Apr 9th, 2010 | Written by scotty | Posted in Automotive |

The electric scooter history can be said to have started in the late 1860’s when the first references were made to electric motorcycles in patents. During 1911 Popular Mechanics, which was a well known magazine even at that time, mentioned in one of its articles that an electric cycle was already available. But it was not until 1967 when the feasibility of the electric scooter for everyday use became more of a certainty with the invention of the fuel cell as a power source for the vehicle. This type of fuel cell made use of alkali together with hydrazine, which was used before as a propellant for rocket engines.

The electric scooter history saw 1967 as the year where the Papoose was created by the Indian Motorcycle Company which was then under the guidance of Floyd Clymer. The vehicle was a prototype moped which as powered by electricity. The following years saw more improvements done on the concept of an electric scooter with various persons and companies putting the contributions which had made the vehicle more of a feasible road conveyance. A speed record of one hundred and one miles per hour was set by an electric cycle in 1973 and the following year, Corbin Gentry Inc began selling electric bikes which were legal on the streets. The aim has always been to make fast electric scooters although it was difficult to match the speeds of a petrol engine.

However, it was the popular French motor company Peugeot which first mass marketed the electric scooter. During this phase of the electric scooter history, the Scoot’Elec was seen as a viable option for commuters because of its modern features and its zero emissions. The vehicle used an eighteen volt nickel cadmium battery which was attached under the seat, behind the feet of the driver. The scooter had an on-board charger and a charging cable that could be plugged into an outlet. The time it required to completely recharge its battery was only five hours. It was a convenient and cheap electric scooter.

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• the death of the petrol car is something we all know is imminent we are constantly reminded that global