10 Electric Motor Scooters Taking The World By Storm

May 29, 2023

The future of urban mobility is already here

Whether you agree or not, electricity is the motive power of the future, at least for inner-city transport, where electric scooters and motorcycles will avoid any emissions charges that are increasingly being levied on combustion engines in built-up areas. Also, range is not such an issue in the city, and it is there that a charging infrastructure will be first established, removing that headache. The manufacturers - both established and start-ups - know this only too well and electric scooters and motorcycles are starting to appear in ever larger numbers in order to get an early slice of a market that is only going to grow exponentially in the coming years.

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A lot of noise is made about electric scooter mileage, but the reality is that, if it is being used in a city to get to and from work or to the shops and back, you actually don’t need the batteries to last hundreds of miles between charges. Also, more range needs bigger batteries which then starts tipping a small scooter into being too heavy. Kymco is a big name in scooters and the Ionex I-ONE is undoubtedly a first step towards an electric future for the company. If the range is only 37 miles and the design isn’t quite as funky as rival products from Yamaha and Piaggio, then it has good power and is very well put together. Expect a lot more from Kymco in the future.

Battery

1.7kWh

Power

5.6 horsepower

Range

37 miles

Charge Time

8 hours

Unsurprisingly, the Chinese are at the forefront of electric scooter development and, if you won’t recognize any of the names, that shouldn’t be a problem as the electric revolution is throwing up all sorts of new companies with no heritage to stifle innovation. Not that these are small companies - Yadea might not be a well-known name in motorcycling, but it is the world’s second-largest two-wheel manufacturer, behind only Honda. Styling is typical step-through scooter, range is double that of the Kymco at 72 miles and power not far behind either, at 5.5 horsepower. Comfortable, simple to operate and with generous storage. You’d better start getting over your anti-Chinese product stance because they aren’t going away and look likely to lead the charge (pun intended) to electrification.

Battery

4.1kWh

Power

5.5 horsepower

Range

72 miles

Charge Time

4-6 hours

Not entirely indistinguishable from the Yadea, the Sunra Robo-S is another Chinese product from a manufacturer you have never heard of, even though they are the largest electric manufacturer in China, with an annual production of 4.1 million units. The Robo-S follows familiar styling lines, You get an 84-mile range and 50mph top speed - given enough space thanks to its rather puny 3 horsepower - which is equivalent, like so many electric scooters on this list, to a 125cc petrol engine. Four hours to fully charge is excellent, there’s a reverse gear and, surprisingly, fingerprint scanning for ignition, kick- and center-stand and 24 liters of storage under the seat. There’s also a two-year, unlimited mileage warranty (three years for the battery).

Battery

3kWh

Power

4 horsepower

Range

84 miles

Charge Time

4 hours

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Oh, look, another Chinese manufacturer with a name you’ve never heard of. But, as we’ve already established, you need to look beyond the major motorcycle manufacturers for the real progress in electric scooters. Another step-through design with pleasingly modern lines, under the skin is where the Horwin SK3 shines. The battery might be only 2.5kWh, but power output is equivalent to 8.4 horsepower, while range is an excellent 98 miles, the longest of all the bikes on this list. Underseat storage, USB connectivity, LED lights and keyless ignition complete the specification.

Battery

2.5kWh

Power

8.4 horsepower

Range

98 miles

Charge Time

4.5 hours

The first of the names you will recognize, along with that iconic and all-too familiar profile. Retro on top it might be but, under the skin, it is thoroughly modern. The 4.2kWh battery is powerful - 4.8 horsepower - but the Elettrica tips the scales at 286 pounds, so the performance and range is somewhat blunted, although that’s not to say that it is slow, just slower than some of the competition with a top speed of 30 mph, which can make riding on busier and faster roads a bit nerve-wracking. It’s a Vespa, so it is expensive, but you do get that familiar profile that looks no different to petrol-engined Vespas, not to mention peerless Vespa build quality. Range is around 62 miles and charge time is four hours. As with many of the scooters on this list, the weight is worn low down so, even if it is heavy, you don’t feel it on the move.

Battery

4.2kWh

Power

4.8 horsepower

Range

62 miles

Charge Time

4 hours

Vespa parent company Piaggio has its own range of electric scooters which manage to avoid direct competition with the Vespa Elettrica. The Piaggio 1 does this by having a mere 1.6 horsepower electric motor powered by a 1.4kWh battery which will propel the super-light 187 pound along at modest speeds for 55 miles on a charge. The ‘1’ is essentially what the original Vespa was designed to be: cheap, efficient transport for the masses and, if it lacks the frills of the Vespa Elettrica, then that is reflected in the price, which is a third of the Vespa. If you need more performance, there is also the Piaggio 1 Active.

Battery

1.4kWh

Power

1.6 horsepower

Range

55 miles

Charge Time

6 hours

Parent company VMoto is a start-up built solely to take advantage of the electric revolution and the Super Soco CPx is a surprising success story, entering the top ten best-selling list in the UK in 2021. There is a single battery model but, for the purposes of this list, we are featuring the dual-battery 5.4 kWh model, with 6.4 horsepower and 87-mile range. It is fast, well-made and will re-charge in 3 - 4 hours, while standard equipment includes keyless ignition, alarm, reverse gear, USB connectivity, storage and an app-based tracking function in the event of it being stolen or losing it in the parking lot at the local mall.

Battery

5.4kWh

Power

6.4 horsepower

Range

87 miles

Charge Time

3 - 4 hours

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Of all the Japanese manufacturers, Yamaha has been the most vocal about electrification and the NEO’s (correctly spelled) is small and compact - perfect for new riders swapping to an electric scooter from a car in order to save time and money on the daily commute. 3 horsepower from a tiny 1kWh battery is sufficient for urban riding, and it will take you for 37 miles before a charge is necessary. Yamaha has also been at the forefront of removable battery technology and the NEO’s has this feature, making it even more practical for city life, where the nearest charge point might be several stories up. Typical Yamaha build quality can be expected, and it feels solid and of a piece on the road, which will help with reassurance for new riders.

Battery

2.5kWh

Power

3.5 horsepower

Range

37 miles

Charge Time

4 hours

British designed and Spanish-built, with, subjectively, of course, much more appropriate looks or an electric scooter. It’s even more expensive than the Vespa, but you do get a 7.5kWh battery developing 10 horsepower, giving a top speed of 68mph, including a push-to-pass button that gives a brief burst of power. Quite why you need adjustable suspension is not fully explained, but it is a selling point that will appeal to some. A weight of 244 pounds is average for the class and recharge time is 6 hours. Like the Yamaha, the battery is removable for more convenient charging and even has wheels and a handle for easy transport to the nearest charging point. Overall, the Silence S01+ is heavy at 330 pounds, but you don’t feel it once on the move.

Battery

5.6kWh

Power

10 horsepower

Range

85 miles

Charge Time

6 hours

Spanish automobile manufacturer that, surprisingly, turned to electric scooter production in 2021. The SEAT Mo shares the platform and a lot of the design with the Silence S01, including much of the quality but SEAT offers the Mo at a cheaper purchase price. The removable 5.6kWh battery naturally gives similar range - 85 miles - to the Silence S01 but strangely is quoted as having 12 horsepower to the Silence’s 10 and a similar recharge time of 6 hours. Naturally, SEAT is pushing the Mo as an accompaniment to one of their cars, as the perfect household used-to-be-two-car garage. Brilliant performance sets the Mo apart from its rivals, with the possible exception of the Silence.

Battery

5.6kWh

Power

12 horsepower

Range

85 miles

Charge Time

6 hours

Harry has been writing and talking about motorcycles for 15 years, although he's been riding them for 45 years! After a long career in music, he turned his hand to writing and television work, concentrating on his passion for all things petrol-powered. Harry has written for all major publications in South Africa, both print and digital and produced and presented his own TV show called, imaginatively, The Bike Show, for seven years. He held the position of editor of South Africa's largest circulation motorcycling magazine before devoting his time to freelance writing on motoring and motorcycling. Born and raised in England, he has lived in South Africa with his family since 2002. Harry has owned examples of Triumph, Norton, BSA, MV Agusta, Honda, BMW, Ducati, Harley Davidson, Kawasaki and Moto Morini motorcycles. He regrets selling all of them.