>Oh also my back will not thank me when it's time to get the 20kg battery out and take it home to charge it.

For comparison, this is the weight of an empty barbell.

What is a barbell you ask? The metal stick where you put on the weights each side in the gym. Had to look it up.

Not to be confused with a barbel -- which is a fish.

Apparently the largest barbels can grow up to 10kg. So the battery is worth approximately two barbels.

It may have been more fitting to call the fish dumbbels.

Also the weight of approx. 4-6 cats, depending how fat they are.

Or as few as two cats, depending on the breed.

It is also the weight of a 20kg kettlebell, coincidentally. Crossfitters fling those over their heads all the time. But I’m not sure I would want to carry one for long distances: farmers’ carry is surprisingly exhausting even when the weight is modest.

> it's not very powerful and has only a 70km range (1 battery, can have 2 batteries for 140km range if you need)

80% of french commute are under 30km, probably much less in Paris, these things are more than enough for the vast majority of people

> Oh also my back will not thank me when it's time to get the 20kg battery out and take it home to charge it.

Actually it should help, people with back issues more often suffer from weak muscles than anything else. Stopping to use your back muscles is the best way to have back problems

I have a Black Tea Bonfire X .. its a similar situation here in Vienna, Austria - the authorities are doing everything to promote electric adoption.

I have to say, the Bonfire X is a terrifically delightful way of getting around any European city. Something about this class of transportation device, and the design of Europe, makes it more fun to do a daily commute than in any other country I've ever lived. If only the weather were more cooperative...

The electric motorcycle market is weirdly segmented, with crappy cheap underpowered models, insane expensive ones that do 0-100 in under 3 seconds and nothing in between.

I just want an electric equivalent of "Universal Japanese Motorcycle" and there's none.

This sadly follows how car EV market is segmented. You have Smart and Polo with <100 km range on one end and Teslas, Porches and ginormous SUVs on the other end, and nothing in between.

Smaller Teslas are somewhere close, but I have high hopes for Toyota and Mitsubishi to get their shit together and start making no-bullshit electric cars.

There are plenty in between. There’s the expensive Corsa, e208 and ID.3. Then there’s the much cheaper MG4 and soon Ora Cat and BYD Dolphin.

Of course trains still beat them for efficiency, but they’re all much smaller than SUVs.

Chevrolet has the Bolt EUV and the Equinox coming out soon for around $30k.

Just give it time, there's a lot of people hungry for EVs in that price range.

I currently drive an Aprilia scarabeo scooter and over the last 2 years have stopped at my scooter dealer a couple of times. This is Sydney Australia. Out of the 30 or so scooter in the showroom there are 2 or 3 electric. I did test drive one a year ago (can't recall the name) but since I have to go uphill in traffic I want to flow with the traffic and not have morning rush crazy drivers overtake me in unsafe ways. The little engine did not cut it. As with all electric vehicles the start is very powerful but the scooter is quickly out of grunt uphill at +50 km/h. Also, small wheels. With the enormous amount of rain we had here the roads have deteriorated so much that potholes are everywhere and they are deep. So you want larger wheels.

I will keep my eyes open but won't hold my breath. There is no pressure yet from council here as in parent comments mentioned.

The company that runs a scooter sharing/rental service in my city uses a "Torrot Muvi", with a 3 kW motor it can keep up with normal city traffic even with two people. Speed is limited to 65 km/h. Looks kinda nice too.

https://torrot.com/en/motorbikes/5/133/muvi

But that would probably be one of the "underpowered" models for you :)

Well yes, I'm after something that can go in a freeway, a 250cc equivalent.

When I lived in NYC, a company called Revel had pushed a bunch of electric scooters onto the streets, and they were fabulous. They are pretty beefy, went 25mph which is fast enough for most NYC streets, and had a very decent range (40miles or so). So they aren't a commuter bike for most Americans, but if you live and work in the same city, they are amazing.

The make and model is a Niu NQi from a Chinese scooter manufacturer. I've never seen them outside of NYC and SF, but I'm sure they are legal everywhere in the US. They are a great 50cc moped replacement IMO.

>I am from France and driving a Piaggio MP3 400cc for 10 years (and other stuff before).

A fun fact about this is that literally everyone hates you because MP3 drivers are probably the most infuriating kind of driver to encounter in a city. Même le Sprinter de location roule moins dangereusement.

The question is, do you really need something that goes that fast ? The fastest road in Paris is the périphérique, and doing more than 70 on there requires either a act of god, or suicidal tendencies if there happens to be any traffic. Having multiple transportation devices, while not ideal, might very well be the best option. Not sure if you have family to take around (in which case, you probably need a car, if not, a regular bike will do), but for inside Paris, your average speed will be maybe 30km/h if you're lucky.

They’re trying to get out of the city, so they need the speed.

Also, those suicidal tendencies are typical of moto operators (motards) on the périphérique cruising at full speed between the motor vehicles in Lane 1 and 2. But it’s okay, they have their emergency flashers on.