A form of transport often maligned in sitcoms of the 70s and 80s, the moped is a kind of chimera of the automotive world that sits somewhere between bicycle and motorbike.
Southeast Asia can’t get enough of them, Jasper Carrot had a ‘Funky’ one (one for mid-70s comedic pop aficionados, there), fans of the films Roman Holiday, American Graffiti and Quadrophenia will know the part that the moped, in particular the Vespa, played at the heart of these classic flicks. As for the Mods out there? Well, they don’t need me to tell them anything.
But that was then. In this age of electric, the old 50cc petrol engine put-put might seem like a bit of a fossil-fuelled dinosaur to the kids today, so the moped has been given a makeover.
Gone is the cacophonic combustion engine. In its place? The current fuel of the future: electricity. At least until something far better comes along, like hydrogen engines.
Naturally, there are tons of e-moped options on the market right now. But before we get to them, let’s go over the basics and, more importantly, the law.
So, mopeds of the electric variety (L1e vehicles) have a maximum speed that’s capped at 30mph, although most state 28mph.
Anyone aged 16 and over can ride one, provided they have a provisional driving licence at a minimum, but they’ll need to pass a Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) course and display ‘L’ plates afterwards. However, anyone who holds a full driving licence dated before February 2001 can hop on and hare away like a speed-restricted bat out of Hull, with just a mandatory helmet to hold them back.
Naturally, you’ll need insurance, and you’ll have to register your e-moped with the DVLA. Oh, and needless to say because I know the Standard’s readers aren’t silly, given the top-out speed of a 55cc e-equivalent moped, riding on motorways is strictly not permitted and, frankly, if you have an aversion to your own death, you probably wouldn’t want to attempt that anyway.
Which about sums it up.
If you long to zip around the UK’s A-roads, carefully planning your route to factor e-tank battery charge and recharge time, your search is over. I have a quintet of suitably Quadrophenia-esque e-mopeds to make your mobility e-dreams come true.
Best electric mopeds at a glance
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Vespa Primavera Elettrica 45 Euro 5
Best for: classic style, modern technology
With a full-on ‘no point in messing around’ attitude right from the offset, there is no more classic moped than the Vespa.
The motorised star of many a movie over the decades, the Vespa is the vehicle every moped owner aspires to. Oozing Italian style, the ‘wasp’ – as the name translates to – has been in production since 1946, with 138 variations hitting the market and over 19 million models sold worldwide since then. Then, in 2019, Vespa released its first e-moped, and now we have this vision of Vespa beauty: the Primavera Elettrica 45 Euro 5.
Blessed with all the beloved style ques of Vespa fame, here we find a machine with a removable 48V battery that feeds the motor a 2.7kW of continuous power and a maximum output of 3.1kW, converting that a top speed of mph for a distance of around 53-miles between recharges, which is more than reasonable, with a full recharge from 0-100 per cent taking roughly 4-hours.
Torque comes in at 200Nm, which is apparently better for acceleration and, indeed, handling at lower speeds. Meanwhile, a hydraulic front disc and a rear drum brake make stopping conveniently quick and comfortable.
And speaking of comfort, the seat is sculpted and padded to lovingly embrace any bottom from bony to abundant, with just enough resistance to ensure you don’t get too comfortable in the saddle and lose focus. And why would you want to lose focus, when you have a stunning three-inch LCD display that combines analogue and digital controls with connection to your smartphone to give you complete command over your mobile e-empire, watching speed and power consumption, while also being able to make and take calls, read messages and listen to music? Oh, and let’s not forget the first road safety commandment: paying attention to the road.
Featuring under-seat storage, LED lights front and back for safety and seeing, plus 12-inch tubeless tyres front and rear for a more comfortable ride, plus freedom from punctures and reduced rolling resistance, you’ll be cruising in style and, thanks to the e-motor, near silence wherever you Rome. Sorry, roam.
It is available in three colourways: Verde Amabile, which roughly translates as ‘lovable green’; Bianco Innocente, which is obviously ‘innocent white; and Nero Convinto, which literally translates as ‘convinced black’. I myself am not convinced by my loose translation, so please, feel free to draw your own conclusions.
In any event, the leccy Vespa looks simply iconic in any colour, the sweeping curves paying homage to the original ’67 model, the technology on board very much a tribute to today.
Key specs
Buy now £4830.00, Vespa
Segway E110S
Best for: e-moped affordability
From the people who brought you those funny, centre-of-gravity controlled, self-balancing, two-wheeled portable transport platforms, now comes a perhaps more real-world practical e-moped: the E110S.
Costing considerably less than many contenders at a shade under £2K, you could buy two of the Segways for the price of the Vespa and still have £832 in change, but then – as one might reasonably expect – you’ll have to sacrifice a bit more than just Italian style. What you get for that saving is a slick-looking, modern styled e-moped with a removable 48V battery delivering a maximum power output of 1.5kW, converting that to a maximum clop of 28mph over around 20- to 25-miles of range, and torque of 88Nm, which may not seem like the torque of the town in comparison with the Vespa’s 200Nm, but 88Nm is very high for a moped, so it’s worth considering.
With hydraulic EBS brakes front and rear, stopping is smooth and sharply responsive when you need it to be, while a digital display complete with LED lights to keep you informed as to speed, battery level, indicators, error code, READY status, riding mode, and Bluetooth connectivity at a glance, the Segway certainly doesn’t skimp on features and functions.
Featuring a Bluetooth-based smart system that links to your smartphone to automatically unlock the Segway as you approach, as you sit, additional sensors on the seat and parking stand engage to have the moped ready to roll as soon as you’re seated comfortably, a system Segway call “RideyGo!”. It is also firmly in the smart arena with the AHRS (Attitude and Heading Reference System), a security element that uses a 4G SIM card and GPS to detect any unusual movement and sends a text to your phone if it does. This feature also allows you to check the Segway’s geographic position at any time.
Boasting a large 27L under-seat storage space, LED lights front and back, and tubeless tyres for a comfortable, puncture-free ride, the Segway feels like riding a velvet sedan chair, but without the back support, obviously. Available in five colours, the eminently affordable E110S may not have the heritage of the Vespa, but what it does have is moped history in the making.
Key specs
Buy now £1999.00, FlexElectric
Horwin EK1
Best for: power and performance at a reasonable price
The Horwin EK1 is a decidedly stylish entry into the e-moped spectrum that benefits from a whopping 72V 26Ah Samsung battery (upgradeable to 36Ah) to deliver a rated power of 2.0kW and a maximum output of 2.8 to propel you for 44 miles from a full charge at the usual rate of velocity, 28mph all-in.
Some 145Nm of torque makes for easy acceleration and greater handling, making this e-moped highly manoeuvrable, while hydraulic disc brakes front and back make it equally adept at stopping on the proverbial dime.
Display-wise, a very natty white on black LCD displays speed, battery level and miles clocked up all at the slightest glance. A rather futuristic brake light and white daytime running lights inside of the front body work and on the yoke make for the greatest personal visibility when the British weather is at its nefarious best.
LED lights fore and aft help you see and be seen, as you might expect. But what you might not expect is a reverse gear and cruise control to make your e-moped life even easier – two features that up the e-ante considerably.
Extremely comfortable too with ample leg space for lanky giants such as myself and a seat as agreeable on the gluteus maximus as a well-upholstered butt-harness, that 44-mile range will fly by in no time, or in 1.574 hours if you’re going full pelt.
Finally, for those who like space, the Horwin features enormously generous under-seat storage, large enough, even to stash your helmet once your journey is done.
Available in a slew of colours - including Ballet Pink! - the Horwin EK1 is a sleek machine that’s as mean as it is green.
Key specs
Buy now £2500.00, Urban eBikes
Super Soco TSx
Best for: a dynamically different design
I realise that the classic moped design may not be everyone’s cup of electric tea; and Super Soco realised this too, which is why it took the traditional look and messed around with it, ultimately reimagining it as a kind of 125cc motorbike in looks, but still with the beating smart-heart of an e-moped.
What that translates to is all the aesthetics to keep the cool kids happy, but instead of all the expensive of petrol and all the annoying hairdryer-like din that125s emit, instead here you get a nicely sizeable 60V battery eking a peak 3.0kW of power out of the motor, resulting in a top-out of 28mph and a maximum range of 40-miles between 8-hour charges.
So, yep, it’s slicker than an otter in a oil spill on the eye, but with some 150Nm of torque it's quick off the line, too, and handles like a machine costing much more. At the other end of that, CBS disc brakes ensure your stopping is always on point.
Dash-wise, the display is well-sized and charmingly retro, putting all essential info – top speed, remaining range, driving mode, temperature – right under your peepers where you glean it at a glance, while LED lights front and rear brilliantly illuminate what lies before you, while those behind you will see you even through the thickest fog (although, I mean, why would you be out in that?).
Available in black and red, there’s no denying the appeal the TSx commands, turning the heads of even the most ardent of moped fans and attracting a whole new demographic to the myriad advantages of going ‘e’.
Sitting here in the height of the June heatwave, my study window wide open onto the main artery below and all the endless petrol 125s that buzz up and down it all day like amplified bloody bluebottles, I pray for the day everyone, especially the amateur pharmaceutical salesmen that plague this area, embrace the soothing silence of electricity – perhaps the Super Soco could be the sweet start of this.
Key specs
Buy now £2899.00, Super Soco
Piaggio 1 Active electric 60 Euro 5
Best for: the classic and the contemporary
Another big Italian name in the business, Piaggio has been making mopeds of repute since 1945 when, after a series of pre-runners, it released a model that was to change everything: the Vespa 98. Yep, that Vespa, for Piaggio & C. S.p.A. Piaggio are the parent company behind the big V, alongside Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Derbi, and of course the Piaggio brand itself.
So, that’s quite the heritage in petrol-driven mopeds and scooters; but does that kind of oily engineering nous necessarily translate over to electric? Well, if you read the Vespa piece above, you’ll already know that the answer to this almost pointlessly posed question is an emphatic ‘yes’.
Available in a choice of ‘Flame Mix’, Forever White, Forever Gray, and ‘Forever Black’, this stylish slice of Italian ingenuity comes with a removable 48V battery which imbues the motor with a peak power of 3.0kW, allowing the 1Active electric 60 Euro 5 to cover up to 40 miles at a pace of 37.5mph, while 90Nm of torque keeps you firmly going forward and never slipping back.
The clever 5.5-inch colour digital LCD display clearly show all the en route information you need to know cover speed and battery power, but also includes a dusk sensor which automatically switches between Night Mode and Day Mode to keep all the facts at your eye-tips, while Piaggio MIA connects your 1 Active to your smartphone for control over music, calls, diagnostics and trip data, helping you stay within the comfort of your digital bubble while, say, cruising the mean streets of Croydon.
Disc brakes with CBS do the stopping business both front and back, under seat storage provides a place to keep your stuff safe from prying eyes, and LED lights ahead and behind turn night into day in a very localised way, keeping you enlightened all the way.
Designed with all of Piaggio’s decades of experience to the fore, the ride is as smooth as buttered silk, the 10-inch tubeless wheels taking every crack and cobble in its sleek stride.
A masterclass in e-moped making, the Piaggio 1 Active electric 60 Euro 5 may push the limits of your pockets, but for those who can afford the entry fee, greater e-finery you’ll struggle to find.
Key specs
Buy now £3415.00, Piaggio
