for the Ugliest Web Site of The Year.

A commenter below points out an upgraded version of the Skeuter Condor is available here.

Available from these dealers.

The Zapino scooter, made by ZAP, in a company better known for their electric cars, has been getting rave reviews. Many Zapino owners report that this scooter performs really well and is quite reliable (see here and here). It’s also relatively inexpensive, being sold for just under $3000. It has a powerful 3000-watt brushless DC hub motor, which, according to ZAP, makes it the most powerful scooter in its class. This motor is so powerful it can win drag races against gas scooters, with speed and acceleration that leaves the polluters in their own dust. It has a maximum speed of 30 mph, and can it’s range is “up to 30 miles per charge”. It will soon be possible to extend the range of the Zapino to 65 miles per charge, with an optional 60V 40AH lithium-ion battery.

The hub motor in the rear wheel creates more room on-board for additional batteries. According to ZAP this eliminates the need for belts, or chains, resulting in a more enjoyable ride with less vibration and noise, and a smoother acceleration while reducing overall maintenance.

This scooter has some nice storage areas for grocery runs.

Available from: Electric Scooter Galore

Zapino images via Maxdunn on Flickr.

The Vectrix is a 100% electric scooter that is available for sale in the U.S. This bike goes 62 mph, has a claimed range of 68 miles, and it accelerates faster than most cars at the stoplight. The Vectrix is powered by a low-mounted, 3.7 kilowatt NiMH battery pack that re-charges to 80 or 90 percent of capacity in two hours. Three hours is usually enough for a full charge, four if you start from flat empty.

When you twist the throttle forward to brake, the regenerative braking slows the bike — you almost never need the brakes. The batteries make it pretty heavy for a scooter, so slow-speed maneuvers require some care, but there’s a reverse gear (if you twist the throttle forward at a stop, it backs up) to help you park it.

Here’s a video of the Vectrix in action:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Autoweek recently reviewed this bike, they report:

We rode a Vectrix all over the sprawl of traffic-choked Los Angeles for a week and came away convinced. While the price of $11,850 is an awful lot steeper than a garden-variety toy scooter, this one is fully freeway-capable. Riding in the slow lane, hunkered down behind the windscreen, we were able to stay out of trouble and cruise efficiently at 62. On surface streets, we about doubled our time efficiency compared with a car, by either splitting lanes or zipping off in directions cars couldn’t go. Parking was even easier; a scooter will get you places cars don’t fit.

We pirated juice all over town. It was surprising how many electrical outlets there are in parking garages and outside buildings everywhere.

We never drained the batteries all the way, but we think the claim of 68 miles on a charge might be a little optimistic. Our regular, 22-mile, mostly freeway commute used about two-thirds to three-quarters of a full charge. It was back up to full within a few hours of poached electricity from our building’s parking garage.

The electric power cord is built right into the underseat storage and snakes out easily to reach 110- and 220-volt outlets. It draws about 15 amps, so just be sure you’re not plugged into an outlet that is also powering something important, or you’ll blow a fuse. While you can’t fully recharge in the time it takes to order lunch, you can pour in enough electrons that, with similar topping off throughout the day, you can keep enough charge in the batteries so range won’t be a problem. Usually.

Vectrix has been doing research and development for more than a decade on this ride but has been selling scooters in America for less than a year.

See also this review in the New York Times.

Link: Vectrix

What are the hottest electric scooters out there? Today, one of the most popular models currently is the eGO-2 Cycle which combines the best features of a bike and an electric scooter. The eGO can be used as a bicycle but has all the equipment of a scooter, including headlights, turn signals, brakes and throttle. With aluminum silver-plated chassis it goes 25mph while climbing hills, and it weighs less than 120 lbs. The eGO retails for around $1400. Another hot scooter is the Ikoo. It has a 600W motor that generates good acceleration. The cruising range is 15-18 miles, and the charge time is 4-6 hours from a flat battery, 1-2 hours from a partial charge. The frame is made of a stainless steel alloy, and the wheels have dual disk brakes. The standard model price for this scooter is under $1000.

Ikoo Scooter and eGo Scooter

Top speed: 18 mph (23 mph for 24V model)
Range: 12 miles

Notes from Manufacturer:

Attractive and well-built, the Lash Out is a new full
suspension scooter that provides an ultra smooth ride. An all aluminum
chassis with impeccable attention to detail is covered by a brushed aluminum
deck with slip resistant grip tape.

Ample standing room and ground clearance. This is one of the largest platforms
on an electric scooter and its more than a foot off the ground so bottoming
out on uneven surfaces is almost impossible.

The Suspension Factor. The rear dual shocks are adjustable for different
weight riders and terrains. 12" aluminum mag wheels and special electric
vehicle tires are chain driven by a powerful 400 watt or 600 watt brushless
DC motor. A superior dual brake system and stout handlebar offers intuitive
control of this incredible riding machine.

Price: $800 (shipping is $50)
Purchase from: Electric Cyclery