Since Today we are a bit off topic and onto alternative vehicles, I decided to follow the guide of one of our posters and check out the Vectrix, and electric scooterers in general. If you have not seen it yet, go check the making of Vectrix - a beautiful animation that shows the full monty of the insides of an electric scooter.
The site claims that this all electric scooter can go at pretty good speeds (100km/h) in the city - which is pretty credible given its weight and size. It also has a pretty good range on a two hour charge can get you to 80% full battery and a full charge can go 5 hours in simulated urban driving conditions (70 miles or so - must be London, they are referring to...)
I hear they are still a bit pricey, and yet there is a waiting line. I wonder if they have already included the DSP feature that allows you to make the noise of your choice. Imagine a toggle on the handle that allows you to go from Harley noise to Honda - or just for fun make the bike sound like a motor boat...
I have been told that electric scooters are the latest rae in India where they were recently introduced at sub $500 with cost of operation in the pennies. Since they were limited to 25km/h speed the government allowed them to be treated as a non-vehicle, hence people did not need a license to operate them. They seem to have caught up big time in the cities where they were first introduced and a new version is coming up now. The product is called Yo Bykes, and there is a real good explanation on how these operate on the company's website. Their slogan focuses on cost of operation - 100km for the price of 1 liter of oil. and I like the fact that there is no polution. India is key to solving the problem, before it escalates out of hand - as the market for transportation is soon going to explode with half the population under 25 years of age. If they have a choice between an electric scooter at $500 or a small carat $3000, I sure hope they pick an electric solution.
far cry from the old Vespa :)
Posted by: bobby | May 03, 2007 at 01:00 PM
http://www.revaindia.com/
Here is another company that has been catching up for sometime in the electric car sector.
Posted by: Aravind B | May 03, 2007 at 02:00 PM
Shai,
Another company in India that has been producing electric cars for a couple of years now is
http://www.revaindia.com/
Posted by: Girish | May 04, 2007 at 01:21 AM
Shai,
A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to meet Ian Wright (http://www.wrightspeed.com/). His X1 has been getting a fair amount of publicity, therefore I am sure you are aware of it. While not focused on the mass market, Ian indeed has a grasp on the technologies involved with electric cars and their respective advantages/disadvantages.
Best,
Monty
Posted by: Monty | May 04, 2007 at 10:06 AM
I have already seen a couple of these electric scooters on the road in Bangalore. Of Chinese make I feel. It will be a while before we can pronounce these critters roadworthy.
Susmith
Posted by: Susmith Gopalan | May 07, 2007 at 03:13 AM
Hi Shai,
Inspite of india having the Reva car as mentioned in the comments, one of the prime problems is price. A normal small car in India seats 4 and is priced at about 300,000 INR. Whereas the Reva car though viable seats 2 adults and a child and costs about 400,000. Now this is defnitely a lot more for an average family. Getting costs down for such cars is a real necessity atleast in cities like Mumbai and Bangalore. We would have a more sustainable living. It is nice to see vehicles of this sort, but affordability is a big question
Tangentially, looking at Electric vehicles in my opinion shifts the burden from Oil Wells to electric power plants, thereby increasing the necessity of products of coal and oil.
Posted by: Jayanth | May 07, 2007 at 09:20 PM
Shai,
I might sound insane but have you thought of nuclear power to fuel the vehicles of the next generation? I would love to hear from you.
Susmith
Posted by: Susmith Gopalan | May 08, 2007 at 04:48 AM
Alternative Energy is nice, but it is only part of the story. I have a vision how to build a city with no cars, that will have only electric vehicles and as someting sepecial, not common.
To build a city that is green as a whole (produce more green enery then it consume), and with a standart of living we can only dream on...
And there is no need for next generation technology for making this kind of city, only to build it the right way...
Posted by: Yaron | May 16, 2007 at 02:52 AM
If we all grew our own food, would we really need vehicles?
Posted by: vinod | May 29, 2007 at 01:39 AM
I SHAI:
As an employee of EDF (FRANCE) , I may suggest you to approach "BOLLORE" company which is seriously involved with EDF in "electrical domestic cars".
Posted by: philippe.edery | May 29, 2007 at 05:50 AM
I just came across this video from CBSNews.com. Indy Racing is going to use 98% ethanol/2% gas for their race cars: http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?source=RSS&attr=CBSNewsVideo_2877163&channel=i_video&id=2877163n
Posted by: Ben Bakhshi | June 01, 2007 at 07:10 PM
Thanks for sharing this information!
I believe that scooters are one answer to the growing problem of pollution and global warming! They are perfect for commuting within a city, or for any short trip.
I also have a website about scooters that you may with to check out. Feel free to visit at: http://www.electricscooteroutlet.com
Thanks again!
Posted by: Scooter Man | January 12, 2008 at 09:28 AM