Click on the image above for more shots of Lutz and the Vectrix

Bob Lutz, GM's formost Volt-pusher, loves himself some electric vehicles. As the owner of four (that's right... dude's got four!) Segways and a Vectrix Scooter, he's surely gotten used to the charging ritual. Still, accidents happen, and Mr. Lutz apparently found himself stranded after a faulty charge gauge left him thinking he had nearly twenty miles left before his batteries were dead. A few miles later, though, the Vectrix rolled to a stop and would move no further.

"When you are out in the middle of nowhere with an electric vehicle, and you have no back-up powerplant, you are truly, truly screwed. You can't go to the nearest wall outlet and bring back five gallons of electricity," Lutz says. Of course, with the Chevy Volt, the driver would need to both run his batteries dry and continue to run his gas tank dry before being stranded, though that distance may come a bit quicker than was initially planned.



[Source: Auto Observer]

Click on the image to watch the full video

As the video pasted after the break points out, running a 26 mile marathon is a tough task as it is. Though this writer couldn't hope to complete one anyway, doing so while bracketed by pollution-spewing cars and motorcycles makes it that much harder. So, we love the idea of using Vectrix electric scooters as the pace-setters and support vehicles for the just-finished Boston Marathon.

The video also mentions lighter but higher capacity batteries on the horizon. We can only assume that this refers to lithium ion packs. Take note of the electric MP3-style scooter that we've mentioned before which is slated to go on sale in eight months along with the electric sportsbike that could go on sale within a few years, depending on the interest level. The video concludes by making mention of the Brammo Enertia (see our ride here) and Zero Motorcycles off-road bike.

Our site has not been short on news about the Vectrix electric scooter... but here's another report on it anyway. The fact that Cycle World found it fit to test ride and offer an opinion is a good thing, considering the fact that Cycle World is a major publication and their opinion is likely to carry a good deal of weight to many cyclists. So... what did they think?

Chris Worden of Cycle World found that the bike was comfortable and that it rode well. Being that the only comments that the rider made regarding the operation of the scooter was that it worked well, we'd say that the review was rather positive.

[Source: Cycle World]

The Vectrix electric maxi-scooter was released across the pond a few weeks ago, and Motorcycle News was there for its unveiling. Today, we bring you a video that they were able to grab while in attendance. A maxi-scooter is, as the name implies, larger than the average scooter and is capable of higher speeds, faster acceleration and comfort for longer distances. Speaking of distances, plan on about 70 miles or so based on early reports and depending on speed and the use of regenerative braking. As always, your mileage may vary. But, the good news is, no matter how far you travel, you will be doing so using no petroleum or fossil fuels of any sort (well, depending on what powers your grid).

Related:

• Electric Vectrix maxi-scooter review
• Vectrix electric bikes coming in early 2007

[Source: Motorcycle News

This video of the Piaggio MP3 in action must be trying to show how the MP3 can bring the animal out of you; or at least make you ride like one. I guess... maybe. If nothing else, you can enjoy the soundtrack and watch the great action! I am impressed by this three-wheeler. Impressed enough to go and see one for myself in person. If I added one of these to my garage, my wife and I could enjoy rides together, and I could take the MP3 on commuter rides and to the store when it's parkability, stability and storage space would surely come in handy. All this while returning excellent gas mileage using Piaggio's very eco-friendly engine technology.

Or if this still isn't green enough for you, wait until Vectrix releases their rumored electric three-wheeler based on the Piaggio MP3!

Related:

• A three-wheeled extravaganza! Piaggio MP3, VentureOne, KTM X-Bow and Can-Am Spyder
• More transportation alternatives, this time plucked from Kneeslider
• Electric Vectrix maxi-scooter review

[Source: Youtube via The Scooter Scoop]