2024-05-05 12:54:08
With the arrival of sunny days, it is likely that you will find the desire to enjoy the outdoors once more. Unless you are a very good walker, it is also likely that you will use a means of transport. And you will undoubtedly want it to have as little impact on the environment as possible. It is therefore good to know that in terms of mobility, electric is no longer reserved only for cars. Motorcycles, scooters, or even electric bicycles and scooters now occupy a significant share of the market. Let’s discover together the motorcycle and scooter brands to keep an eye on this year.
A little reminder regarding the different permits
In order to choose the motorcycle or scooter suited to your needs, it is important to remember that, just like their thermal equivalents, electric motorcycles and scooters are subject to different types of driving licenses:
- The BSR (AM category)
- It is accessible from 14 years old
- It allows you to drive mopeds of up to 50 cm3
- The A1 license
- It is accessible from 16 years old
- It allows you to drive motorcycles and scooters of less than 125 cm3
- The A2 license
- It is accessible from 18 years old
- It allows you to drive motorcycles and scooters with less than 35 kW engine power
- The A license
- It is accessible from 20 years old
- It requires having the A2 license for more than 2 years
- It is then obtained following 7 hours of training
- B license + 7 hour training
- The B license is the road license for cars
- People who have it can obtain an equivalent of an A1 license
- To do this, they must then undergo 7 hours of training.
- They will then only be able to drive motorcycles and scooters of less than 125 cm3.
For more information on the different motorcycle licenses, do not hesitate to consult: the site securite-routiere.gouv.fr you will find all the information necessary to obtain the permit of your choice.
Points to consider when making a purchase
As this is a purchase that will turn out to be quite expensive (count at least €2,500 for entry-level models, and sometimes more than €20,000 for certain high-end models), you will undoubtedly want to compare the different models offered and think regarding the best possible compromise between your budget and your needs. Let’s review the different important points to study to find the electric motorcycle or scooter that suits you.
50 or 125 cc equivalent?
This first question is essential to determine the type of models to turn to. And it leads to a second: Urban use or more? In fact, a 50cc scooter or motorcycle will be limited to a speed of 45 km/h. This may be suitable if you plan to make short urban trips, for example to go to work or go shopping. However, it will be difficult for you to get out of the city with this type of scooter/motorcycle. Indeed, in addition to the already very limiting speed, the autonomy is often matched (between 50 and 100 km). However, one positive point of 50 cc motorcycles and scooters: their relatively affordable price !!
Autonomy
We were talking regarding it just before, autonomy is an important point to take into account. However, it should be noted that on this point, electric motorcycles and scooters have not yet made progress as astonishing as for electric cars. A few rare models advertise up to a little over 400 km of autonomy, but this is still uncommon and the autonomy of high-end models is on average around 200 to 300 km. Therefore, it is particularly important to pay attention to the following two points.
Battery and charging time
The battery(ies) will need to be charged often, so some precautions are necessary. First of all, is the battery removable and lightweight ? If so, that’s a good point because you can easily take it home to recharge it. If not, attention should be paid to authorized charging modes and their availability around your place of residence! Indeed, some entry-level models do not offer a removable battery, while requiring charging on a 220V socket (classic), if you do not have a garage with electricity available, charging your device can quickly prove to be a puzzle.
Likewise, not all models display the same charging time. Depending on your use, you might prefer a motorcycle or scooter charged in a few hours during a break in your journey, rather than one requiring overnight charging.
Weight and comfort
Finally, it is also advisable to ensure that the motorcycle or scooter of your choice is adapted to your size. Does its weight allow you to handle the device easily? Is your position likely to cause pain when traveling? Or on the contrary, is the seat comfortable enough to be forgotten? Thinking regarding these elements when making your purchase will help you avoid regrets later.
What brands for an electric motorcycle or scooter?
On this side, there is starting to be a choice! Be careful though, because many brands are still very recent. So it can sometimes be difficult to judge their reliability. Other brands, on the other hand, have had time to make a place and a name for themselves in terms of electric motorcycles. This is for example the case of the following brands:
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- Zero Motorcycle
- An American brand created in 2006
- Whose electric motorcycles are renowned for their quality
- LiveWire
- Zero Motorcycle
-
- A brand produced by Harley-Davidson
- Famous American manufacturer manufacturing motorcycles since 1903… a reference in the field!
- The LiveWire brand owes part of its success to the appearance of one of its models in the film Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Energetic
- A premium Italian brand
- It also produces electric scooters
- Lightning Motorcycle
- Once once more an American brand
- Which specializes in producing high-performance electric motorcycles
- Some of the motorcycles produced by the brand have enabled world speed records to be obtained.
For scooters we can cite:
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- Niu
- This is a Chinese manufacturer created in 2014
- The brand also offers electric motorcycles and bicycles
- Super Soco
- This is once more a Chinese brand created in 2015
- The brand also produces motorcycles
- Segway
- Also a Chinese brand, Segway was created in 1999
- At first glance best known for its self-balancing scooters produced until 2020 as well as for its electric scooters
- The brand markets several models of electric scooters
- Vespa
- Niu
-
- Well-known Italian brand, created in 1946, it was they who invented (or at least democratized) the concept of Scooter!
- The models of this brand are recognizable by their atypical design
- Yamaha
- A Japanese brand that has been building motorcycles and scooters since the late 1960s
- This brand is also well known in the field of musical instruments.
Of course this list is not exhaustive and before your purchase you should not hesitate to consider other brands. Keep in mind the criteria for longevity of your motorcycle and therefore service client and some parts availability during your reflection. In fact, these are even more important points than the performance or the price of your future vehicle.
Good to know: some well-known brands in the automotive sector, such as BMW, Honda or Peugeot also offer models of electric motorcycles or scooters. A good option if you want to be sure to choose a brand that will last!
What regarding electric in dealerships?
Everything can be found on the internet… But is it possible today to discover electric models directly in stores? This is what we wanted to verify directly on site! We chose to go to the store M’Road Motos from Charleville-Mézières. We are immediately well received when we approach the subject of electric mobility. “This is the future for motorcycles and scooters” we are told. And the first models are already present.
The store is a concession of the brand Kawasaki, a Japanese multinational specialized (among others) in the manufacturing of motorcycles since 1952. In the 2024 catalog, we find two models of electric motorcycles and two models of hybrid motorcycles. Note that the brand is currently the only one to offer hybrid models.
We were lucky enough to be able to photograph one of the electric motorcycles: the Z e-1 (pictured above). This is a 125cc equivalent presenting a autonomy of 72km (WMTC) offered at the rate of 8399 € charger included on the brand’s website. Good to know: Kawasaki also offers to take out insurance when purchasing.
On the scooter side, it is a model from the French brand Orcal which is presented to us: the E2 Ecooter ! A model that appeals to customers for its good autonomy in urban use. This is a 50cc equivalent having two removable batteries allowing range of around 200km for a price of 3595 € excluding aid.
Overall, we learn that autonomy and the price, still high compared to thermal, are the points which still often hold back consumers with regard to electric. Aspects which should, however, improve in the years to come.
For further…
As you will have understood from this article, electric mobility by motorbike or scooter is a booming sector. Which opens the door to initiatives that are a little out of the ordinary. For example, we can cite:
- The blog construire-sa-moto-electrique.org
- A blog in which you will find step by step the stages of building an electric motorcycle by a human-sized company
- As well as numerous studies and comparisons on the different electric models currently available on the market
- Be careful when using a homemade motorcycle on public roads: it is completely prohibited!
- L’initiative Furion
- A hybrid motorcycle brand built in France in Le Mans
Do you have any other original examples in mind? Don’t hesitate to come and share them on the Forum!
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