Piaggio files patent for a two-wheel-drive electric moped
Piaggio has gone a slightly different route with their newest moped design. In fact, they have taken two different routes; the machine includes electric motors in both the front and rear wheels. Piaggio and their wholly-owned Vespa have produced mopeds and sold them in America before, but not for many years. After recently seeing success bringing their scooter models back to America and helping to kick-start the scooter scene again, is it time for them to attempt the same with the humble moped?
Thanks to Steve Guzman from The Scooter Scoop, we have seen a link directly to the patent application (sub. required, in .pdf). Steve has a loyal reader named Dudel who finds these patents, so we should be thanking him too. This machine, like other mopeds, is really a hybrid which allows pedaling along with the battery power. Speed is 25 miles per hour with both wheels powered, 15 with just the rear. Your mileage will depend on how much you want to pedal. Sound cool? Unfortunately, we don't have a release date yet, but we'll be keeping our eyes and ears open.
[Source: The Scooter Scoop, thanks Steve]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lee 3:26PM (7/22/2008)
Cool enough but where is the 2 wheel drive, off rode, light(ish) weight dirt bike unit?
2 wheel drive in the soft would be useful which is better then cool.
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Domenick 9:17AM (7/31/2007)
I like electric scooters. I like electric bicycles. Electric mopeds? Not so much. It's like the worst of both worlds. Too awkward to pedal. Too heavy to push. Too ugly to be seen on.
So, to answer the question posed in the article succinctly, no. It doesn't sound cool.
Just make a better electric scooter. Like this one:
http://www.evtamerica.com/sco_z20.asp?ID=2
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Tony Belding 10:30AM (7/31/2007)
I'm with Domenick on this one. Electric-assist bikes are very neat. Electric maxi-scooters (almost motorcycles) like the Vectrix are very neat. This thing? Not so much. It seems like too much of a compromise.
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geekaustin 10:49AM (7/31/2007)
What this has over an electric bicycle is power. What it has over electric scooters is backup. An electric bike without pedals doesn't make sense. If you run outta juice or even get a short circuit you're stuck pushing.
Do you know for certain that it's too awkward to pedal and too heavy to push? That remains to be seen. To ugly to be seen on? It's a matter of opinion. According to the kids on the moped resurgence, they are the hippest looking things on the street.
What are we compromising? And why is everyone still using "not so much"?
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