Jeb from Soundspeed Scooters in Seattle dropped a line to say their electric vintage Vespa conversion kit is now available to the general public. The price tag isn’t for the weak of heart but it has a few things going for it. First it’s the only way to get a good looking electric scooter. Second is that the price is over half made up of the new lighter Lithium battery pack. Hopefully advances in technology can drive this price down in the future. But most importantly it’s stated to come with directions. I’m sure people have run in to DIY projects about electric motorcycles with vague descriptions of the accumulation and assembly of parts. This kit is supposed to fit any largeframe Vespa. While Piaggio has made (and burried) the Zip and Zip in the past and has promised a hybrid vehicle to be coming soon, it’s not here yet. Any tree huggers up for taking the situation into their own hands?
6 thoughts on “Can YOU Beat Piaggio To An Electric Vespa?”
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Jake from Portland did this a year ago. Maybe someone has pictures. Smallframe Vespa with a plug in battery. Good acceleration and speed, a few miles range.
Cool idea but it seems way overpriced. You can buy an A2B electric bicycle for over a $1000 less that is in the same ballpark performance-wise to this electric kit. The A2B has a little less top speed but a little more range. That is for an entire vehicle, not just the engine. You can get good quality lithium ion electric bike kits at around $1000 retail so I don’t see why with kit is $4000.
E-Bike does not equal a vespa. I think the A2B is similar in that it’s an interesting piece of work but the hell if it’s a bargain at half the price. If you want to compare range and performance per dollar, electric doesn’t even come into the equation. Gasoline is still the best readily available portable stored energy source. I think the kits are very expensive. I don’t think it’s meant to be a value proposition. I see it as an opportunity to have your cake and take a bite too. If you are the kind of person who wants such a situation, it’s a viable option.
$4k for 30MPH and 30 miles range is a bit steep. BUT its a good start. Imagine what they can do in a few years!
Makes me wonder, when they figure out how to do 50-60mph and get 70+ miles to a charge… will they also add a speaker and play a computerized 2T sound for authenticity? ;D
“First it’s the only way to get a good looking electric scooter.” ?
Because Vespas are the only good looking scooter? Don’t buy into the snobbery.
Besides, considering the Vespa’s temperamental electrical system, I would be reluctant to hop on one with a higher electrical charge. ;P
Italy is maybe not so famous for electrical engineering, but a lot of the electrical problems associated with Italian vehicles throughout history can be blamed on our DOT, not Siem or CEV.
But I agree, while a Vintage Vespa is darned pretty, I like them the way they are, as do a lot of people. There’s certainly a market for products to update the performance/reliability/efficiency of the Vespa, and it’s always awesome to see new upgrades appearing for vintage machines, but it’s a small market compared to the market for new efficient vehicles with all modern conveniences.