Espero electric scooter?

delatbabel

Active member

Member since 07 October 2014

Saigon

delatbabel

12 January 2015 05:49:29

delatbabel

12 January 2015 05:49:29

Saigon

Hi all,

I'm tempted to buy one of these, Espero Xmen electric scooter:

http://www.xedapdientranquang.com/xe-ma … 15320.html

Has anyone tried anything similar? I have had an electric bicycle at home (with a Li-Ion battery) but the Li-Ion powered scooters here seem way out of my price range. This one comes with 5 sealed lead-acid batteries which although they won't have the power-for-weight ratio of a Li-Ion battery, they should give plenty of kick for the 1kW motor. Also they should be somewhat cheaper to replace than the equivalent in Li-Ion at least in the short term.

I have a current motorbike license from NZ (issued in the Cook Islands actually) but I'm lead to believe that these electric scooters don't need a Vietnam license or registration at the moment -- due to change in June this year if what I've heard is correct. By June I should have my VEC and long term visa but in the short term is it correct that I don't need a license or registration for this bike?

Jaitch

12 January 2015 06:21:21

Jaitch

12 January 2015 06:21:21

For the prices on the link (VND16,000,000) you could buy a fuel injected Kymco motorscooter. And the distance per battery charge is claimed to be 55 - 70km.

Not too far except for city driving.

My daughter has a less sporty electric 'bicycle' and her batteries faded after a year. I took the battery pack apart and located a bad cell, which I replaced. The rest came up for replacement at which time I switched her to a D-I-Y Li-Ion battery which I assembled from batteries (bought in HCM) used for laptop computers. Tesla Auto use this strategy.

Then there is the matter of hauling the batteries up to your apartment - or dropping an extension cord down from your apartment.

Then there's the matter of theft - you will need a stout stainless steel (they call it Inox here) cable with welded loops on the ends and a decent German pad-lock.

VietNam actually manufactures a waterproof electric vehicle motor which is extremely high quality. Most of it's production goes to the States. We use the motor on our electric wheelchair projects as well as our largest military robot.

I think the gas-burning engine is still the optimum choice here. If you were to go to China to buy one then carry it back as hand-baggage you will find the prices about 30% of what Ha Noi is selling them for.

delatbabel

Active member

Member since 07 October 2014

Saigon

delatbabel

12 January 2015 11:04:14

delatbabel

12 January 2015 11:04:14

Saigon

Interesting information, but unrelated to what I was looking for. I'm not interested in the gas burning engine, I would need a license and registration for that and I don't have that in the short term. I don't live in an apartment, and I know all about battery replacement (although I wonder what you use as a BMS if you've done a straight swap of the lead batteries for Li-Ion).

To re-ask my original questions:
* Has anyone tried one of these electric scooters before?
* Is it correct that I do not need a license for the electric scooter?
* Is it correct that I do not need registration for the electric scooter?

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