What the?
Ever get the feeling that the fun is slowly being sucked out of scooter riding and motorcycling by legislation and environmentalism?
Well, the eGo2 is here to put a little entertainment back, albeit into the world of restricted electric mopeds.
Here is an electric scooter with its own digital soul, rather than an old petrol scooter chassis converted to battery.
Marmite styling doesn’t appeal to everyone – I personally love it – but at the very least it isn’t a wall-flower. Riding the eGo2 you’ll get spotted for sure, even if they don’t hear you approach. It has undeniable presence.
How did we get here?
This electric scooter started life as a Kickstarter project called the Doohan i-Tank, but for Europe it is one of several new electric vehicles that will be marketed under the Goodyear brand; with this one carrying the eGo2 model name.
Conforming to L1E licensing in Europe, this is the electric equivalent of a petrol moped so:
- Top speed is restricted 28mph (45 kmh)
- You can ride it from 16 years up with only Compulsory Basic Training (CBT)
- If you have a full car licence from pre-2001 you can ride without taking CBT
Give me details
Engine: Power is supplied by an 1,500-Watt Bosch hub-drive motor, complete with reverse mode. That’s useful because the turning circle is quite large for what is essentially an urban vehicle.
Battery: As standard the eGo 2 comes with a 28Ah 60-volt Lithium-ion battery. There is capacity to carry a second battery which in theory could double the range. Batteries have an expected life of at least 600 recharge-cycles.
Range: In our tests the Goodyear figures of 30 miles (50km) are realistic for someone using full-power (mode 2) on flat ground on a single battery.
Performance: Let’s be blunt, in my opinion restricted petrol-powered mopeds are too slow for modern traffic, and an electric one is no different. Acceleration is on par with a petrol equivalent. Hill-climbing is often tackled at 20mph (30kmh) but to be fair it even managed the same hills at that speed with two people on board.
What is it good for?
Standing out: Like the Smart Car when it was first released, here is a vehicle crying out to be noticed and therefore to be used for publicity.
Novice riders: twin front wheels – like the Piaggio MP3/Peugeot Metropolis/Yamaha Tricity etc definitely offer more front-end grip, braking potential and therefore confidence to nervous riders.
City use: As emissions restrictions begin to bite, electric is a developing solution. The eGo2 avoids the need to pedal and offers far more comfort and storage than an electric push-bike. Panniers and a top-box are coming soon.
Cheap and easy to run: with a removable 9kg battery, you can bring it inside to charge if there’s no power where you park. A full charge takes around 7 hours and should cost less than 25-pence. Electric vehicles pay no tax.
What’s not so good?
Suspension: The eGo2 suspension systems feel a little primitive; under-damped at the rear and with a tendency for the front to clatter through pot-holes. A little more development of the handling could really improve things.
Price: The UK recommended retail price for the eGo2 is £3,699 which is expensive for something with this level of performance. However the UK distributors Masco (the Kymco importers) are investigating eligibility for the government’s ‘plug-in’ 20% subsidy grant. Should the eGo2 qualify, then that would drop the effective retail price to around £3,000.
What does the future hold?
Electric is coming; whether we like it or not.
Personally I’d like to see a 125cc-equivalent version, making the eGo2 much more of a weapon for city use. However, the energy density of current batteries means that if you add performance it costs precious range.
Currently there are discussions about upgrading the eGo2 to run from two batteries, in which case a 60mph 125cc equivalent with a 30-mile range is a possibility. Then we are talking about a really practical machine provided the suspension gets upgraded to cope.
In the meantime, if you want the most radical electric moped on the market, then you need to contact Masco because the Goodyear eGo is funkier than James Brown’s trainer-tamers.
Sticky
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Very good moto
Hey, Folks …
I am very interested in this scoot. Can you supply me with a name, address, phone and email for your representative in the USA?
Thank You.
John Washbush
Bloomington, Indiana
Its a Doohan itank i saw it with double battery claiming 45 mph