Some people are confused so I'm going to clear up that confusion once and for all. When they see an electric scooter they recognise it as an electric scooter. But when they see an electric bike, they're not sure.
No, I've not gone mad. Well, perhaps I have but it's not because of this. The confusion is caused by those electric bikes that actually look like electric scooters. Even though it is styled to look exactly like a scooter, it is an electric bike.
Let's look at the legal ramifications of this and then I'll explain why some manufacturers do this. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, take a look at the X-Treme XB-500. Despite what you might think, it's an electric bike. These are the reasons why. It has a top speed of 15 m.p.h compared to a scooter's top speed of 28-62 m.p.h. Depending on where you live, you won't need to register it as a vehicle, pay road tax, need a driving licence, or wear a helmet (though it might be a good idea). And that's about it.
So why do manufacturers make electric bikes that look like that instead of the more traditional electric bike, like the Salisbury LPX?
Here are my thoughts. Electric scooters generally, again depending on where you live, can't be ridden by anybody under the age of 16, whereas electric bikes can be ridden by anybody over 14. So there's a whole other market out there. Also some people are looking for an electric bike without any intention of using the 'pedal assist' mode of an electric bike so they think they might as well have the more comfortable seat and scooter styling. It all comes down to choice.
If you still haven't got it, here's a short video I made that explains it all.
|
