Report of sorts: Electric scooters in Beijing, China.

caffeine65 · Post by **caffeine65** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 3:51 pm

I just got back from Beijing and couldn't help noticing how the scooter scene is almost entirely electric. Not that I'm surprised; Because of the pollution, there're strict laws in place that limit transportation ownership and operation. But when it comes to electric scooters/mopeds/e-bikes, it's a free-for-all. And since Beijing is generally a two-wheel-friendly city, they were everywhere all the time. The city itself is dead flat, so I'm sure they're able to squeeze out every kilometer the batteries are good for.

Probably 95% of what I saw (judging by the condition) was used simply to get from A to B. In other words, the guy/gal couldn't afford a car (and/or couldn't get a license to drive) and bought a cheap e-scooter as their main transportation. But the precious other 5% clued me in that pride-of-ownership isn't entirely nonexistent. In China, you see much less of the "two-wheeling is my identity" mentality you see in western countries, but it's there if you look long enough. On my next visit, I'm going to make it a point to chase some of these individualists down and talk to them, and perhaps do a kind of photo essay on the subject.

About the scooters themselves… Most of what I saw was based on existing Chinese-brand scooter frames and bodywork, including a few Japanese clones and some rather cool looking Vespa rip-offs. Basically, what you might see at your local Chinese scooter dealership in gasoline-powered form, only battery-powered instead. I also spotted two or three Buddy clones, and one "maxi"-style scooter. It might be worth noting for the "Go Figure" file that, for some reason, the British flag motif is popular in China right now, and many, many scooters I saw had very striking Union Jack paint jobs. Very cool looking I must say!

Anyway, I looked into e-scooters a little, and it seems a lot of the world is already turned on to them. Sadly, the US isn't. I don't know how you all feel about electric vehicles, but I really dig them. While I love my internal combustion as much as the next guy, there's a lot of exciting e-stuff going on out there. (Even Harley Davidson is getting in on it.)

Yes, I took pictures, with my wife's phone, and I'll post them as soon as she gets off her lazy duff and sends them to me. Until then, I submit to you someone else's Youtube video I found, showing the many forms of Chinese e-bikes going by. If I had taken my own video, it'd basically look just like this: http://youtu.be/-rs0--Pve6E

Drum Pro · Post by **Drum Pro** » Fri Aug 01, 2014 8:12 pm

They drive like that in South Korea too. I went to visit my brother and his wife and there were scooters everywhere. I didn't see a Buddy but I did see a few Vespa. even the UPS truck was a scooter...

caffeine65 · Post by **caffeine65** » Sat Aug 02, 2014 6:50 pm

Here're a few of the pics I took. I tried to include a cross-section of different bikes. I was just shooting from the hip as I was out and about, so they're not great photos.

They're all electric, though I'm not sure about the big maxi. I especially like the black Ruckus clone and the 1950s Vespa rip-off. I wish I could get my hands on one in the US.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Sat Aug 02, 2014 9:33 pm

Gas is far more expensive than the subsidized electric rates in China. That has far more to do with the popularity of electric scooters than the out-of-control pollution. It's basically government mandated. The electric scooters are also far more reliable and require far less maintenance than the gas scooters produced in China.

I doubt they'd ever be that popular outside of dense urban centers here in the US. The range isn't what you'd want in the suburbs or countryside. Here in the US, we like our freedom to roam, and you loose that with an electric. Not unlike the range limitations of a Tesla.

Nice photos BTW. Nice looking ones like that are very few and far between. Most look like garbage. I suspect some of those may be owned by foreigners.

caffeine65 · Post by **caffeine65** » Sat Aug 02, 2014 11:41 pm

k1dude wrote:Gas is far more expensive than the subsidized electric rates in China. That has far more to do with the popularity of electric scooters than the out-of-control pollution. It's basically government mandated. The electric scooters are also far more reliable and require far less maintenance than the gas scooters produced in China.

I'm sure gas prices play into it. Nevertheless, even those who can easily afford it are limited to what days they can drive. Also, my last stay in Beijing, I looked into buying a motorcycle to ride while I was there. I was told forget it, Beijing puts a cap on the number of registrations within the city. Not wanting to overcrowd the already overcrowded roadways probably has a lot to do with it as well. In other words, like I said, there're restrictions on both ownership and operation that just wouldn't apply to electrics.

Nice photos BTW. Nice looking ones like that are very few and far between. Most look like garbage. I suspect some of those may be owned by foreigners.

Believe it or not, these are all owned by local Chinese! But yeah, most looked just plain rough, with bits hanging off and cracks in the bodywork held together with duct tape.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Mon Aug 04, 2014 1:55 am

Yes. I forgot about the ridiculous tax and registration on gas powered vehicles. That is probably the biggest reason. Once again, it's basically government mandated.