It appears as if the efforts of a new electric step-through scooter/motorbike company we first brought to your attention last Fall are finally about to bear some two-wheeled fruit. We have received word from EVC, Llc that they are now taking deposits (fully refundable) from those people who have previously made inquiries about their machines. The offer will be opened to the public if there is any remaining availability of the initial production run of 250 units after the initial contactees have had the opportunity to pursue the deal. According to the company, "Each bike will carry a limited edition badge that will identify it as one of the original product group." We all know the significance of owning the earliest production vehicles.

The Volta series is comprised of "three model lines of six product models" under the nomenclature. The Metro, The RoadKing and the X21 and can now be viewed at their newly-revamped website (note: the embedded video may not work well with Firefox so you may need to use Explorer). Specs are available for all the models there as well.

And speaking of specs, we were recently expressing some skepticism of the performance claims made by the head of EVC, Llc. In an interview with a CBS affiliate it was stated that the companies top-of-the-range Volta, presumably the X21 HP, could hit 175 mph. We've now heard back from the company's president, William Kent, who says of the statement, "Now I certainly meant to say 175 kilometers per hour, which is roughly 120 mph (108 mph to be exact) in the interview and have said as much to everyone who has asked." We suspect it may be that the "top speed" was calculated with pen and paper rather than on a long straight-a-way while wearing a helmet. It is hoped that, for the edification of our faithful readers, arrangements might be made for a few passes around a track somewhere to put the question to rest.

[Source: EVC, Llc]

We have heard some interesting claims about upcoming electric vehicles before but 175 mph for the Volta G/T (pictured above) definitely raises some eyebrows. While being interviewed by CBS4 at his offices in Boulder, CO, we heard Electric Vehicle Company (EVC) president Bill Kent state that, "Performance wise, this bike will do zero to 50 in about 4.5 seconds". Ok, that's pretty quick and, for all we know, it's entirely possible. He then went on to say, "In the series you have top ends that range from about 120 to 175 miles per hour." Whoa! Now that's fast!
But is it true?

According to the specs listed (PDF) on the EVC website, the fastest bike in their 3 deep line-up is the EVC-21. The top speed listed for this lithium ion battery powered machine is 110 mph which is still pretty fast considering the Vectrix is "only" capable of a humble 62 mph. It could be that the information at the website is outdated or that possibly Mr. Kent misspoke. CBS reporter Dave Aguilera did take the bike for a ride but as he was not on a track (or wearing a helmet), we don't think he had the chance to wind it out. According to the report, six bike models will be available this summer with prices starting at $8,000. We look forward to news of the official launch and more details.

[Source: CBS4]

There could be some competition for the Vectrix electric maxi-scooter coming from imaginatively-named Electric Vehicle Company. Their scooter, known as the Volta GT, is expected to make its debut at the Alternative Car Expo on October 19th. The scooter will have a switch that will allow riders to select either a performance mode (allowing speeds of up to 70 mph) or a economy mode (allowing travel up to 70 miles). No details are given regarding battery type or price, but I have sent a request for more information.

From the pictures, we can see what looks like a typical maxi-scooter sporting features like disk brakes, a center-stand and a rear-rack for storage. According to this article, the scooter is expected to be available in the first quarter of '08. We'll see what (or, if) we hear back from the company to better understand how this scooter compares with the Vectrix.

[Source: EVC, LLC and BCBR, thanks Domenick!]