Askoll, Doohan, Emco.

Ever heard

Or Horwin, Trinity, Kumpan, Luxxon, Motowell.

Welcome to the world of electric scooters.

It is not easy to find your way there.

Should you buy a Super Soco or a Unu?

It is not always clear who and how much seriousness are behind all the names, who can not only serve with a website, but also with service and spare parts.

Walter Wille

"Technology and Motor" editorial team

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    Hardly any type of vehicle is more suitable for electric drive than the scooter. Light, manoeuvrable, space-saving and mostly even pleasant - these are the advantages that it brings to bear, in contrast to its counterpart with a combustion engine, it also purrs quietly instead of rattling and exhausting. Range problems? Not where his territory is, in the metropolitan areas. A corner in the garage is enough for him to shop, if necessary he can be placed against the house wall and the cable hung through the cellar or kitchen window. However, if you are thinking of lugging a removable 10-kilo battery to the fourth floor of the old building every day, you should think twice.

    The breakthrough of electromobility on two wheels has been heralded again and again for a long time. It was ten years ago that things seemed to get going when the car brands Mini and Smart presented studies of refreshingly cheeky electric scooters almost simultaneously - which soon became quiet again. All the established brands in the two-wheeler industry seemed to be satisfied with exploring endlessly and thus giving precedence to shaky start-ups, niche providers and lucky knights. Only BMW has become concrete in the meantime, began in 2014 with the construction of a high-voltage racing car called C-evolution with automotive know-how and a permanently installed battery pack in a crash cage. The Techno-King, which costs around 15,000 euros, was produced until last year.The status symbol cutting through the traffic jam was a size too big for normal students and thrifty commuters.

    In the general hesitation, a newcomer from the Far East finally burst with determination and technical competence: Niu.

    The Chinese have risen to number 1 in Germany in recent years, dominating the market with electric scooters in the 45 and 70 km / h categories.

    They are offered at prices of around 2000 to 4500 euros, are considered a benchmark and bask in the current scooter boom and the increasing enthusiasm for electronics.

    According to reports, Niu supplied the German trade last year with around 3000 copies of the 45 km / h versions (driving license class AM) and around 700 of the faster light scooters for the A1 driving license.

    In the industry "a lot is in the bush"

    Piaggio can only look over in astonishment. The still young Vespa Elettrica is sold in homeopathic cans, both the 45 km / h version and its sister, which can reach 70 items, are rumored to only be sold in very low three-digit numbers. The reasons for this are obvious: with luxury prices of 6400 to 6700 euros, the Elettrica is the Louis Vuitton bag on two wheels, with the impractical nature of a non-removable battery.

    Now, however, there are times ahead when the cards will be reshuffled. The empires strike back. Peugeot is toying with the idea of ​​electrifying its Metropolis three-wheel scooter. It is an open secret that Piaggio wants to start the attack on Niu in the economy segment with two models in 2020. BMW will present the production version of its futuristic CE 04 and has also indicated that various other electric two-wheelers are in the planning stage, as is the case with Harley-Davidson, by the way.

    The Austrian company KTM announced that the development of an electric model range from the KTM brand Husqvarna was well advanced. The first photos of the “Vektorr” concept, a cute, modern scooter for the target group of urban commuters were shown: 45 km / h, range 95 kilometers. Together with Piaggio, Honda and Yamaha, KTM has founded a consortium for the standardization of exchangeable batteries. Honda and Yamaha, on the other hand, want to work with Kawasaki and Suzuki in an alliance of the Japanese heavyweights to develop such exchangeable batteries as well as charging technology and exchange stations. So there is “a lot in the bush”, as a Kawasaki spokesman put it on request.