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Side view of the Zero LS1 scooter
Zero LS1 battery holder open
Zero LS1 removable battery
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Zero Motorcycles have confirmed their new LS1 electric scooter is now on sale in dealerships across Europe, priced from £4500.
Designed for silently scooting around a city centre, it makes use of a twin underfloor swappable battery setup, with room under the seat for a third. Seat height is an accessible 780mm, with room for a pillion, and a claimed kerb weight of 134kg.
Top speed is reached at a claimed 62mph, with range extending beyond 106 miles when the optional third battery is fitted.
That should mean ample energy for a week of urban travel duties, with a five-year warranty and claimed five-hour full recharge time when plugged in at home.
Available in a choice of pearl white or dark grey, it gets the addition of a five-inch colour TFT dash, LED front light, preload adjustable rear suspension, and a self-locking immobiliser once the key is out of range, to help prevent against theft.
Once activated, if the bike is moved, it will lock the rear wheel for five seconds at a time – an action repeated every 10 feet to prevent someone simply pushing your bike away (we’d still suggest adding a disc lock though too).
Performance is equivalent to a conventional 125 petrol scooter, meaning it can be ridden on an A1 licence. This puts it in direct competition with the likes of Honda’s plug-in CUV e, which retails for a cheaper £3800, but delivers a lower 51.6mph top speed, and a longer six-hour recharge time.
The MCN take
Although electric propulsion has its struggles in larger leisure motorcycling sectors, on the small capacity urban market it really does make sense. Accessible, easy-to-ride options like this Zero are just as fast as their petrol equivalents, and likely won’t get stung by increasingly stringent clean air charges.
