A few weeks ago we shared the teaser image for new British electric scooter brand, Zapp. Their campaign obviously worked for us because a few days later I made a 300-mile round trip to London to meet the Zapp team and see a little more detail. The thing that caught my eye from the teaser was the ‘i300’ name and the words “Superbike -inspired.” Anyway we’ve had to wait until now to give any further information.
I don’t get excited enough by the usual crop of electric scooters to ride to London and back without even having a ‘physical’ scooter to ride when I get there but I was intrigued by this one. The Zapp i300 sounds like it’ll be powerful, superbike-inspired sounds like it’ll be sporty and the fact it’s a British company behind it makes it even more interesting.
Zapp highlights
- Equivalent to 300cc scooter
- 14kW motor powers i300 from 0-30mph in under 2.4 seconds
- Market-leading engineering and specification with radical design
- Removable laptop-sized battery packs weigh less than 5kg each for practical charging
- Rider-selectable regenerative braking charges battery on the go
- Scooter offered with a choice of configurable options
- Range 60km (37 miles)
- Top speed 60mph
- Price: £5250 (should also qualify for plug in grant of up to £1500)
- Contact/pre-order: Zapp Scooters
Lightweight
Styling wise the Zapp is different to say the least, with its Z-shaped aluminium frame making up the chassis in one component it saves weight and parts, giving the i300 a weight of just 90kg and a 0-30mph time of less than 2.4 seconds from its 14kw motor. In total just 76 parts make up the scooter.
Smart battery removal
The Zapp is powered by a pair of laptop sized removable lightweight lithium-ion batteries, they’re simple to lift out and charge indoors using an ordinary socket, at home or the office. No need for an extra-long extension lead if you live in a flat, or are without the convenience of home parking.
Regenerative braking
The i300 comes with rider-selectable regenerative braking, close the throttle to slow down rather than using the brakes and you’ll put some charge back into the batteries.
Torque
The motor produces 587Nm of torque at the rear wheel so you’re going to beat most things away from the lights unless you’re at the lights on the strip at Santa Pod. The 140/60-14 ultra-low profile rear tyre (110/70-14 front) will help to keep things under control. Both tyres are nitrogen filled by the way.
Brembo brakes
With a Brembo four-piston front calliper with cross-drilled fully floating disc and ABS this thing doesn’t just look pretty. It’s been well spec’d and designed for a rider who enjoys having fun.
Suspension
Up front the i300 comes with upside down gas filled forks with a steep rake to aid maneuverability and to sharpen the steering, at the rear a superbike-inspired rear mono swinging arm suspension looks after the bumps.
A3 category/A3 sub category
The Zapp can be restricted so if you only have a licence for a 125cc equivalent you can ride one. Pass your A2 test and it can be derestricted by the man from Zapp using a token (designed to prevent tampering).
Hijack control
The Zapp comes with the highest spec TFT display available on any two-wheeled vehicle. It also has keyless ignition, pretty standard on many scooters these days but the Zapp system will disable the scooter if it’s stolen. Giving the rider a chance to recover it before it gets too far away.
Configured your way
The Zapp can be pre-configured and spec’d to the customers budget or taste, everything from carbon fibre upgrades to special edition paintwork can be selected when you place the online order.
Delivered and serviced at home
Zapp will be less bother to look after than a conventional petrol-powered scooter. Servicing will be less involved and only needed once a year. The scooter will be delivered by a Zapper to your home ready to ride. Your local Zapper will also come back and service at home or work, no need to drop it off at a dealership.
Launch edition
The first 1000 Zapp scooters will come with diamond cut wheels and sprockets, a limited edition plaque and special graphics, plus a choice of colour options. The panels use a new polymer technology rather than paint so it’s as green as the rest of the scooter, no matter what colour you choose, although strangely enough green isn’t an option at the moment. The Union Jack colour scheme uses a 3M vinyl wrap rather than the coloured polymer and the standard colours are as follows…
- Battleship grey
- Old English white
- Guards red
- Union Jack
- Jet black
- Classic blue
The front panel is interchangeable and cheap to replace so if you’re bored with the colour you can easily swap it for another one, limited edition runs of branded or themed designs will also become available.
Accessories will include a handy shelf that attaches behind the ‘V’ part of the frame and will be able to store the matching Zapp backpack. Zapp are also launching a crash helmet with some rather nifty integrated features.
We met the Zapp team in London where, Swin Chatsuwan, Zapp Chief Executive (second from left) said “With air quality in cities worsening and our roads becoming increasingly congested, the world needs new alternatives to urban transport. With its revolutionary design, thrilling performance, and clean power source, we believe the i300 is the urban mobility solution people have been looking for.
“There are already electric scooters out there, so we only ever intended to bring something highly innovative and hugely desirable to the market. There is nothing like the Zapp i300, either from a design or functionality and practicality perspective. We are very proud of what we have created and think commuters will like it as well.”
New products always in development…
Looks good at the back but I’m not sure about the flat looking front end I’m sure a lot of the green brigade will like it as it looks to be a town scooter but if it really is the equivalent of a 300cc scooter I would be surprised
I like it ,,,,any figures for distance before battery change and potential top speed …??
Figures quoted are 60km (37 miles) and 60mph, the batteries can obviously be recharged whilst at work so there’s potential to double that range in a day.