IT should be possible for me to commute to work and back home again for less than 50c and save the world some greenhouse gas. The Vmoto e-max 110S electric scooter has a reported range of about 60km which is 10km more than my daily commute and it only costs 50c to charge the battery.
On paper, it's a possibility. Unfortunately, it's impossible because the scooter is limited to 60km/h roads yet between work and home there are several roads over that speed. It also drops to an unworkable 10km/h on hills.
Perth company Vmoto has been importing the e-max 110S since January and only sold about 60 of them, but Raymond Rooney, director of RS Distribution, the Australian distributors of Vmoto scooters, says the rocketing price of fuel will change that. "It's the future. I think we're a little bit away from it, but it's a lot closer now," he says.
Vmoto has dealers in all states and Rooney says they are getting a lotof inquiries and interest. They just now have to convert that interest into sales.
VALUE
It's listed at $3999 and it works out to about $1 for every 100km travelled, so it should be a cheap commuting option. The e-max 110S is rated as a 50cc scooter so it can be ridden on a normal driving licence in Queensland and Western Australia. Riders in other states will have to go to the extra expense of a bike licence.
TECHNOLOGY
It is laid out like a normal scooter with the 4000 watt motor driving the back wheel. There is a 1000 watt charger under the seat and it takes up to six hours to charge the bike from empty to full on AC mains power. The layout of the controls is also very typical of a scooter except for the reverse and boost buttons.
Reverse is a simple addition to an electric scooter as it just reverses the polarity of the motor. Press and hold the reverse button while using the throttle and it works up to 3km/h. The boost button provides three power settings: eco, normal and max.
Normal or eco modes reduce the power of the battery and the top speed to a claimed 45km/h. Boost makes it accelerates a bit stronger with a claimed top speed of about 75km/h.
DESIGN
It looks like a normal scooter and that's a good thing. The front headlight display is almost Ducati 999 in style. Quite Italian and chic. Underseat storage is limited to a small backpack or you can use it to haul the charger with you to work. There is no glovebox like most scooters, but it does have the conventional luggage hook for a small bag of groceries. It comes with both a side and centre stand which is easy to deploy.
RIDING
Forget the modes. Keep it on boost all the time or you won't keep pace in the traffic. I weigh 75kg and the scooter struggled to haul my weight up any incline even in boost. Top speed is a claimed 45km/h but even in boost I could only manage 40km/h on the flat and it took 16 seconds to get there.
The reverse feature is a strange addition, but I suppose it has its uses if you have parked downhill, nose into a gutter. The best thing is it's quiet. So quiet they have included a beep for the indicators so you don't forget you have left them on.
The problem of range anxiety is not alleviated by the "fuel" gauge which rockets from full to empty if you point it up hill and then goes back to full when you go down hill. If you do run out of juice, you get a "Stop scooter battery empty" message and if you have been using the boost button on a hot day you could also get a "Error high temperature" message when electronics overheat.
Then you have to wait and cool your heels while the scooter cools its electronics. The plush suspension copes exceptionally well with potholes and it doesn't bump-steer or twitch like other 13-inch-wheel scooters. The disc brakes have good feel and are more effective than they need to be.
VERDICT
Electric vehicles may be the future, but they will have to be more powerful than this. However, it makes good sense in a gated community or small village where there is not much traffic. Here, it will be appreciated for its chic looks and quiet motor.
Vmoto e-max 110S scooter
Price: $3999
Warranty: 2 years
Service: 500km/5000km
Battery: 48V/60Ahs
Charge time: 4-6 hours
Motor: 4000W electric
Range: 170km at 25km/h; 90km at 45km/h
Brakes: discs
Tyres: 130/60 13; 130/60 13
Dimensions: 1920mm (L), 720mm (W), 1140mm (H), 1385mm (WB)
