The Ego electric scooter is a real eco-boost!
Our friends over at Firebox have a real treat coming to UK streets in September: it's a shiny new scooter that looks like a gas-loving mean machine but runs entirely on electric power.
Scooters are a great way to get around town, avoiding any congestion charges and beating the traffic, so an electric model is the perfect choice for the urban eco-warrior. This one is specially designed for cities, and best of all, charges from the mains just like your mobile phone, and costing you a piddly 8p for a full charge. Try comparing that with current petrol prices! Also, the absence of traditional fuel means it doesn't make that godawful 'Rrrrrrrrrrrrr' noise that most scooters do. And that, IMHO, is a big plus.
The Ego electric scooter is available to pre-order now, shipping on 3rd September 2008, priced at £999.95.
Related: The retro electric scooter | The Vectrix electric scooter: yay or nay?
Ego Scooter beware! I was caught up in the hullaballoo about this little scooter and bought one. All I can say is be careful and prepare to have your patience tested. The whole purchase and registration process is very badly thought out, the bike is a little bit Fisher Price, as is the service. When I first bought the bike I got an automated email confirmation.. Thats it. Nothing else telling you what to do. I followed the details on the webpage and set about sorting out insurance and sending my drivers details to the company to get it registered. Would have been nice to have had a little "what happens next.." email with all the steps outlined clearly instead of having to call Firebox and traul their website for info. Then 3 weeks later the bike arrives. No paperwork, no manual, no maintainance instructions..just the bike. Oh and most importantly NO REGSTRATION. They send you the bike and you have to KEEP IT FOR A WEEK BEFORE YOU CAN RIDE IT! Yes, the returns policy allows you 7 days to return it, but you cant ride it in this period as its not registered. So basically you have to look at it on the road or garage for a week and decide if you want it. Then a week later you get your registration and you can ride it. However, by the time you get to ride it - you can no longer return it. So beware of this. Also anything on the bike that looks like metal.... its plastic. Drop this thing once and it'll fall to pieces. I'd tell you what it was like to drive... but I have to look at it for another week before I get that honour. Rubbish
Posted by: JG | July 11, 2008 10:11 AM