Hope asks, "...I'm thinking of getting a scooter. My husband saw electric scooters today although I don't know what store he saw them in. I know you need a motorcycle license for a gas powered scooter but do you need one for the electric ones?"
Dear Hope,
License in PA is determined by engine power, not fuel type. The cut off is 5 brake horsepower. Under, a regular automobile license will do. Over, you need a motorcycle license. (Source) Brake horsepower means horsepower measured at the motor, not at the drive wheel. Actual power of the scooter will be less.
To be driven on the highways and roadways of the Commonwealth, a motor vehicle must be registered, titled, inspected and insured. If the scooter doesn’t have a have a license plate, an inspection sticker, and turn signals, I doubt it’s street legal.
I don't have any personal experience with electric scooters, so I don't know if the electric ones are any good. But the idea is tempting...
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I looked into electric scooters myself. They also do not have much power and will only go about 20 miles on a charge (at least the ones I looked at). This isn't near enough to really do any serious riding.
The place I looked at electric scooters had them for $500, and the lady behind the desk tried to tell me that they do not need to be registered. I tried to tell her otherwise, but she would not believe me. As has been said, They do have to be registered, and I don't know if they have Vehicle ID numbers. In order to register a vehicle in most states, it must have a VIN. I saw one poor fellow who got pulled over on one of these scooters about three weeks ago. I noticed he wasn't wearing a helmet, nor was there a plate on the scooter. Poor schmuck.
To get an electric scooter now would make you what we in the technology buisiness call an "early adopter". To be happy as an early adopter, you should really do your homework and it still requires a lot of trust in the manufacturer. I would be very wary of a off-brand electric scooter. You could be buying a novelty or a toy.
If it were me, I'd look at the Vectrix or eGo brands.
Dont listen to those who can only guess. I assume your not talking about the toy scooters.
Vectrix is $12K, and the eGo is a breakdown waiting to happen.
look at falconev.com for info
It was the "eGo" scooters that this place was selling. Thank you electric for the memory jog. They looked cheap and the 25mph max speed didn't thrill me...nor did the 20 mile max distance.
For whatever it's worth, my eGO has been fantastic. If a shop was selling scooters for $500, they weren't eGOs - unless they were used (retail new is $1200+) - and used ones are quite hard to find, in my experience. I found one after looking for a few years.
Granted, it "only" goes 30 mph (more than the publicized 25, at least in my case) and doesn't have unlimited range. But it charges quickly with a standard computer power cord and devours hills. For in-town use or commutes of up to 20 miles not requiring highway driving, it's great. I drive it daily to and from work and have had no problems.
eGOs have a VIN and are technically a "Motor Driven Cycle." My state (NC) does not require them to be registered or insured (has to do with top speed and engine size) - some do, however.
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