Electric Vespa conversion from Soundspeed Scooters
Click above and scroll down to watch the video
As much as we love vintage Vespa scooters, the buzzy 2-stroke powerplants that reside under the right-side cowls of the old Italian wasps are anything but environmentally friendly. On the other hand, we hate to see perfectly good vehicles that could otherwise offer reasonable transportation solutions scrapped if they are salvageable. What to do? How about converting the old Vespa and Lambretta scooters to electric? We like the sound of that, and it turns out that there's already at least one company that's doing just that with a conversion kit. Included in the parts bin are a new swingarm, electric hub-motor, 300 Amp Alltrax controller kit and a new rear brake cylinder. The motor provides 3000 watts of power on 60 volts, allowing for speeds of over 35 miles per hour. The only bit that isn't listed on the ordering page is the battery pack, though there are certainly numerous options as far as that's concerned. Check out a video of an electric Vespa after the break.
[Source: Soundspeed Scooters via 2StrokeBuzz]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ronEbear 2:54PM (1/21/2009)
Sign me up!
Reply
GenWaylaid 3:06PM (1/21/2009)
I've been considering converting a Vespa smallframe to electric power for years. It makes a lot of sense: all of the style and none of the pollution. It looks like these guys made my job easier by picking out compatible parts.
The downside to converting a Vespa to electricity is that there's not a whole lot of room for batteries. Both the fuel tank area and the left cowl are odd shapes that would be difficult to fit unless you made a custom pack from small cells.
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Richard 5:21PM (1/21/2009)
Make some sort of pack that fits behind the seat. Maybe, even, removable for charging purposes. Like an accessories rack.
Critter 10:53AM (1/22/2009)
plenty of room between your feet. That would keep the center of gravity low to the ground too.
Rob@hoehn.com 3:29PM (1/25/2009)
GenWaylaid:
Good point about the battery. We've been working very hard on this kit for the last year, and the battery (as with all ev projects), has been the biggest hurdle. The bike you see in the video is using our test battery, which is a custom built lithium ion that is shaped to fit into the (very curved) gas tank cavity. We're looking to release this battery in the coming weeks.
Another point to keep in mind: we want this kit to be as simple as possible for someone that is somewhat mechanically inclined to be able to convert their old Vespa. We started with the hardest part first, which was the custom swingarm. Once we had this available, ev hobbyists can easily adapt off the shelf hub motors and start experimenting.
The point is, the parts we offer are what we've been able to source that are the most reliable and work well together (we've found a lot of cheap, poor quality ev parts out there).
Stay tuned: we look forward to helping scooterists go electric!
Rob
Soundspeed Scooters
http://soundspeedscooters.com
Phil L. 3:04PM (1/21/2009)
Am I reading their parts list correctly?
I like the idea - but it looks like you need at least $1500 in parts, NOT including batteries (or wiring, bits and pieces, etc.).
That's a lot of money to put into an old scooter...
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Critter 10:26AM (1/22/2009)
I agree Phil. $1500 worth of gas goes a long way in a vespa. I realize that for most people it's not only about saving money but still, It is a bit expensive.
Anyone have a cheaper DIY solution? I feel like there has to be something out there i can strip and put into a scooter or moped. electric forklift is way to big but what about some sort of large powertool? How fast could a battery powered circular saw make a moped go?
Carney 3:30PM (1/21/2009)
But half of US electricity comes from coal, which is even dirtier than gasoline. So think of plug-ins, driven by the smug and ignorant, spewing coal smoke wherever they go from one tailpipe. The other tailpile would mostly emit natural gas emissions and nuclear waste (since those two are 80% of non-coal power sources).
I'm not sure what the situation in Europe is - France is heavily dependent on nuclear fission, but Germany and Eastern Europe rely on coal, and it seems like everyone uses Russian natural gas for home heating.
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Chris M 4:07PM (1/21/2009)
In California, less than 40% of electric power comes from coal, and the percentage is dropping as the amount of solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal is increasing. The result is that EVs here just keep getting cleaner and greener.
Fossil fueled power plants can take advantage of several efficiency boosting techniques that are too large and heavy to use on automobiles, so they have much higher efficiency than IC engines in vehicles. The distribution grid and batteries and electric motors are also highly efficient, the result is the overall efficiency of EVs is much higher than IC engines, even when powered by fossil fuel sources. That means lower CO2 emissions as well.
As for other pollutants, it is much easier to clean up a single large stationary smokestack than to clean up thousands of tailpipes.
Stan Wellaway 4:09PM (1/21/2009)
And yet even with coalfired electricity, and even after distant grid transmiussion losses, it STILL works out cleaner and greener than drilling and shipping and processing oil and burning it in an engine that thows so much of it away as heat and fumes.
We can progressively improve our electricity generation sources, which make it even better to drive EVs. But don't use delayed progress at one end of the chain for denying all progress at the other end of it. We can work on both.
Me 4:12PM (1/21/2009)
Even EVs charged from electricity produced from coal are cleaner than ICEs and much, much cleaner than 2 stroke ICEs.
You need to do some homework.
Carney 4:25PM (1/21/2009)
Those are good points, Chris M., but it seems that far too many greens, unlike you, aren't aware of and don't pay attention to WHERE their power comes from, being transfixed only by the electric plug and the car it goes into. It all SEEMS nice and clean, and no tailpipe either.
Richard 5:29PM (1/21/2009)
Pollution is not the only concern with fossil fueled cars. Political instability is. Buying oil from terrorist funding countries is a major issue in America and the world. Even if electricity is produced with dirty coal, I'd rather use that then continue to send billions to countries that fund the terrorist groups that threaten the very democracy and freedom to complain about your woes. Besides, stop propagating that coal is dirtier than gasoline. You're a well read man, you should already know better than this. Electric cars are far more efficient than gasoline cars even if they are powered by coal factories.
Me 4:12PM (1/21/2009)
If the purpose of that video was to demonstrate how quiet the scooters are, they should have left the soundtrack out !
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Rob 3:31PM (1/25/2009)
Good point! We struggled with that choice (soundtrack or no soundtrack). Ultimately, we found the video to be so boring without any music! We'll do more videos - we promise it'll be quiet! ;)
Rob
Soundspeed Scooters
the t 6:31AM (1/27/2009)
solid work. but why a vietnamese scooter?
i put 4 12v lead-acid batteries into a smallframe, works fine.
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Marcello 1:13PM (1/30/2009)
Love it... this is a great idea !
It would be perfect for my Vespa Sprint
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fireandwater/34485843/in/set-909893/#
Reply
advespa 8:24AM (4/29/2009)
Merk/type : Vespa GL125cc Model : Scooter
Years : 1963
Cylinder : 125cc
No Body : 0125564
No Body : 0136951
have colour : Red and cream
body and machine original 1963
this vespa full service and very good condition and perfect painting oven
this vespa full accesories and new accesories all
Addict Vespa Collection work in sale motorbycles old vespa, accesories vespa, spare part, accesories touring and etc.
wehavecollectionvespa, good painting and good machine because wecollectorvespa and wesale vespa only vespa already we make very goodconditionabout painting,machine, and full accesories
we takematerialoriginal vespa andmake painting and give beautiful colour ormade toorder about paintingcolour you can choise colour we canpainting inyour vespa, and perfect
aboutmachine we very be carefulin we takeapart and check the engine andchange with the new componenand thestages through which very carefullyexamine the situation inthemachine, make change new spare part back upand with perfect
about accesories we know about accesories and take to vespa and make vespa very beautiful elegance and perfect
aboutshippingwehave partner for send material go to your placegoodpackinge,expedition, paper documant, insurance and can proteck allyoumaterialuntil you have this material and quickly
and we sale too VESPA 150CC GOOD PRICE
dear friend
i hendra from bali indonesia, i wan give you inforlation about my company addict vespa
Addict Vespa Collection work in sale motorbycles old vespa, accesories vespa, spare part, accesories touring and etc.
we have collection vespa, good painting and good machine because we collector vespa and we sale vespa only vespa already we make very good condition about painting, machine, and full accesories
we take material original vespa and make painting and give beautiful colour or made to order about painting colour you can choise colour we can painting in your vespa, and perfect
about machine we very be careful in we take apart and check the engine and change with the new componen and the stages through which very carefully examine the situation in the machine, make change new spare part back up and with perfect
about accesories we know about accesories and take to vespa and make vespa very beautiful elegance and perfect
about shipping we have partner for send material go to your place good packinge, expedition, paper documant, insurance and can proteck all you material until you have this material and quickly
you can look we site : http://advespa.multiply.com/
you can look about we vespa, accesories and spare part and all
mybe you have question you can sen to me in avespa@ymail.com
thank peace and love
hendra yesaya
Reply
advespa 10:25AM (4/30/2009)
dear friend
i hendra from bali indonesia, i wan give you inforlation about my company addict vespa
Addict Vespa Collection work in sale motorbycles old vespa, accesories vespa, spare part, accesories touring and etc.
we have collection vespa, good painting and good machine because we collector vespa and we sale vespa only vespa already we make very good condition about painting, machine, and full accesories
we take material original vespa and make painting and give beautiful colour or made to order about painting colour you can choise colour we can painting in your vespa, and perfect
about machine we very be careful in we take apart and check the engine and change with the new componen and the stages through which very carefully examine the situation in the machine, make change new spare part back up and with perfect
about accesories we know about accesories and take to vespa and make vespa very beautiful elegance and perfect
about shipping we have partner for send material go to your place good packinge, expedition, paper documant, insurance and can proteck all you material until you have this material and quickly
you can look we site : http://advespa.multiply.com/
you can look about we vespa, accesories and spare part and all
mybe you have question you can sen to me in avespa@ymail.com
thank peace and love
hendra yesaya
Reply