EV start-up to roll out three-wheeled scooter

Electric vehicle developer e-Mobile Co. has released a commercial three-wheeled electric scooter. Equipped with a lead battery procured from a Chinese manufacturer, the scooter has a 1,200 watt motor and an energy cost of approximately ¥0.6 (US$0.006) per kilometer (km) traveled, 5 to 10% that of comparable gasoline-powered scooters. Fully charged in eight hours, it can travel 80 km on a single charge at a top speed of 55 km per hour. The rear cargo carrier can carry a load of up to 100 kilograms. Priced at around ¥400,000 (US$4,0258), the scooter will be sold through motorcycle and automobile dealerships to home delivery businesses. The company said it is also developing an electric three-wheeled scooter without a cargo rack that it aims to launch mid-year. (March 31, 2009)