Vectrix VX-1 electric scooter

Not So Much
- Cruising Range
- Aesthetics
- Pillion handles

In this age of environmental awareness, even the motorised vehicles with the least road impact -- motorcycles and scooters -- are not smog free, belching out noxious fumes as the revs rise. But things are changing, slowly but surely.

The Vectrix is an electric scooter that can claim to be a zero emissions vehicle if recharged with electricity generated from renewable sources such as wind, hydro or solar. But is Joe Public ready for the electric bike revolution? We spent a week with the Vectrix to find out…

Priced at around $15,950 on the road, the Vectrix sounds expensive but consider that you won't ever have to fill it with petrol and that (with clean electricity) it can be an almost zero emissions vehicle, it begins to make more sense.

Equipped with Marzocchi forks and a Sachs rear shock, not to mention Pirelli footwear, the Vectrix is far from cheap and nasty.

Twin-pot Brembo brake calipers front and rear are further evidence of its quality, which unfortunately doesn't extend to its design. It's a curious looking two-wheeler with a 'trendy' angular design motif, but thankfully it's comfortable to ride with soft cushioning and a broad seat and copious foot room for rider and pillion.

Tipping the scales at a claimed 234kg (dry) it is a solid scooter, capable of bearing up to 250kg of mass! Fatties take note.

Cargo wise, the American-designed two-wheeler features underseat storage for one full-face helmet and other odds and sods, plus there's also a small glovebox to put your, um, gloves in.

Drive is supplied by a retro-looking brushless DC radial air-gap motor fitted to the rear wheel. It's hooked up to a large battery pack that which is recharged via a three (ish) metre cable permanently attached/stored under the seat. You just plug it in to any conventional wall socket and it takes about three hours for a full recharge (assuming you leave a bit of juice in the batteries).

With a claimed range of 110km at 40km/h speeds, our real world figures were closer to a 70 or 80km range when commuting between 40-60km/h. Range can be extended every so slightly when pushing the throttle forwards to initiate mild regenerative braking.

Furthermore, this acts as a reverse gear. Just roll the throttle forward when stationary and pray there are no pedestrians behind you.

The Vectrix' relatively short cruising range can be limiting, especially if you live out in the country and have to commute or travel considerable distances to the city or urban areas. However inner-city dwellers will find a lot to like here.

Peak power is claimed around 28hp which is fairly competitive, but it’s the torque that makes this scooter truly unique. Because it's an electric vehicle it can have its peak torque of 65Nm on tap, instantly. In reality the bike is a bit slow initially but above 20km/h it really moves. More on that in a sec.

The battery system is what contributes to the hefty 200kg+ kerb weight and the Vectrix's creators reckon the battery system is good for around 80,000km before it needs replacing. How much to replace it? Around $2000.

If you do your sums, the Vectrix electric scoot can be a cost effective mode of transport, costing a bit less than $1 per full charge on average.

ON THE ROAD
The sense of fear leading up to my first ride on a zero emission electric scooter was intense. Not because I hate tree-hugging hippies or find threats to the combustion engine intolerable, but more because I simply didn’t know what to expect.

After picking up the Vectrix electric scooter and unplugging it from the wall socket of its high security holding bay, one must squeeze both front and rear brakes simultaneously to 'ignite' the scooter, at which point the LCD display showed a large 'GO' signal.

Trepidation ensured only a slight throttle input as I prepared for my maiden voyage on the Vectrix, and I was impressed to discover only a low and linear level of acceleration with a few degrees of throttle – walking pace if that.

My mind was full of ideas of all-or-nothing throttle inputs with electric vehicles prior to this point, but the Vectrix has varying degrees of shunt like a normal scooter or motorcycle. In under a minute I my fears were dispelled and I was pinning the throttle to see just how much sugar the thing had.

As it turns out, not a lot at low speeds, but that's not to say it's slow.

Example: I'm sitting at the traffic lights. There's a 4.6-litre V8 Lexus sedan waiting there, the portly driver squinting at my extra-long maxi scooter emblazoned with words like 'electric' and 'zero emission'.

The lights flicked to green and I was off! There was no lag, but the acceleration took a few seconds to build to full torque, at which point the thing hums along with gusto. And apart from a rising tram-like hum from the electric motor, the Vectrix is very quiet in operation. It's rather eerie.

Though the Lexus was quicker off the mark I wasn't too far behind and at 40km/h I was gaining ground. By the time we were at 60km/h I wasn't far behind. Then when we reached traffic -- adios amigo, I'm going to the front of the queue!

The Vectrix motivated fairly well, about as feisty as a 250cc maxi from a standing start, but whereas the latter would reach speed of around 140km/h or so, the Vectrix' top end is not great; maximum speed is limited to 100km/h. It would be a brave rider who rides one of these on the freeway for more than a couple of kilometres.

But even with such a drawback, I didn't find it too bad adjusting my route to avoid freeways during the morning and evening commute.

True, the Vectrix meanders a bit off the mark, but when that 65Nm of torque mingles with peak power the scoot punts along very smartly. Its overtaking ability is very impressive and once above 20 or 30km/h it felt remarkably powerful.

Despite its heavy kerb weight the Vectrix wasn't too bad round corners, though you do notice its heftiness when changing directions when you have to navigate roundabouts or cruising through flip-flops and such.

It was an eerie sensation pinning the throttle and accelerating briskly without the rising crescendo of a combustion engine. There is a certain 'whine' that increases in pitch as the electric motor winds out, but it's not particularly loud.

The reverse gear was a neat feature and was surprisingly useful, especially when backing the scooter into the garage after a day of high voltage riding.

It's not as much fun to ride as some scoots though. With a lot of weight slung between the small wheels and a fairly light front end it sometimes felt ponderous tipping into corners.

That said, the Vectrix electric scooter wasn't designed for winding coastal roads or racetracks: it was designed for short commutes. And in this respect it excels.

The riding position was very comfy: you sit with your legs in front and slightly splayed while the seating position is upright and rather comfortable. You have a fairly good view of your surroundings, but the seat isn't so high as to make you feel top heavy and won't restrict shorter riders either.

For such a long scooter -- it has a wheelbase akin to a stretched limo -- you'd think this would be an ideal two-up transport. Oh contraire mon frère... Because there's no rear seat backrest the pillion passenger is required to grab hold of the rider to avoid tumbling off during aggressive acceleration or cornering. There are some handrails of sorts either side of the seat, but when I say 'of sorts' I really mean flimsy plastic fairings that snap off if you're not careful.

At the end of the day, the Vectrix is brilliant but awkward. The idea is compelling, but the execution not so great. Taking passengers is a bit dicey and the design is a bit queer, but it's comfortable and easy to use; commuting and short trips are dispatched with almost silent efficiency.

I reckon But Joe Public is ready for the electric bike revolution and as one of the first on the market the Vectrix doesn't fare too badly.

With a powerful mid-range punch, solid brakes and a decent chassis, the Vectrix electric scooter is mechanically sound but its limited range may put some buyers off. Consider the level of equipment and fact that you won't ever have to pull into a petrol station again, the price represents decent value. If you live in the suburbs or inner-city and are looking at a commuter scoot, you could do a lot worse than this.