The incentive for motorcycle and scooter manufacturers to produce electric and hybrid two-wheelers is less obvious than with cars. Already they’re making many small capacity machines with an everyday economy of more than 100mpg. The emissions regulations are easier too, with no imminent requirements to sell a certain percentage of low-emission vehicles across a product range, and less strict exhaust emission rules for individual machines than is the case with cars, although these are converging.
Perhaps the biggest problem is the packaging, particularly with regard to battery storage.
Then there’s cost: £10,000 of batteries in a £60,000 car might sting a bit, but with £1,500 scooters there’s little financial scope for pioneering, and therefore expensive, technology.
Even so, progress is being made and we’ve highlighted the state of play of alternative fuels for bikes and scooters with four examples: one on sale now, two about to go on sale and one still at the prototype stage.
Piaggio MP3 Hybrid
This is a development of Piaggio’s radical but conventionally powered three-wheeled MP3 which is already proving a major hit in many markets – especially Italy – more for safety reasons. The pair of front wheels is better for braking and allows it to remain stable even when the scooter starts to slide.
The MP3 Hybrid combines a four-stroke engine and electric motor with increased battery capacity. The relationship between the two is complex and controlled by a system in which the electric motor aids acceleration from low speeds while the petrol engine recharges the batteries. Piaggio claims up to 170mpg and 40g/km of CO2 emissions, and the MP3 Hybrid can also be used on electric power only in zero emissions zones, although its range will be restricted.
It’s due in showrooms in May or June. No price has been announced but with current MP3 prices ranging from £4,000 to £5,000 (with 125cc to 400cc engines) it could well cost more than £6,000.
Piaggio UK: 0800 203010, www.uk.piaggio.com
Vectrix
The most credible of the all-electric scooters currently on sale is an American maxi-scooter built in Poland.
It is claimed to have a range of up to 55 miles and the performance of a conventional 400cc scooter, although in practice 30 miles is more realistic – and while acceleration is strong, if you use it on the full, the range is significantly affected. The top speed is 62mph, the same as a 125cc scooter.
The Vectrix’s nickel hydride (NiH) battery is charged from a domestic electric socket, but needs replacing after two years. While the range is restrictive the real barrier is the £7,000 price, which is four times that of the 130mpg Honda CBF125.
Vectrix Europe: 01962 777600, www.vectrix.co.uk
U+S Style
This Vespa-like, all-electric scooter is smaller and more manageable than the Vectrix. Because it uses higher capacity, laptop-type lithium-ion batteries it should offer a superior range.
The company importing the Style, Urbanites + Scooters, claims up to 90 miles and a 55mph top speed, although not together: that claimed range falls to 31 miles at 55mph, although this is still better than the Vectrix at the same speed. The Style tries much harder to be a fashion statement but realistically the claim is only for zero tailpipe emissions.
We haven’t ridden this machine yet but will do in the spring, and it should be available in a few months. Despite the more costly batteries, the Style is half the price of the Vectrix at £3,350.
U+S: www.urbanitesandscooters.com
Suzuki Crosscage
The Crosscage is a working hydrogen-powered fuel-cell concept, which does away with the limitations of battery-powered machines. It features a cryogenic fuel tank and uses fuel-cell technology developed by British company Intelligent Energy, which says it is working towards a production-ready, hydrogen-powered motorcycle in the near future in conjunction with Suzuki.
Distinctive features such as the unusual frame and single-sided front suspension are likely to be dropped, but the Crosscage concept promises a much more practical range than its battery-powered rivals and, therefore, could be seen as the most realistic future of the “real” motorcycle.
For more details, visit www.intelligent-energy.com
SOURCE: TELEGRAPH.CO.UK
