E-scooter carnage must end

The long-running road safety problem created by current UK E-scooter policy received another broadside last month, when IAM RoadSmart told the government that “E-scooter carnage must end”.

The road safety organisation was responding to the latest 2021 accident figures from the Department for Transport, which showed 1434 casualties involving E-scooters, in which 10 people were killed, 421 were seriously injured and 1003 were slightly injured. That death figure is up from just one recorded for 2020, with just 484 casualties recorded overall that year.

IAM refers to the 2021 death figure as a shocking 900% increase, though it seems to ignore the extensive Covid lockdowns in 2020 and the statistical anomalies presented when comparing percentage increases in very small numbers. Nevertheless, the charity is clearly accurate when it points out the current stasis in UK government policy over regulation of battery-powered urban mobility tools.

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, commented: “The E-scooter carnage must stop. A tenfold increase in deaths related to E-scooters in just one year is utterly unacceptable and the continued delay in regulating these machines is costing lives and causing misery on our city roads every day.

“IAM RoadSmart calls on the new Transport Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, to make road safety the number one deliverable for her department in the coming months by introducing the longawaited Transport Bill to regulate E-scooters for the first time.”

Energica provides bikes for G20

High-end electric bike firm Energica has just announced a £1.8m deal to supply the Indonesian police with battery-powered motorcycles. And the bikes will first be seen at the forthcoming high-profile G20 summit being held in November in Bali. The deal means 88 Energica EsseEsse9+ roadsters will operate as outriders for heads of state, politicians, diplomats and officials around the famous holiday island, giving electric two-wheelers a big presence on the world stage.

The EsseEsse9 is Energica’s retro-styled naked machine, using similar tech to the firm’s Ego+ and Ribelle performance bikes, but with less peak power. Range is claimed to be more than 260 miles around town, and the bikes can fast charge in an hour, so they should be able to cope with a full day of steady security riding around the compact Indonesian island.

“When G20 delegates arrive in Bali, they will be welcomed and escorted by a security detail riding Energica bikes,” says Livia Cevolini, Energica Motor Company CEO. “That means their first experience will be seeing zero-emission, highperformance vehicles in action. My hope is that this experience sticks with each delegate throughout the summit and in all discussions around climate change and transportation.”

Zapp opens Experience Centre

BRITISH ELECTRIC SCOOTER builder Zapp EV has opened a new Brand Experience Centre at the Bicester Heritage Quarter. The centre, based at the former WWII RAF Bomber Command airfield, will allow prospective buyers to take test rides, then spec and order their bike. Zapp currently offers just one model, the i300 scooter, but it’s promising more bikes soon.

The i300 is a lightweight 92kg 300cc equivalent scooter with futuristic looks. It provides 19bhp and is powered by two removable 1.25kW/h batteries.

Swin Chatsuwan, founder of Zapp, said, “As a team we are excited to move to Bicester Heritage, a location that celebrates both the history and future of mobility. We can’t wait to continue to manufacture and deliver our i300 for current and future customers.”

Daniel Geoghegan, Bicester Motion CEO, added, “As our Heritage Quarter and wider Bicester Motion site continues to grow, we look forward to welcoming more EV-focused brands, such as Zapp, that create and manufacture truly unique mobility solutions.”

Zero goes solo in North London

IT’S ANOTHER STEP FORWARD for American electric bike maker Zero Motorcycles as it launches its first solus dealership location in the UK. The new store, opened by urban mobility firm Scooterised, is based on Dudden Hill Lane, in Willesden Green, north west London, and will provide a bespoke sales and servicing operation for Zero’s range of battery-powered bikes.

Zero was set to host a special open day to launch the store on 29 October, supplying a fleet of the firm’s new DSR/X electric adventure machines for demo rides and special promotions, prize draws and complimentary refreshments.

For more information, check out www.scooterised.com.

New eBikes for Yamaha

We might all be waiting for Yamaha to show off a new electric MT roadster, but in the meantime it has released a range of premium eBikes with three new models – the Moro 07, Wabash RT and Crosscore RC. Covering the MTB, Gravel and Urban sectors respectively, the new bikes use Yamaha’s own motor and battery tech, with an advanced lightweight powertrain design. The PW-X3 drive module on the Moro 07 weighs just 2.75kg, and produces 85Nm of torque, and is paired with a 500W/h battery pack, with the other models producing similar performance. There’s Bluetooth connectivity, LCD display panels, highperformance frame designs and cycle parts by the likes of RockShox, Magura, Shimano and Maxxis.

The eBikes are set to be released by the end of the year with prices to be confirmed. NOVEMBER 2022 23