Back to the future: Retro electric scooters, bicycles and mopeds

The original ČZ Čezeta scooter was powered by a 175cc two-stroke single and its distinctive snout-like fairing earned it the nickname ‘pig’. Now, 54 years after production of the pig came to an end, scooter fanatic Neil Eamonn Smith has revived the bike as a battery powered replica.

The new Čezeta is powered by an 11 kW electric motor that can manage 74.6 mph and accelerate 60 in 3.2 seconds. If everything goes according to plan, 600 of the electric scooter will be built by hand and sold at prices starting at €7,640.

The rider can select one of four power settings including a reverse gear that will make backing the 147 kg scooter out of parking spots easy – even on a hill.

Most interestingly, the scooter features a throttle designed to roll forwards beyond its resting position to operate regenerative engine braking.

It seems like if commuters are to be convinced the electric bicycle is more than a toy for weekends, the answer might be to disguise it as something older, smokier and nosier. Lohner Stroler electric bikes are another example of a contemporary electric commuter disguised to look like a small motorcycle of the 1950s.

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The Lohner family has an illustrious automotive history including collaboration in 1900 with Ferdinand Porsche on the first electric car in the world. After working on aircraft construction, propeller manufacture & electric trams, Lohner has turned its attention to the electric bicycle.

Made in Austria to order, and if appearance is anything to go by to a high build quality,  it has an electric motor hidden in its back wheel, a battery under the saddle and an eight-litre storage compartment in its faux petrol tank. A full battery charge takes six hours after which it will whisk you along at 15 mph like all conventional electric bicycles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xGfQXALv6c

In keeping with its motorcycle styling, the Stroler has built in mudguards and lights, but downsides includes an almost-moped like weight of 36 kg and retail price of £2,990.

Turn up the nostalgia

Mopeds are rarely thought of as anything other than a stepping stone towards car ownership for teenagers or a death-defyingly speedy way of delivering pizza, but an appetite for good-looking electric vehicles that look good and won’t break the bank is breathing life into the low-powered, two wheeler market.

The Juicer 48 is a custom-built electric bike and a moped in the classic sense – a low-powered motor and pedals to help get the machine moving at low speeds.

The bike has been built very deliberately with styling as a priority – its appearance borrows heavily from American motorcycles of the 1920s.

The bike can manage 13 miles at 20mph, but can reach an unrestricted top speed of 46mph.

Many electric mopeds or e-bikes are lighter and offer a better range, but unfortunately mopeds are subject to different classifications and a bewildering array of regulation depending on where you are in the world. For example, any power-assisted bicycle capable of more than 15 mph must undergo the onerous task of being registered as a motorcycle. By contrast, a good-quality road bicycle – without an electric motor – can cruise easily at 25 mph but is not subject to the same regulation.

A spokesperson for the ETA, which insures conventional and electric bicycles, said: “The promotion of electric vehicles is back to front; the government appears blind to the wider benefits of electric bicycles and mopeds that do not need the investment in technology and infrastructure required by electric cars.”

Cycle insurance for e-bikes

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.

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The Bolt electric moped promises the convenience of a scooter with the environmental performance of an electric bicycle.

Electric cars like the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 offer a tantalising glimpse of silent and low-pollution motoring, but they cost so much to buy that battery-powered motoring remains an exclusive club. No surprise then that the first production run of the £3,500 Bolt electric moped has already sold out.

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The Bolt is built to conform to Californian electric bicycle regulations so it has an economy mode that restricts its top speed to 20 mph. A sport mode boosts the top speed to 35 mph.

The bike has a range of 50 miles in economy mode, or 35 miles in sport mode. If you run out of battery power, you can put the Bolt onto its centre stand and charge the batteries by pedalling. However, the sensible option would be to simply pedal it home.

How practical is the Bolt electric moped?

Electric motors have very few moving parts to go wrong and don't produce the vibrations of an internal combustion engines that can loosed bolts over time. There is no oil to change. Maintenance is much more like a bicycle - the chain needs adjusting and tyres need replacing once in a while. The bike's Lithium Iron Phosphate cells are rated for over 2000 cycles, which equates to 30 miles a day, every day, for 5.5 years. According to Bolt, most riders can safely assume the battery will last 8-10 years. With a price tag of around $5,000 it's no surprise that the first production run of the Bolt electric moped has already sold out.

Mopeds are rarely thought of as anything other than a stepping stone towards car ownership for teenagers or a death-defyingly speedy way of delivering pizza, but there was a time when teenagers would count the days to their sixteenth birthday and a first taste of powered personal transport. Before 1977, mopeds had to have pedal-assistance, but now the term describes any motor-driven cycle with an engine not bigger than 50 cc and a maximum speed of no more than 28 mph.

The earliest mopeds were bicycles fitted with a small petrol engine. In the case of the iconic Velo Solex, the motor sit above the front wheel and a roller sits against the tyre. It's still possible to buy a tiny petrol motor to fit to a bicycle, but in Britain this means registering your bike as a motorcycle - the rigmarole and expensive of which means you're better off simply buying a conventional scooter. Electric bicycles with motors more powerful than the 250W European limit have the potential to offer commuters a fast, cheap and environmentally friendly alternative to scooters, motorcycles, buses or cars. However, these bikes are also subject to the same registration and licensing restrictions as motorcycles.

https://youtu.be/DnD73XrcS7M

What licence do I need to ride a moped?

If you have a provisional licence or car licence with the category AM and a Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) certificate you can ride a moped on public roads. If you passed your driving test  before 1 February 2001, you are not required to have the CBT certificate.

If you are riding a moped on a provisional licence, which you can from the age of 16, you will need to display learner plates. After two years you need to pass a driving or motorcycle test, or extend your provisional status by another two years by retaking the CBT.

More information about the Bolt electric moped at boltmotorbikes.com