Electric Scooters!

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Electric scooters currently on sale in Britain can go up to 15 mph and their approximate distance they can be travelled on from a single charge is 24 miles. They're road-legal to go on all UK roads as they're classed as bicycles because they have pedals, too.

With a loading capacity of over 13 stone they should be able to carry most healthy and average people. Environmentally friendly, they make very little noise and also, happily, cost very little to run. Insurance isn't legally required nor is a helmet (but is always recommended).

You only have to be 16 or over to drive one. No licence is required. In places like London you're exempt from the congestion charge. They can go up hills with a maximum gradient of 15%. I'm not sure but I think you don't have to pay road tax or have an MOT (they're too simple for it, surely).

All in all, not having to pay for insurance, theory and practical lessons, congestion charges, road tax and MOTs makes them extradordinarily inexpensive to use for commuters and city slickers. Unless you need to travel on motorways or for far journeys, the environmentally- and money-conscious among you will love them.

Walking and cycling are still preferable overall but for people who are too unhealthy, busy or far from where they need to get, the best alternative to gas-guzzling vehicles that are costing the earth through carbon emissions is owning one of these electric scooter babies.

They are powered by a rechargable battery located under where your feet go which just plugs into the mains in your home. The current models I've been browsing at on eBay feature:

- Twin mirrors and horn
- Lockable storage compartments at front, rear and under the seat
- Rear light with brake light and front headlight
- Passenger footrests
- Front and rear indicators
- Illuminated controll panel with speedometer and battery gauge.

Amazingly, they're cheap to buy, too. Check out this beauty:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Electric-Scooter-Moped-Road-Legal-No-Tax-or-Insurance_W0QQitemZ4610877693QQcategoryZ424QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

With 6 hours remaining in auction, its current top bid is £249.99 with an additional postage cost of £50.00. Is anyone tempted to buy one? I'm considering it. I might not buy though because it's possible that I might be able to walk around without the need for transportation (depending on various variables).

At a max of 13 stone, I can't see that Ricky Tomlinson would be able to ride one. But then I'd be borderline too...

1/4 Horsepower motor, that's pretty wimpy, no wonder it's so cheap

I bought a "Charger" electrically assisted bicycle late last year, had it about a month before the weather turned to crap. It has a unique design where it measures how much power you are putting into pedals and then adds power with the motor (up to 1/2 Horsepower). You can select 1/2, 1, 2, or 4 times the pedal power be added by the motor. Like the UK no special license or insurance is required, but here in Oregon you are required to wear a bike helmet.

My only quibble with electric scooters is the fact that in the UK at least you have to ride them on the road and knowing what the faster roads are like in my area I would like the option of being able to use an electric scooter on the pavement - especially if its windy!

the big thing her ein the US about two years ago was "razor bikes" these miniture "crotch rockets" were all the rage amongst teens not oldenough to drive and adolesants. They would go upwords of 60mph and kids would zoom up and down roads at these speeds. There have been many deaths and injuries. Occasionally you;ll see an adult (95% of adults are too big for these imagine yourself riding a trike) zooming up the street on one. NOT good, especally since they arent street legal.

Under British Law an electric bicycle is not classed as a motor vehicle only if it:

1. weighs less than 40kg
2. is fitted with pedals
3. has an output not exceeding 200 watts, and
4. cannot be propelled under power at more than 15 mph

Before you buy one of these, just check that it complies with all of these points.

You must be 14 or over to ride a electric bicycle on the road.

If an electric bicycle exceeds these limitations in any way it becomes classed a motor vehicle with road tax, motor insurance and an appropriate user licence all legally required for use on public roads.

If you want to check any of this with the DVLA, you can contact them on 0870 240 0009, office hours, mon-sat.

A good thing to know is, if you do not display a registration plate, you cannot get a parking fine - so you can park one of these wherever you like, including on the pavement [/b]