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President Biden's build back better act may give tax breaks of up to $1500 to electric scooters with a minimum speed of 45 mph bringing the scooter down to a price comparable to mid level electric bike.
An enthusiast from Tel Aviv says it is hands down the easiest way to negotiate that city especially when you consider parking.
Could slow electric scooters take off as secondary vehicles in America? Will they be confined to college campuses and dense US cities like San Francisco or Seattle.
Three wheel electric vehicles with two seats and capable of maximum speeds over 70 mph still seem to hover around $20K which means they are still more expensive than 4 seat subcompacts like the Mitsubushi Mirage (Starting at $15,565) with four seats and a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that generates a modest 78 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque.
I could see some people getting intrigued by this. For me, it still seems too expensive for what one could get in the gas scooter market. You can get a cheaper gas scooter that will do the same speed for about half the cost that gets about 100mpg. I can certainly see this being adopted by some, and of course the maintenance costs and a more robust charging infrastructure could definitely help persuade people to adopt this.
I’d like a scooter. Keeps miles off of my car, great MPG. I’m in a fairly marginal place to operate one though: a lot of places I get to are 55+ PSL, even if I take back roads to eliminate as much of them as possible. But I can’t shake the notion that I’m “over” my motorcycle days and would like to take advantage of a scooter.
If I were USA energy czar... there would be mandatory conservation, but perks for ecological solutions over and above your annual mandatory conservation REQUIREMENT. (This from a 'country/rural' person with over 50 vehicles in my personal fleet) Been 'saving fuel' for others to waste for over 45 yrs, but I have room to improve / save more! I do appreciate some of my vintage 250cc MC that get over 100mpg Most get ~50 mpg, as do my cars. https://www.city-data.com/forum/memb...1005-tl250.jpg
EBike or Scooter would be a handy addition, but would not substantially offer a big improvement for my use. (Building construction / farming). I would certainly ride escooter while plying US and international cities, I'm getting too old to walk everywhere at the pace I prefer to explore. I can imagine how nice a portable backpack scooter would be in big cities.
A good Metro (over/underground mag-lev rail), with bus hubs, inexpensive taxis, and broad commute sidewalks with specified scooter / bike lanes would be perfect!
I could see some people getting intrigued by this. For me, it still seems too expensive for what one could get in the gas scooter market. You can get a cheaper gas scooter that will do the same speed for about half the cost that gets about 100mpg. I can certainly see this being adopted by some, and of course the maintenance costs and a more robust charging infrastructure could definitely help persuade people to adopt this.
It's also Chinese. Unless the quality of build and availability of maintenance has improved in the last decade, I wouldn't touch one of those things.
I was part of the scooter world from mid-90s to 2015 when I sold my Silverwing with sidecar. I'm also no fan of the small scoots because of the danger of being run down. My first, an Elite 80, easily did 50 mph. I found that wasn't fast enough for the breakaway speed to prevent being run down by inattentive drivers.
For that money, buy a used Silverwing or Burgman or other decent sized displacement. For additional safety check Cycletrader for a scooter that has been triked. Most are found in retirement states like Florida and Arizona. Old guys (probably a few gals) rode them until they aged out or died. I'm debating on that kind of a purchase myself. I miss riding.
President Biden's build back better act may give tax breaks of up to $1500 to electric scooters with a minimum speed of 45 mph bringing the scooter down to a price comparable to mid level electric bike.
An enthusiast from Tel Aviv says it is hands down the easiest way to negotiate that city especially when you consider parking.
Could slow electric scooters take off as secondary vehicles in America? Will they be confined to college campuses and dense US cities like San Francisco or Seattle.
Three wheel electric vehicles with two seats and capable of maximum speeds over 70 mph still seem to hover around $20K which means they are still more expensive than 4 seat subcompacts like the Mitsubushi Mirage (Starting at $15,565) with four seats and a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that generates a modest 78 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque.
When i lived in Florida i had a Sym HD 200 scooter, was liquid cooled, had 16 in wheels, got over 55 mpg and could drive it at freeway speeds it’s top speed was around 67 mph. Had to use premium gas but it only had a 2.1 gallon tank. I loved the agility and parking was a breeze. You had to have a motorcycle license endorsement because it was over 50cc.
Location: In a perfect world winter does not exist
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I too use to have a SYM HD200, it is a high performance scooter. It had a few hiccups with the carbs however, if it had been a Fuel injected motor I would have kept it.
That scooter was probably the most underrated 2 wheel toy I ever owed. It felt part motorcycle and part scooter because of the 16 inch wheels and a motor that just rips.
Great sounding stock exhaust too. I think SYM left the USA market.
Location: In a perfect world winter does not exist
3,657 posts, read 2,937,139 times
Reputation: 6743
I have a Honda PCX150 now. Most agile and fairly powerful city scooter I have ever owned. Only a bicycle feels lighter.
I have owned a Yamaha Majesty and a Honda Forza. I no longer ride on the freeways so I quit the bigger CC bikes. People are maniacs n the freeways no thanks.
I've noticed several scooters on the local roads here in Venice FLA. Why all the sudden? Maybe the cost of used cars & gas?
I've seen motorized vehicles on the sidewalks, avoiding the drivers license, registration, & tax costs. If there are ordinacnes against motorized vehicles on county and city sidewalks, I don't see any police enforcing them. I saw a LOT of this when visiting Detroit a while back (Summer time). I suppose there are a lot of poor people who cannot afford cars there.
I've seen a cheap 4-wheel scooter around our neighborhood, but I dont think it goes fast enough for public road use.
I like the idea of an electric scooter so long as I could charge it in my garage. I'd use it only in the neighborhood and w/in a 4 miles radius of home during daylight hours. I'd wear a Neon colored helmet & clothes, and buy a brightly colored scooter to inceases the odds of motorists seeing me. I'd drive it assuming nobody sees me.
I've noticed several scooters on the local roads here in Venice FLA. Why all the sudden? Maybe the cost of used cars & gas?
It's not so much the "cost of used cars" as everyone has tons of cash. It's the availability of used cars, that's the factor.
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I've seen motorized vehicles on the sidewalks, avoiding the drivers license, registration, & tax costs. If there are ordinances against motorized vehicles on county and city sidewalks, I don't see any police enforcing them. I saw a LOT of this when visiting Detroit a while back (Summer time). I suppose there are a lot of poor people who cannot afford cars there.
Some people strive to "skate under the law" for whatever reason. (Usually, because they've done more felonious activity.) They desire to not be noticed, not be found. This is why they try to reduce any/all gov't records on them.
Motorized vehicles are not to operated on any sidewalk. The MOP doesn't matter.
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I've seen a cheap 4-wheel scooter around our neighborhood, but I dont think it goes fast enough for public road use.
Are you referring to a "golf-cart" type vehicle? These need to have all the equipment the DOT & DMV require of other vehicles.
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I like the idea of an electric scooter so long as I could charge it in my garage. I'd use it only in the neighborhood and w/in a 4 miles radius of home during daylight hours. I'd wear a Neon colored helmet & clothes, and buy a brightly colored scooter to increases the odds of motorists seeing me. I'd drive it assuming nobody sees me.
This is a very good strategy to have. Oh yeah get a scooter license, too.
I think in all my years as an MSF ridercoach, I probably only had 150-200 students that only wanted (and tested for) a scooter license.
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Most get ~50 mpg, as do my cars. 
