Electric scooters

[notme]

We are the service agent for these things in auckland - and if anyone wanted to buy one we can actually sell them too! (being a KB member, you won't get one of the ones that we have "tested" too hard!)

All the details including pricing are on the importers website here:
http://www.evtnewzealand.co.nz

:scooter:

[Finn]

My neighbour bought one of these and had it delivered home. She's an impulse buyer and thought that when they said it was electric that they were refering to how it starts. The first thing i notice was no exhaust. Huh? I clicked and I charged it up for her overnight.

Next day I decided to test it for her. It wouldn't go up our driveway. It is so gutless that's it's bordering on dangerous. It had trouble doing the speed limit and I'm talking 50.

[notme]

Was it actually one of this guy's ones? the EVT brand?

The first thing i thought when told we were gonna be service agents for them was basically "piece of shit gutless electric scooters...."

But they have more torque than a 50cc gas powered scooter - we have done all sorts of dumb things, towing people around and stuff, and have been pleasantly surprised with the power!

If it is an EVT one, it needs looking at - they will do 80k! (with a mod - legally they're supposed to limit at 50k)

[The_Dover]

four grand for an electric scooter??

get an sj50 for 1699 and spend the rest on gas to last a life time. pfft.

[Flyingpony]

What about riding range?

Saw adverts for some 2nd hand units from other brands and their range between recharges was 30km.

[notme]

Range is 50-60km .....obviously depends a lot on usage, i.e. flat vs hilly, featherweight chick vs 2 guys 2 up, etc.

Recharge time is around 4 hours and the cost for a recharge is 30c or so....that's where they get the 0.5cent per km running cost :gob: that's quoted on the website

[Biohazard]

how long do the cells last and how much are replacements ?...

and do the cells root themselves if they go into deep discharge ?

[Finn]

how long do the cells last and how much are replacements ?...

and do the cells root themselves if they go into deep discharge ?

Looking at upgrading the Honda?

[Biohazard]

Looking at upgrading the Honda?

lol @ short arse..

Perhaps:nya:

[notme]

how long do the cells last and how much are replacements ?...

and do the cells root themselves if they go into deep discharge ?

From the site:

Batteries: EVT scooters are provided with sealed lead acid batteries intended for cyclic use. With proper charging, they can last for up to 350 cycles, or around 15,000 to 19,000 kms.
As new battery technology becomes available, it will be a simple matter to fit enhanced battery packs giving even greater range.
Changing the battery pack is quite straightforward and can be carried out quickly and efficiently by your local dealer.



and re the deep discharge - the electronix in the scooter will not let the batteries go below thier safe discharge level, and they are deep cycle batteries as well.

A new set of batteries should be about $100 each x 4 batteries = $400 battery replacement. They are 12V car type batteries (with a few differences though) so are common as.

Anyone who is interested can come for a test ride - if you're in the area where I work then just pop in and distract me for a bit! :doobey:

[skidMark]

four grand for an electric scooter??

get an sj50 for 1699 and spend the rest on gas to last a life time. pfft.

or buy a proper bike ie cbr zxr etc.

[Biohazard]

ah cool...thanks for that.

Will let ya know, think the wifey wants to get a scooter, so will cost up the options...batteries v's petrol

[skidMark]

or come to the shop i work for and youll get a petrol scooter 50cc in a retro styling for 1695 with full 12 month warrenty or a 2 stroke just normal style scooter for 1695 again with full warrenty or 1795 for the 4 stroke model..with top box...but hey go spend four grand on an electric one lol

www.lifanmc.co.nz

[The_Dover]

No one wants your chinese junk mark.

We heard it was assembled by retarded kids on a community work scheme.

[Biohazard]

We heard it was assembled by retarded kids on a community work scheme.

your point being ??? its cheep aint it :nya:

Capatalism is great isn't it, getting people to do things for ya on the cheap, then selling at a 3005 profit margin....I fookin love it :blip:

Mark pm me some info m8

[notme]

or come to the shop i work for and youll get a petrol scooter 50cc in a retro styling for 1695 with full 12 month warrenty or a 2 stroke just normal style scooter for 1695 again with full warrenty or 1795 for the 4 stroke model..with top box...but hey go spend four grand on an electric one lol

www.lifanmc.co.nz (http://www.lifanmc.co.nz)

I haven't bothered with detailed calculations, but you'd have to weigh up the higher purchase price against the lack of ongoing costs such as oil, fuel, maintennance, belts, clutches and filters and plugs and such.

Outright purchase price is not the be all and end all of any vehicle purchase...

[Biohazard]

true......

[notme]

NEW INFORMATION! Aff-man reports that "they will not stoppie"

:wait:

[skidMark]

1.9 litres per 100km......hmmmm

vs only being able to go sweet FA distance then having to recharge the damn thing....

then the cost of batterys is rip off....

and the gayness factor of a scooter is high...but an electric one thats just verging on civil union

[The_Dover]

Mark just said something that made sense.

Maybe that speshul ed work at lifan's chinky junk shop is working?

[Buster]

I think markauckland summed that up nicely.

Scooters are ghey enough as it is. Why take away the actual reason someone would buy one....? Because they are ALMOST a real bike. FFS who wants to look at mobility scooters for upgrade parts anyway?

"Damn just got smoked by granny... I need to upgrade my flux capacitor.."

[notme]

............"Damn just got smoked by granny... I need to upgrade my flux capacitor.."

We can do them....and Mr Fusion units!

[Finn]

Being electric, I wanna know if they're dangerous in the wet.

And Mark, when did you grow up?

[notme]

Kinda - i've had the rear out on them a few times in the rain.....the motors have instant torque and the factory tyres are shit!

They are meant to be an all weather vehicle though.

[BeakerRAT]

Sounds like there are a few in for service / repair?

[notme]

We have 2 for comparison/troubleshooting/demo purposes and 2 brand new untouched ones for sales - none of them are "real" customers ones in for servicing yet.

There's only a half container load of them (20 i think) in the country at the moment, the importer is hoping they will take off and wants a service agent all set up b4 he sells them.

[skidMark]

give you $2 for one

[Speedracer]

Range is 50-60km .....obviously depends a lot on usage, i.e. flat vs hilly, featherweight chick vs 2 guys 2 up, etc.

Recharge time is around 4 hours and the cost for a recharge is 30c or so....that's where they get the 0.5cent per km running cost :gob: that's quoted on the website

48V DC Hub motor, 1.5 kw cont, 2.3 kw max
Batteries: 4 x 50 Ah SLA

that would cost a bit more than 30c to charge. Maybe 40c. But it's still cheap.
I note that the brushes in the motor last 10,000km the batteries 17,000km+

1 hour discharge would be about 1.5kw. Sounds quite usable.

[paturoa]

what are the rego, warant requirements?

[Speedracer]

what are the rego, warant requirements?

It's limited to 50k for scooter reasons so probably cheap rego and no warrant?
Dunno what the LTSA would have to say about max power of 2.3kw, should be 2.0kw max if they want to be 110% legal.

[The Pastor]

One of those electric scooters costs more than my 1000cc bike! ive spent the diffence on gas though (first time i filled up!hehe)

But there is an electric bike i saw in a bike mag, its a rock climber/stunt, light weight and HEAPS of tq make it much better than the petrol ones! cost is about the same as ur scooters. (not road legal though no lights/ indicators)

[notme]

It's limited to 50k for scooter reasons so probably cheap rego and no warrant?
Dunno what the LTSA would have to say about max power of 2.3kw, should be 2.0kw max if they want to be 110% legal.

All i know is the importer has had them officially approved as mopeds, meaning 50km/h max, any class of NZ license required to ride one on the road, no WOF, and cheap rego (unsure how much - will find out)

[notme]

But there is an electric bike i saw in a bike mag, its a rock climber/stunt, light weight and HEAPS of tq make it much better than the petrol ones!

Yup....that's the big advantage of electric vehicles, motor efficiency and torque, plus no gearing needed.

Of course the big downside is current battery technology - size and weight.

[notme]

It's limited to 50k for scooter reasons so probably cheap rego and no warrant?
Dunno what the LTSA would have to say about max power of 2.3kw, should be 2.0kw max if they want to be 110% legal.

Found out - the rego is about $107 for the first 12 months but then apparently it drops for subsequent registrations. Insurance has been quoted @ around the same ($100 per annum).

Got some interesting running cost stats sent to me by the importing company this morning too:

V8 18L/100k at 1.90 /litre (premium) = 35c/km
Diesel 8L/100km at 1.25/litre = 10c/km but plus RUC
1300cc 8L/100k at 1.77/litre = 14c/km
Motorcycle 5L/100k at 1.90/Litre (premium again) = 9.5c/km
50cc scooter 2L/100k at 1.77/litre plus 3c for 2 stroke oil = 4c/km
EVT 2units electricity = 30c for 60 km = 0.5c/km

[bobsmith]

WTF!!!!

They have a brushed motor and lead acid batteries!!!!!

That's fucking stone age stuff!!!!!

If they wanted to do a proper job of it, they should have gotten lithium polymer batteries with brushless motor. would go shit loads faster and the recharge time would only be about 2 hours max, it will also be lots more efficient.

Stupid idiots living in the 90s..... hell they should be able to make a scooter that does 100km/hr and beats most bikes off the line with li-polys and brushless motors... gay fucks.

[bobsmith]

hey allum, tell the importers to make one with litium poly batteries and brushless controllers and let me know, when I have money i might buy one just for the cool factor and sit in the garage and charge and discharge batteries (in the way of doing burnouts) just for the coolness factor of charging lipolys. might do a rc conversion too....

[bobsmith]

Of course the big downside is current battery technology - size and weight.

We have the techonology.... it's called Lithium polymer batteries! and they're getting cheaper everyday!!!

Of course if they do a cheap job of making it and make shitty charger for it, it will probably explode and take your house down with it......

[The_Dover]

what the fuck are you on coon?

these shitty lektrik scooters are pricey enuff without putty cunting edge teknology in them.

[bobsmith]

yeah... and you'd think that most RC helis are expensive enough without all the carbon fiber and metal upgrades on them.......

[kensuem]

The cost of replaceing the batteries should be added in when working out the cost per Klm

[Edbear]

downside is current battery technology.



If you'll pardon the pun...:innocent:

[notme]

The cost of replaceing the batteries should be added in when working out the cost per Klm

I did think about that when I got those figures from the guy - but none of the other vehicles include tuneups, oil/fuel/air filter replacement costs and stuff like that, so it's still a fair comparison.

[notme]

If you'll pardon the pun...:innocent:

I was waiting for that.....:nya:

[shafty]

My observations: Good idea, but I understand that the range isn't always as good as claimed, environmental though, - just not using the best technology yet. If the Scoot costs $4000 (Shit!!) and the batteries are $400 - where the heck do you get the other $3600 worth of value from???????

[notme]

Can't comment for sure on the range yet, we are running the demo ones around as much as possible and when we have 10 or 20 charge cycles under our belts we will have a real idea of how they perform rather than the claimed performance. At this stage it looks good though (they are doing the claimed range) but obviously it depends on the terrain you ride on. Someone living at the top of a hill won't get the range of someone who has a flat communting route, but then again that applies to a gas scooter as well.

The $3600 value? Dunno mate..... the main cost will be in someone making back the development costs i guess. The hub motor, batteries, motor controller will be the biggest costs, but the rest of it is all standard scooter parts. Probably costs about $800 to make in Taiwan :wait:......

[davereid]

Or you could just buy them for $1500 by going to Nelson
http://www.escooter.co.nz/scooters.htm

But if you factor in the cost of batteries they are still more expensive to run than petrol.

Say daily charge, life = about 1 year or say 2000km @ $400 = 0.20 c/km - you may as well drive the V8.

[notme]

Hadn't seen that site before, though the importer reckons he has.
Interesting, but I think the guy with the ones my work is servicing is aiming at a higher end of the market.

Notice that the $1500 one you mention has a lower top speed, lesser range, 1/4 the motor power and twice the charging time of the EVT models.....with half the warranty period!

[notme]

.............But if you factor in the cost of batteries they are still more expensive to run than petrol.

Say daily charge, life = about 1 year or say 2000km @ $400 = 0.20 c/km - you may as well drive the V8.

Nope, sorry mate, I think you forgot to carry the 5 or something! :weird:

If you run the thing till it's flat once per day, every day for a year, that's 365 cycles you get out of the battery, and it would probably be time to replace yer batts.

So, over one year, you get 365 x 50km = 18,250km.
A set of batteries will cost around $400, so your batteries cost you $400 / 18250 = $0.022 per km (I rounded it UP.....)
So if we add that to the running cost of $0.005 per km, we end up with the grand total of $0.077 per km....or three quarters of a cent per km.....

:scooter:

[davereid]

Yeah the Nelson one claim to have brushless motors. So in theory they will have better efficiency, at least at low speed. At high speed brusless motors are no better, may even be a little less efficient. And I bet the mosfet/microprocesser controller in the brushless motor costd more to replace than a pair of brushes !

For my money I'd get a 2-stroke 50 ! Cheaper to buy, debatably more expensive to run, but a battery drill, a spanner and a pair of side cutters double the power output, and if you feed it with synthetic oil you'll get sick of it before you wear it out.

[davereid]

Yeah, if you do more miles, then the figures get better for electric. Of course batteries are not like petrol. Batteries get Sad.. they still work... but dont work well. Petrol just stops ya dead when ya run out !

[notme]

Jeez...no sooner do I finish typing than I get a reply from the importer:

"Yes, I already knew about these things. They are and not of very high quality. Plastic bushes instead of bearings, no disc brakes, very limited motor power and cheapo batteries. The guy imports them direct, so there is no middle man, hence low prices. But like anything, you get what you pay for...."


Also as an interesting aside, the EVT scooters are going for $5k in Aussie....

[davereid]

Actually I stick by my figures for low mileage usage running costs. I looked at 2000 km a year a bit randomly - its about 5-6 km a day, perhaps a bit low for Auckland - but pretty realistic for a lot of provincial towns and cities.

I also must say I can't comment on the quality or reliability of either brand - I have only seen the web sites never an actual machine !

[marty]

One of those electric scooters costs more than my 1000cc bike! ive spent the diffence on gas though (first time i filled up!hehe)

But there is an electric bike i saw in a bike mag, its a rock climber/stunt, light weight and HEAPS of tq make it much better than the petrol ones! cost is about the same as ur scooters. (not road legal though no lights/ indicators)

tyres would be cheaper too......

[Fred50]

What the guts behind the "battery drill, a spanner and a pair of side cutters double the power output,", I'll admit to being dormant and all that.

[davereid]

Most 2 stroke 50 cc bikes are deliberately lowered in power during manufacture to get below the 2kw threshold set for cheap rego by NZ, UK, some US states.

To get them back up to full power, generally you need to drill out the restrictor plate in the exhaust pipe, whip the washer out of the front tranny to allow the bike to get into top gear, and cut the wire to the CDI that restricts rpm.

You may have to replace the airfilter, and alter jetting as well.

Of course if you over rev your bike it will blow up. And if you get caught riding a 50cc moped at 100 km/hr your in trouble !

None of this is of value for 4 strokes, which are harder to wring more power out of.

[marty]

quick calculation:

gas scooter - 40k/day, 260 days a year (5 working day weeks), @ 2l/100km on a 50cc scooter over 10400kms/year = 208 litres @ $1.80/l = $374/year, rego/licence/insurance cost same as electric. purchase price up to $1500 could ride it to wellington if you wanted/were stupid/sadistic

electric = .40c/day charge, $104/year. $210/year for batteries (based on approx $400 @ 17000kms), can't fill it up with electricity when it goes flat 5kms from home. purchase price $4000.

at $60/year difference, it'll only take only 41 years to make up the purchase price premium.....

[notme]

quick calculation:

gas scooter - 40k/day, 260 days a year (5 working day weeks), @ 2l/100km on a 50cc scooter over 10400kms/year = 208 litres @ $1.80/l = $374/year, rego/licence/insurance cost same as electric. purchase price up to $1500 could ride it to wellington if you wanted/were stupid/sadistic

electric = .40c/day charge, $104/year. $210/year for batteries (based on approx $400 @ 17000kms), can't fill it up with electricity when it goes flat 5kms from home. purchase price $4000.

at $60/year difference, it'll only take only 41 years to make up the purchase price premium.....

Hahaha the image of the future.....people trying to beg $5 worth of electricity off someone on the side of the road! :laugh:

BUT.....".40c/day charge" ....? A chargeup will cost about $0.20, not $0.40, so factoring in that we get $52 per year charging costs, then the difference is $112 per year.
That means it takes 22 years, not 41, to make up the difference in purchase price, but the real guts of it is, that when petrol costs $3.00 per litre, the time to make up that purchase price premium will be only a few years......

[marty]

of course electricity is going to be the same price for ever.....

that's of course presuming an uninterrupted auckland supply of the stuff :)

[notme]

Hehehe maybe I should have allowed for an earth wire shackle cost in there...then again we got away with the $2 Warehouse special for many years before it failed...... :blip:

[notme]

Oooooookay. A guy bought an electric scooter (not one of ours) into work for us to "fix". I now understand why some people have a negative impression of these things - the one he bought in is from another NZ importer, it's less than half the price of our importer's units, but holy shit it SUCKS. We staged a drag race against one of the EVT scooters and a coworker who was on foot. The guy on foot beat this piece of shit for the first 25 to 30 metres! Also, we found that we can hold it stationary against the motor - wheras the EVT ones can do burnouts.....

Anyway, nuff said. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND the negative connotations of saying the words "electric scooter" now..... just wait till i get my electric go kart built! :scooter:

[Waylander]

Also, we found that we can hold it stationary against the motor - wheras the EVT ones can do burnouts.....


Dammit has my bike beat. I had to use a wall....

[notme]

They weigh a wee bit less than your beast mate - less traction.

We use the burnout pad by the wall - the one that you christened! :whocares:

[spikey]

If it is an EVT one, it needs looking at - they will do 80k! (with a mod - legally they're supposed to limit at 50k)

Hi Allun, would you be able to tell me how you mod the scooters to remove the speed/current limitation? I just bought a Kero 150ER which has a 2000W motor and 5 batteries but which is limited down to 1500W equivalent to make it go greater distances (and slower speeds) but it'd be nice to go up hill faster than 40k's. Any ideas?

Cheers,

Brendon

[notme]

Don't know sorry - the EVT ones are modified via a programmer / circuit mod. No idea on the Kero ones.

[avgas]

Hey Allun, what are the motors, controllers and batteries for these worth? or is it just cheaper to find a second hand one?

[notme]

In the couple of years since this thread was last active i have had little to do with the electric scootahs - you'd have to get in touch with the various people now importing the things but from what I remember it's the usual story where it would cost more to build one from parts than to buy the complete unit!

[Da Bird]

Here is an importer in Wellington currently selling electric scooters... price range from $3995 to $6999 (expensive one is a 300watt version, so need motorbike licence... goes about 80km/hr apparently).

http://www.eVehicle.co.nz (http://www.eVehicle.co.nz)

[swedencamilla]

Hi
Can I have a bit of advice, please. I live in the hills of Karori in Wellington and with petrol going up, up and up, I am thinking of getting a scooter. I am not sure if I should get an electrical one or a petrol like the Yamaha Jog. Having decent storage space is important as well as being able to make it up the hill. Thanks heaps! Should have started a new thread, but can't figure out how to do that.

[Steam]

Hi
Can I have a bit of advice, please. I live in the hills of Karori in Wellington and with petrol going up, up and up, I am thinking of getting a scooter. I am not sure if I should get an electrical one or a petrol like the Yamaha Jog. Having decent storage space is important as well as being able to make it up the hill. Thanks heaps! Should have started a new thread, but can't figure out how to do that.

If in Wellington, get a petrol one. Test ride it up a hill before you hand over your money. Don't buy one over the internet without having tested it, some of the cheap brand-new ones on Trademe have no gearboxes. None at all, not just a centrifugal clutch, but actually no gearbox at all.

[davereid]

Hi
Can I have a bit of advice, please. I live in the hills of Karori in Wellington and with petrol going up, up and up, I am thinking of getting a scooter. I am not sure if I should get an electrical one or a petrol like the Yamaha Jog. Having decent storage space is important as well as being able to make it up the hill. Thanks heaps! Should have started a new thread, but can't figure out how to do that.

I assume you want moped rego, ie $67, no WOF and 50cc max.

If this is the case, buy a 2-stroke petrol scooter, and you will just grin all the time.

Buy :

Any of the Europeans Bikes $$$
Any of the Genuine jap made bikes $, generally only 2nd hand now
Most of the Taiwanese brands are good - I can personally vouch for TGB, yes I sell them, but I ride one too, and its a very very good bike.

Avoid :

All electric scooters. I have looked at a number, and its fair to say they are junk.

All chinese scooters. Mostly junk, but its too hard for a newbie to tell, so just steer clear of em.

Anything sold on trademe.

I have an endless stream of bikes ex-trademe coming into my workshop. The story goes "gee, got it from this fella in Napier, now it won't start but he won't answer my emails and I'm blacklisted"

Or "they said parts were easy to get and common across the range". Sorry, just not true. Subtle differences cause massive headaches. Little things like body panels that crack in the sun and no-one can find you parts.