Peddling battery bikes: The Bolt electric moped

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 tantalizing 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 pedaling. 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, Mmost 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

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