As much as I like the looks, and the electric option I'm not 100% convinced on the savings. First of all I would compare it more to a 125-200 cc Scooter than 200-450 (way over the top) because of max speed etc, so my comparison is with my current scooter Vespa Granturismo 200cc which I use day in day out to get to work in London UK.
It's 22kms/15 miles each way. I do an average of 10000 km a year.
My scooter is 4 and half years old and will probably not make next MOT next january. It has 43000 kms on clock.
So here's a 5 year comparison.
My scooter cost £ 3000
Vectrix just under £ 7000
Petrol = £500 py. Add that on (5 years) and it makes my scooter £5500. Have I spent £ 1500 in services and parts including tyres in 5 years? Probably but not more than that.
Congestion charge= Not applicable either way
Parking= Not applicable either way
Insurance= I wouldnt even debate that because they fluctuate greatly depending on where one lives in UK/Part of London.
The Vectrix battery is supposed to last 10 years (based on how many miles/kms?) but it costs £2000 to replace.
So I cannot see much of a saving, or a saving great enough to invest £7000 on a product that is little known how it will perform after X number of miles etc.
If the goverment want us to go green (we do too), would need to start giving decent rebates on such purchases.
And if Vectrix want to make good profit in the UK, they need to take the price way down.

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Am I right in assuming that in the UK there would be no road tax and no registration?
Having insurance would obviously make sense, but is it compulsory for these bikes?

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AND............ what about driving licence?
Could you drive one of these Vectrix Maxi-Scooters on a UK car licence?

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I have just received my Vectrix Scoot last week & I must say it is very nice! My short summary as follows:

Price: $8799.00 plus $350 delivery

Finish Red ( Burgandy ): 1 very small dimple, overall very nice paint job! Dealer is going to replace this part @ no cost.

Performance: At present only drove a few times, as I have been on vacation, however the few times I have, it takes off very quick & it will maintain the speed very well. No concerns on not being fast enough to move with traffic.

Handling: Again very, very impressive, as I had a 2003 Harley Electra Glide ( Big! ) & being a 1st time rider it took a little time getting used to the turns & feel of the bike.
On the scoot it was very easy to handle & make tight turns, like I have been doing it for years! The road performance was very nice on smooth roads & bumpy roads as well.

Battery: Well I have put on only about 10 miles & so far the battery life is about 3/4 charge going @ an average of about 40 mph.

Apperance: Very Nice, as IT LOOKS SWEET! Most think it is a modern motorcyle of some sort? Not your typical scooter.

Final Comments: I am extremely pleased so far, as again too new & will update in the near future.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI8k0c9diyE&mode=related&search=

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SWEET!! high speed, green, decent range,adds american jobs, what's not to like?? except, of course, can't ride it in rain, snow, cold???
pricy?? yes, assuming $.25/kwh that's 1.5 cents per mile cost....assuming a hybred car gets 55 mpg, and $2.25 gas that's 20 cents per mile.... which, if my math is correct, means you will need to run about 80,000 miles to pay for itself in fuel savings.... but where are you going to find a hybred car for $14k????

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SWEET!!! high speed, decent range, no highway pollution, adds american jobs, what's not to like?? except, of course, bad weather limitations.
pricey?? assuming 25 cents/kwh to charge and 62 mile range, cost is 1.5 cents per mile.
assuming a hybred car gets 55 mpg, and gas is $2.25, that cost is about 20 cents per mile.
if my math is correct, that means you would have to run about 80,000 miles for the scooter to pay for itself in fuel savings.
that kind of longetivity is not found in many kind of bikes of any kind. however, where are you going to find a hybred for $14k???
i live 15 miles from my work, which means i could ride this to and from, as long as weather permits. i will probably be on the waiting list, as soon as i can find a dealer near roanoke va.

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Tim, loved the video, thanks. The video says the price in the US will be around $8000.

In the UK a Honda Silverwing costs 5999 verses 6930 for the Vectrix. This is a better measure of it's cost than converting from euros to dollars. Converting from euros to dollars is actually rather misleading. In the UK the Vectrix costs 15.5 % [6930-5999)/5999] more than the Honda. In the US the same Honda costs $8499. If the same cost percentage differential exists in the US the Vectrix would cost only $1317 (8499 x 15.5 %) more for a total price of $9816 (1317 + 8499).
The Vectrix is drastically cheaper to run and drastically cheaper to maintain. There is also the tax savings for electric vehicles. For example, I think, in London, electric vehicles are exempt from the congestion charge. I think it's the equivalent of $15. That's $15 every day. I think they also park for free and that they're are free recharging stations.
I would imagine the Honda gets aroung 50mpg. Some cars in the UK get that or better.
Gas is double the US price in the UK.
The cost for electricity is frequently said to one tenth that of gasoline. Also, the only maintenance on the Vectrix is the tires. The brakes last a long time because of the regenerative braking.
Maintenance costs on a large scooter are very expensive. I know this from personal experience having owned an Aprilia Scarabeo 500. It is much more expensive than a car and it is much less convenient because there are far fewer motorcycle repair establishments.
Over the term of ownership it's easy for me to see that the Vectrix would be much cheaper than the Honda.
Aside from that, the Vectrix looks very good to me, it's beautiful. The 0-50 time of 6.8 seconds is amazing. My Aprilia was much slower yet I could almost always beat any car off the line, it launches so well. I would imagine the Vectrix is vastly superior to the Aprilia in this regard.

For their first stab at an electric vehicle the price of the Vectrix is astounding. There is not the same price penalty as with electric cars. To the contrary, it would be much cheaper to own a Vectrix than a comparable gasoline powered maxi scooter. Maybe their technology can be applied to automobiles.

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Ummm...if your car gets 55 mpg, and gas costs $3.30 a gallon, then your cost is $.06 a mils, not $.20. So if the scooter costs a penny and a half a mile to run, then you save $.045 a mile.

So if the scooter costs $9,000.00, you'd need to ride it for...lessee...200,000 miles, for it to pay for itself. I suggest the scooter ain't gonna LAST for 200,000 miles.

But good luck with your remedial math class.

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You know...thinking along further, if a person rode his scooter 15 miles to work and back each day...and lived in Roanoke, VA, and could use his scooter 70% of the time, due to weather, and worked 200 days a year, riding the scooter there 140 of those 200 days...

Then the scooter rider would use it a total of a bit over 4000 miles a year. So...in 50 years or so, the scooter would pay for itself.

But wait, you say...most cars get around 27.5 mpg.

True. So a car which gets (27.5/$3.30)=$.11 cents a mile, means you actually save $.095 with the scooter, per mile. So you're down to about 95000 miles, to break even.

Except...even if you buy the scooter, and use it faithfully, you STILL have to have a car, and maintain it, and use it for work at least 60 days a year.

Also, if you ride your scooter 4000 miles a year, and need to ride it for 95000 miles, to break even, it only has to last a bit under...25 years.

The scooter idea...ain't gonna fly, dennis.

Sorry.

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Cool Idea, but I have my concerns mixed with my excitement.

Fist it is very expensive, 8 grand or 15 grand. That is a stiff price for a maxi-scooter or a toy for a "working class" person. On the other hand many "working class" people find the funds for a 14 grand Harly-Davidson or a motorcycle toy. Maybe a geeky "working class" person would like it. Like a motorcycle purchase, few people get those vehicles solely on economics. Some cars have better MPG and cheaper maintence costs then many top selling bikes. My guess the economics of scale/mass production would bring the cost down in time. Most of us remember how many thousands of $$ computers with KB's of RAM were in the late 70's and early 80's and when the dollar was worth more then the Euro.

Second, I've read the Vectrex has a range of 70 miles or so, @ 25mph and a top speed of 62mph and 55mph @ 30 mile range???. In perspetive, it is about 50 miles from downtown Chicago to the IL-WI state line or 31 miles to the IL-IN state line from downtown chicago. There should be a range and speed that covers most cummuters, unless you live in IN and commute across chicago and work in WI. (somewhere I read that top speed was eletronically governed due to Italian scooter vehicle laws??) Even with that perspective in mind, that is a lil restrictive for some, but doable. If one lives in the congested streets of a big city, Rome, Paris, NYC, CHI, etc those figures are acceptable, a suburbanite would need a range of 70 or so miles @ 62mph to feel secure. The speed limit of most usa urban hiways is 55 mph. I wonder if the batteries can be easily replaced as they come up with more advanced batteries or one can use under-seat storage space for added batteries....faster speed or longer range. (per usa state law, wear a helmet while riding. store it in a locker at your destination and one can use a backpack to carry cargo to make up for the lost underseat storage due to added modified batteries.)

Having a plant in Massachusetts New England, The usa can use some jobs. maybe move the plant to Maine New England, where they are desprate for employment.

Thirdly, there should be vastly reduced maintenence. No Oil Changes, Radiator flushes,Greasing the differential, valave jobs, top end jobs, timing belt/chain jobs, replacing the spark plugs and wires, flushing the auto/clutch trans and other powertrain adjustments for cars. For a bike perspective, A Ducati bike needs to have its powertrain adjusted every 3,000 miles and a honda rebel need to have its oil changed every 2,000 miles and rebel riders recomend 1,000 miles. What I can see on this scooter: is the tires, front forks, rear socks and both breaks. Propertly taken care of: forks, rear socks, and breaks should last and the scooter is using respectible brands. In a nut shell divinding the MPG by the price per gallon is a missing a bit of detail including when the car is idleing at a light or creeping in a jam. (it unfair add in insurence, everyone insurence rates are different)

4th: breaking even, IMHO Most any vehicle will be a money sink. Most people run out to buy a 15 grand touring HD, carbon fiber crotch rocket, or power metric crusier that has higher maintenence cost then many midsize cars and consumes more fuel then most economy cars are not thinking about cent per mile of operation costs and not even thinking of motorcycle grade leather outfit. But 14 grand....sheesh.

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In response to George Krpan: I love the Vectrix as a concept (not rode it yet) and most of your comments are accurate I think, but bear in mind that no two-wheeler pays the London congestion charge, no matter if it is a 1,000cc sports bike or an electric scooter. I think that it's important that it stays this way, because people need to be encouraged out of cars and taxis and onto two wheels in London.

I can't wait for electric bikes to take off in a big way. My next purchase will probably be electric.

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