Four Rules for Choosing an Electric Bike or Scooter

By Charles Higginson

For a genuine escape from high gasoline prices, electric bikes and scooters provide fast, fun, gas-free transportation. Several options are available now, with more coming soon. The market for electric two-wheelers is promising, but it's also still young and volatile ? buyers should focus on quality, experts say. Below we'll offer four rules for choosing an e-ride.

Pedelecs and E-Bikes
There are two types of electric-assist bicycles: pedelecs and e-bikes. On a pedelec, the rider must pedal to activate the electric assist; on an e-bike, you simply turn a throttle. Federal law limits electric-assist power to 750 watts; 500 watts in Canada. (Laws governing electric bikes and scooters vary by state regarding licensing, insurance, titling, helmet use, lights, operator age, top speed and more. Check your state's regulations at .)
Experts seem to agree that consumers should expect to spend more than $500 for an e-bike that can deliver the necessary performance, durability and reliability.

Electric scooters
The term 'e-scooter' applies to a wide variety of machines. At one extreme, they're electric versions of classic Vespa scooters (think Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday). Powered by 1,500- to 2,000-watt motors, these machines are solid rivals for their 49cc gas-powered counterparts in performance and price but without the noise, tailpipe pollution and reliance on gasoline. At the other extreme, they're standup platform scooters ? beefed-up versions of children's sidewalk scooters. They're intended for short trips; unlike bikes, they have no pedals. Many of the smaller models lack seats and fold up.

Watts and Amps
The power of gas engines is measured in either cubic centimeters (cc) or horsepower, but electric motors are rated in watts ? and the higher the wattage, the better. View wattage claims with skepticism, especially from less established manufacturers or online retailers. Knock-off makers and sellers often overrate motors. A favorite trick is to list the motor's peak wattage as its continuous power rating, but since a motor can run at peak for only a few seconds without damage, this is misleading.
The more powerful the motor, the better the performance, especially on hills. But power gains bring weight gains, and an e-bike often weighs two or three times as much as a conventional bicycle, especially if it uses inexpensive but heavy lead-acid batteries. More and more e-bikes are now using powerful and lightweight, but more expensive, lithium-ion batteries.

Batteries: Care and Charging
Batteries are the other critical element of any e-scooter or e-bike. A battery's capacity is measured in ampere-hours (amp-hours).For commutes of less than five miles on level terrain, a battery rated below 17 amp-hours will be sufficient. For more demanding applications, make sure the machine has a battery rated higher than 17 amp-hours. And, as with motor wattage, the more amp-hours, the better.
Those batteries also must be charged, and the quality of the charger is important. To cut corners, clone scooter makers may ship an inexpensive but inefficient charger. If you notice the batteries getting warm during the charge ? and we're talking about lead-acid batteries, which power most e-scooters today ? buy a better charger. Heat shortens the life of most batteries.
To get best performance, treat your batteries well. Lead-acid batteries respond poorly to deep discharges or overcharging. For maximum mileage, take only relatively short trips and recharge the batteries frequently. For example, it's better to drive three 10-mile trips, recharging in between, than one 30-mile jaunt.

Four Rules for Choosing an E-Ride
All things considered, here's what our experts advise when shopping for an e-bike or e-scooter:
1) You get what you pay for.
2) Buy as many watts and amps as you can afford.
3) Go for quality, defined here as performance, reliability and workmanship. It will cost more initially, but will pay in the long run.
4) Select a manufacturer with a good track record that appears likely to stand behind its product with parts and service over the life of the machine.

Resources:
Electric Bikes Worldwide Reports , co-authored by Ed Benjamin and Frank Jamerson
Electric Scooter World , a comprehensive site maintained by scooter expert Jerome Byrd

Manufacturers:
eGo www.egovehicles.com makes scooters and e-bikes designed for commuting.
ENV http://www.intelligent-energy.com/index_article.asp?SecID=12&secondlevel=869 has announced development of a fast, sleek bike powered by a fuel cell.
Evader www.evadermotorsports.com has announced it is shipping two scooter models.
Forsen www.forsenusa.com makes electric mopeds.
Giant http://store.nycewheels.com/giant-suede-e-electric-bike.html builds two well-regarded e-bikes, the Lite and the Suede E.
Go-Ped www.goped.com builds a classic motorboard scooter.
Honda announced prototypes of a hybrid gas-electric scooter.
Oxygen www.oxygenworld.it is an Italian company that has announced development of a long-range scooter intended for fleets and delivery operations.
Tres Terra www.tresterra.com builds three models of e-bike; the two higher-end models use lithium-ion batteries.
Vectrix www.vectrixusa.com has announced development of a high-performance, highway-capable electric maxi-scooter.
Vespa www.retrothing.com/2006/04/introducing_two.html unveiled two prototype models of hybrid gas-electric scooter, reportedly undergoing testing in Italy.

Dealers and Distributors:
Electric Bikes Northwest+California www.electricvehiclesnw.com is a large e-bike dealer in Oceanside, Calif.
ElectricRider www.electricrider.com is an e-ride shop specializing in conversion kits and support for other bike shops nationwide.
NYCeWheels www.nycewheels.com is a large e-ride shop in New York City.
Texas eRider www.texaserider.com is a large e-ride shop in Austin.