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Electric scooters at the Amp Brothers
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I had a chance to visit a local alternative transportation vendor over the weekend and I came away impressed. I dropped by "Amp Brothers Electric Cycles" store on Delmere in Royal Oak, Michigan and experienced a transportation revelation. Oh, I won't be putting my gas scooters away just yet, but I now understand the attraction of electric powered bicycles and scooters. As soon as the prices come down a bit I might be interested in getting one, and it's probably not the one you think. Read on!
I met the "Amp Brothers", Tony (Scooter) Scooros and John T. Hall in their tidy storefront just off 15 Mile road. They patiently explained both the advantages and yes, drawbacks of adopting electrically-powered two-wheeled transport. It's rare that you meet a transportation vendor who is both patient and honest, and I got a great feel from these guys. They do their jobs out of love for electric two-wheeled transport. They educate as well as sell and visiting them is like taking a class in living a more sustainable existence. These guys were excited about their offerings and I must admit that it rubbed off on me. Consider that this is their year-round job and you get a taste of their level of dedication.
I'm going to break this article up into segments as it's a lot to digest. In brief, electric scooters and bicycles are a whole new world, and one that you should experience yourself. Hit up the Amp Brothers or your local electrical bicycle shop for a full rundown and to take that all -important test ride (bring your helmet!)
Let's talk about the different types of electric bicycles/scooters/mopeds. There are basically two types of electric cycles - Low-speed electric bicycles and scooter-type mopeds. The electric bicycles top out at a speed of about 20 mph, but feature functional pedals to extend the range. They also double as a (heavier) bicycle.The scooter-type mopeds hit about 30 mph, and are a true scooter design (step through, small wheels, legshield design). They generally have more battery capacity, but offer no options when the battery runs out (and yes, they have a gauge!) Both offer credible, energy-efficient local transportation options.
The Amp Brothers offer a couple of different models of electric bicycles and are settling on one tested-tough electric scooter. I'm going to limit my reviews to the two most popular options, the Ultra Motors A2B and the eMoto Volt G3. The A2B is a Euro-styled low speed electrical bicycle that can go up to 20 miles-per-hour without any pedaling and it can do it for 20 miles. The e-Moto Volt G3 is a full-time battery powered scooter/moped that will go about 30 miles per hour with a range of about 30 miles, depending on usage. I'll tell you right now that I came away impressed, but for different reasons than you might expect.
Part 2 of this series
Part 3 of this series
Part 4 of this series
What's Next: Why electric 2-wheeled transport?
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