Electrically powered mopeds are referred to as e-mopeds. The term e-scooter has become established in German usage, but there is always confusion with electric scooters, e-scooters.
E-mopeds are powered by a battery instead of an internal combustion engine. Rechargeable batteries supply the e-mopeds with power for a specific, limited running time. The e-mopeds have a digital display on the handlebars, which shows thecurrent power level can be read. Is thebatteryempty, the battery must be charged again at a socket. Alternatively, there are already several providers of e-mopeds that offerRemovable batteriesset.
In Germany, e-mopeds are offered with a maximum speed of 20 km/h up to 45 km/h and belong to theVehicle class L1e (Light two-wheeled mopeds). A motor power of up to 4 kW is possible.
Drivers aged 16 and over need oneDriver's licenseThe driving license class AM, which is already included in the car driving license. The vehicles may only be used on roads approved for this vehicle class, i.e. not on motorways or expressways. There is a maximum speed of over 20 km/hHelmet requirement (note certification) andCompulsory insurance, so an insurance license plate is mandatory.
Sustainable driving fun on two wheels
Emission-free, low-noise driving fun suitable for everyday use, ever-shorter charging times and increasing ranges: the future belongs to the electric moped! Next toElectric carsIt is primarily the motorized two-wheelers with electric batteries that are increasingly found on German roads - and no longer just in large cities and metropolitan regions.
Scooters can be used, especially on short journeysElectric drive score points - and are therefore perfect for city traffic! Although they have a lower oneRangethan scooters with a classic combustion engine and are a little more expensive to purchase. But their environmental friendliness, lower maintenance costs and high ride comfort make e-mopeds competitive vehicles for everyone who likes to be independent and mobile in the city.
Climate-friendly and unbeatable, especially on short journeys: what sets e-scooters apart
Electric scooters are all scooters that are powered by an electric battery instead of an internal combustion engine. In English, these e-scooters are also called e-mopeds. The e-scooter vehicle is supplied with electricity for a limited running time before the battery has to be recharged from a socket. The average range of the best-known e-scooter models is between 50 and 100 kilometers per charge. If the battery is empty, you can simply use it at homePower outletto be charged. While charging at home takes between five and eight hours, the charging time can be significantly reduced using a quick charger or a 380-volt socket. Even on a fewpublic charging stations e-scooters can recharge their batteries.
But there are also faster e-scooters over 45 km/h. These then have up to 125 cc, require a registration number and the driver must be able to show a class A1 or B196 driving license. You drive up to a maximum speed of up to 120 km/h.
And how does the fast e-scooter differ from the e-motorcycle?
The international standard ISO 3833:1977 and DIN 70010 with the title “Classification of road vehicles” regulate terms for motor vehicles, trailer vehicles and vehicle combinations. It defines that a motor scooter is “a special type of motorcycle” without a knee joint, with running boards and a fairing. A motor scooter has a clear passage between the handlebars and saddle. This means that there are no fixed vehicle parts such as the fuel tank and engine installed in the knee area, as there would bee-motorcycle is common. Motorcycles up to 125 cc are also exempt from vehicle tax. From 126 cc this must also be registered and a class A2 driving license is required.
The advantages of electric scooters at a glance
In our urban centers, using your own car has now become virtually unnecessary. Many cities limit the space for cars and dedicate the free capacity to electric two-wheelers. If you want to move quickly and comfortably through crowded streets, an electric scooter is the best option, especially since the average distance covered by these vehicles is between 10 and 20 kilometers.
With an e-scooter, possible traffic jams can be easily avoided and avoided. Electric mopeds offer many advantages over mopeds with classic combustion engines:
Cheaper maintenance costs: Although the prices for e-scooters are currently higher than those of comparable petrol-powered models, the cheaper maintenance makes the purchase worth it after a short time. An insurance license plate is valid for a period of twelve months and changes color annually.
Low energy consumption: For a distance of 100 km, an e-scooter requires electricity worth around 0.50 to 1.00 euros and is therefore more cost-effective than a petrol engine.
Greener driving: Since electrically powered scooters do not emit any exhaust gases, they protect themEnvironmentand, above all, do not pollute cities with particulate matter that is harmful to the climate and health.
No noise or odor nuisance: Unlike gasoline engines, electric motors run extremely quietly. In addition, electric motors do not produce any exhaust gases that pollute the air. So there are no e-scootersCO2 emissions and are therefore perfectly suited for mobility in our city centers.
Lower maintenance costs: Maintaining electric motors is far less complicated than internal combustion engines. By eliminating the clutch and gearbox, fewer parts can wear out. The battery alone needs to be replaced after a certain period of use.
Ideal for short trips: Unlike petrol engines, which wear out particularly quickly when used frequently on short journeys, scooters with electric motors are ideal for driving on short journeys.
In general, it can be said that the higher purchase price for e-mopeds pays for itself after a few months through the savings on “recharging” energy and the cheaper repairs. Thanks to low maintenance costs, e-scooters quickly have an advantage over combustion engine versions.
The disadvantages of the e-moped
Experts see the unstable German weather as one of the biggest problems. Scooters with windshields, special leg covers, weatherproof clothing and even heated grips can also be ridden all year round. In practice, scooters are particularly common in countries with milder winters, such as Italy. It can also be used in winter in this country.
Apart from the weather, there are other hurdles: the limitation of the smallest scooter class to a maximum speed of 45 km/h scares off many potential users. At such speeds the e-Scooters become an obstacle to traffic even in cities.
Added to this are the high starting prices of the products. Modern electric scooters are comparatively expensive to purchase. Solid models with Bosch motors cost upwards of 2,500 euros, while premium models cost almost three times as much. An electric scooter is unbeatably cheap to operate because the mechanical complexity is much lower compared to a scooter with a combustion engine. So you save especially on maintenance and repair costs. For example, there is no need for regular oil changes, the spark plugs do not have to be changed, there are no petrol costs and the annoying use of the kickstarter when starting problems is a thing of the past with an e-scooter.
The manufacturers of e-mopeds
Here we want to look at the manufacturers of electric mopeds that can be found on the European market. The prices of their vehicles range between a good 1,000 and over 5,000 euros. The differences in quality and performance are sometimes considerable.
Many of the Chinese or Indian manufacturers initially produced exclusively for their respective home markets. Some of these very affordable entry-level models are now also approved for overseas markets. These entry-level versions usually don't have much in common with the e-moped models built in Europe or at least designed here. This starts with the much cheaper onesLead gel-Batteries and stops with the processing of the parts used. Stay away from seemingly cheap electric scooter models for less than 1,000 euros - they cannot withstand our European winters and quickly lead to frustration for the driver.
Which e-moped manufacturers are in demand in Europe?
The manufacturers listed below and their most common e-moped models for the European market:
CAKE is a young but successful startup from Sweden. Light, quiet, clean - CAKE's mission is to accelerate the path to a zero-emissions society while increasing the excitement and fun. For this purpose, CAKE has developed three innovative two-wheeler concepts: Kalk, Ösa and Makka. Every detail is developed and produced taking sustainability aspects into account. The company is also involved in wildlife protection areas. In a joint initiative, CAKE and the Southern African Wildlife College have set out to save wild, endangered species - with quiet electric motorcycles.
Dreems is a new scooter brand that is particularly popular with the younger generation and specializes in retro-style electric mopeds. The company founder Christopher Schäfer wants to make the diversity of electric mobility more popular in Europe, as he experienced on numerous trips abroad, where electric scooters play a much larger role than in Germany. His company KCM Holding GmbH, to which the “Dreems” brand belongs and which he founded together with his business partner Karl-Heinz Riggers, is based in Hittfeld. Customers have the opportunity to take a test drive at any time. There are three different models to choose from, which reach speeds of 45 or 75 kilometers per hour.
Emco has been producing electric mopeds for around 10 years and describes itself as Germany's largest electric scooter provider: "for sharing companies, for fleets and delivery services - for you"! The range includes e-moped models with a speed of 25-45 km/h, with models from 1000 to 3000 watts and a range of up to 130 kilometers. Production takes place in Lingen (Ems) in Lower Saxony - the Emco scooters are used in fleet management or in the sharing area.
Govecs is the leading manufacturer of electric scooters and light electric motorcycles in Europe. More than 230 employees in Munich and Wroclaw, Poland, develop and market electric two-wheelers for urban mobility for Govecs. The love for extraordinary design and therefore unusual vehicles can be found above all in the electric retro version of the Schwalbe. During the GDR era it was the cult two-wheeler from Rostock to Chemnitz as a Simson machine, not yet electric here. As a manufacturer, Govecs offers individualized solutions for large sharing providers such as Emmy or Cityscoot from France.
In addition, Govecs has another electric vehicle in its range, the GOVECS FLEX as a one- or two-seater, which, with its modular design, is oriented towards the needs of the driver. A removable battery and 16-inch tires ensure excellent driving stability and quick recharging.
Horwin is an Austrian-Chinese company with its European headquarters in Kammersdorf, not far from Vienna. HORWIN was founded in 2017. As a subsidiary of HORWIN Global based in Changzhou, China, the manufacturer combines the advantages of both continents: the high demands and standards of Europe and the modern, advanced technology of China. The vehicle development and sales headquarters are based in Kammersdorf, while production takes place in Changzhou / China.
Scuddy is based in Kiel. The company was founded in 2012, but they became nationally known in 2016 with their legendary pitch on the TV show Den der Löwen. At that time, the quick-witted founders got Ralf Dümmel as an investor for their company, for just one euro in return for 10% of their company. Jochen Schweizer also loved the agile green Scuddy speedster and established Scuddy tours on his event platform. Since then, the company has been writing a success story and is constantly developing its product range. Even our own beer now bears the name Scuddy – because cheers!
Silence is a Spanish company founded in 2011 by Carlos Sotelo that designs, develops and produces its own electric motorcycles. The company also develops its own battery technology at its headquarters in Barcelona. With the S01, the company is developing an electric scooter for private use with revolutionary battery technology. This will be followed later by the S02, an electric scooter designed for fleets. Silence customers include companies such as the Spanish post office, the Spanish police and city administrations in Madrid, Lisbon, Rotterdam and Barcelona.
Sur Ron is a brand of the Austrian KSR Group. Since 2015, KSR has been developing high-performance electric two-wheelers that are suitable for everyday use. The Sur-Ron Firefly is the first e-Cross with moped approval for road traffic. Driving fun is just as important as ecological transportation, whether on urban streets or off-road terrain.
Tinbot specializes in high-quality electric scooters and other electric vehicles. The company has been based in Frankfurt since 2017. Tinbot produces its two-wheeled vehicles in China according to EU standards. The off-road enduros are particularly popular with sporty drivers. But the manufacturer also impresses with its classic design.
Trinity Electric Vehicles was founded in 2013 by Reinhold Richert. He is still managing director today. Its mission is to reduce emissions. Traffic in cities should run more quietly and air quality must be improved. He achieves this with his resource-saving e-mopeds. Trinity is a German manufacturer with Chinese partners and suppliers who work according to strict quality standards. The classic Romex model even achieved film fame in the German blockbuster “Hello Again – A Day Forever”.
Trinity Electric Vehiclesoffers electric scooters with different speed levels. The design ranges from retro to classic to a modern look. The founder Reinhold Richert wants to make the world greener and more livable and is convinced of electric drive concepts. “TRINITY is a German manufacturer. We conceive, design and produce electric scooters for every customer requirement. Our Chinese partners and suppliers manufacture strictly according to our quality standards.”
Unu - initially founded in Munich as an e-scooter startup, unu's headquarters are now in Kreuzberg in Berlin. unu describes itself as the David among the giants in the e-moped business. The second version of the unu electric scooter is now on the market, which includes interesting sharing options. The mobility startup is working on solutions to the problems of urban mobility and will also be focusing on a small electric car in the future.
International manufacturers of electric scooters
Gogoro raised $300 million from renowned investors a few months ago and is diligently expanding in Europe and the USA. The Gogoro 2 Delight is a city car with a 6.4 kW drive, a top speed of up to 88 km/h and a range of up to 110 km. The Gogoro Viva is more suitable for the city. With one battery charge for up to 85 km, 3 kW strong and with variousWith accessories such as a key card, cell phone holder and inductive charging option, Gogoro offers a lot of comfort for the spoiled city dweller. Gogoro was one of the first providers in its Taiwanese home market to consistently use replaceable batteries, where sharing customers can independently replace the two batteries installed in the vehicle at dedicated changing stations.
The Chinese company is one of the global market leadersNiu. In 2020, Niu is launching different electric vehicles, each with its own app, theft protection and many functions that are particularly interesting for sharing companies. The Niu NGT is a fully electric scooter with two removable 60 V 35 Ah lithium-ion batteries that can be fully charged in just 3.5 hours. The Niu e-scooter shines with its high availability; the sharing provider emmy has recently started using several hundred Niu vehicles in Hamburg.
The e-mopedGreat Soco CUx came in 2020 in the second generation. The scooter is available with 4 battery options for a range of 60 to 120 km. The new scooter from Super SOCO has oneRadnaBen enginefrom BOSCH with 2.8 KW and accelerates to either 25 or 45 km/h. An integrated front camera and a quick charger, eight colors and a charming price of under 2,700 euros make the e-moped a very popular vehicle.
American sharing giant Bird announced a new moped-style electric vehicle in mid-2019 calledBird cruiserto introduce. In the USA it runs under the Bird brandScoot and not under its own Bird brand. The design and technology ofScoot's e-mopedare based on the Bird cruiser discovered near Bird's Santa Monica Headquarters. Both mopeds look AmericanJuiced Scorpion very similar to a moped-style electric bike that the San Diego company launched in September.
Our conclusion about the electric moped
In summary, it can be said that e-scooters are a good alternative for those who would like to do without a car. E-mopeds show their strengths on routes that are too short or too difficult for a car to find a parking space and too long for a bike ride. In addition to all the technical advantages, there is also a special highlight. True to the “Dolce Vita”, the e-moped stands for carefree and carefree driving fun. When driving you almost feel like you've been transported to the Italian Riviera.