All Tests – e-Vivacity scooter test: a real electric alternative? – Peugeot keeps up with the juice

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E-Vivacity scooter test: a real electric alternative ?

All Tests - e-Vivacity scooter test: a real electric alternative? - Peugeot keeps up with the juice

Exorbitant prices, ridiculous autonomy: until now, it was necessary to have an overdeveloped ecological conscience to be convinced by the electric two-wheeler … But the Peugeot e-Vivacity scooter could well change the situation. Connected test !

Peugeot stands up to the juice

With its new e-Vivacity scooter, Peugeot is not at its first attempt in terms of electric two-wheelers: the French manufacturer was even one of the pioneers with the Scoot’Elec fifteen years ago (read especially our).

But the Scoot’Elec, undoubtedly too far ahead of its time and above all insufficiently efficient, had to be content with an extremely modest success with only 3600 sales between 1996 and 2005.

The Sochaux manufacturer has therefore taken the time to refine its copy to design the e-Vivacity, an electric scooter equivalent to a 50 cc thermal. But as the price of gasoline breaks records, this persistence may well pay off and generate much more interest..

A known base

As a showcase for the electric motor and the batteries, Peugeot has chosen the Vivacity 50, a small scoot ‘good in all respects and very common in city centers. Very practical with its two boxes – one under the saddle to accommodate a full face helmet, the second in the front face – and its flat floor, it constitutes an excellent base for work.

With the switch to electric, the e-Vivacity on the other hand accuses an overweight of 12 kg compared to the thermal version with the full tank of gasoline, or 115 kg against 103 kg. Fortunately, this significant weight gain is not very sensitive to driving..

This e-Vivacity also claims its ecological side through specific colors: if the most sober is midnight blue with black saddle, the most sympathetic is undoubtedly the white underlined by a saddle and acid blue rims..

How it works ?

The two branded Lithium-Ion batteries Saft Peugeot e-Vivacity weigh 8 kg each, but their compactness has kept the practical aspects of the thermal version of the scooter.

The first takes place in front of the saddle box, while the second is in the floor in order to lower the center of gravity as much as possible. These two elements supply the electric motor which is in direct contact with the rear wheel..

This engine provides better performance than the thermal block, thanks to its superior torque and immediately available. Thus, despite the additional 12 kg, starts are remarkably quick and the maximum speed (45-50 km / h) is quickly reached. Like all electric two-wheelers, we appreciate the smooth operation of the thruster and especially its total silence.

The dashboard – in color, please! – presents a lot of information: in addition to the outside temperature, it also indicates that of the engine and batteries. But the most important is the large colored bar graph which indicates the level of charge of the batteries and, jute below, the estimate of the remaining autonomy.

In addition, the "Mode" button allows you to choose between different propulsions: reverse (restricted to 2 km / h), pedestrian speed (5 km / h), eco mode (25 km / h for an advertised range of 100 km) and normal mode (restricted to 45 km / h). In addition, we naturally find speed, a clock, an odometer and a partial trip. Note also that during braking phases, the motor of the e-Vivacity scooter switches to generator mode to recharge the battery..

60 "real" kilometers !

In use, the e-Vivacity is very pleasant. It is like a fish in water in the small, almost pedestrian streets of Saint-Tropez … where its operating silence has something to surprise more than one !

Our pre-production vehicles were equipped with small buzzers supposed to warn pedestrians without terrifying them with the horn, but it was really too discreet! This point will be reviewed by the time the machine is marketed in early June 2011, Peugeot assures us..

The 60 kilometers of autonomy proudly announced by Peugeot seem to be there, since after having traveled 40 km the scooter still indicates an estimated autonomy of 17 km. However, in the context of exclusively urban use, this autonomy could be sufficient.

Particularly accessible with its contained template and reasonable saddle height of 786 mm, the e-Vivacity scooter is also very pleasant to take. Its handling is very correct and its quiet operation generates a zen and relaxed driving.

On the other hand, if the front disc brake is showing just correct, the rear drum brake is really too soft. Another small criticism on the saddle: the very hard foam quickly overcomes the most hardened buttocks, even if it remains largely bearable for chip jumps in town.

Full at 0.25 euro

This e-Vivacity electric scooter will be sold as standard with a charger, knowing that a second charger can be installed for an additional 200 €: a relevant investment, knowing that the latter reduces the full charging time of the batteries from 8 to 5 hours.

Lithium-Ion batteries – not removable – are guaranteed for 4 years or 40,000 km and are given to cash "at least 1000 charge / discharge cycles". Once we took the cable out from under the saddle and plugged it into a regular 220 V outlet, a" full "would currently cost 0.25 €, which represents a cost of"16 euros per year for 4,000 km traveled", calculated the Peugeot engineers.

With the liter of SP 98 which sometimes flirts with € 1.80, the solution becomes particularly attractive despite a higher purchase cost. The Peugeot e-Vivacity therefore stands out as a finally realistic electric alternative, because it is much less restrictive than what could be done in the past..

There remains a higher purchase price of nearly € 2,000 compared to the thermal version: € 3,600 with a battery charger and € 3,800 with two chargers … But if we remove from that the cost of the ‘petrol and heavier maintenance of a heat engine, Peugeot’s offer still has something to attract attention.

The e-Vivacity electric scooter can thus constitute an interesting alternative for a municipal police or a local authority, but also for well-off parents who will appreciate not having to manage neither gasoline budget, nor possible conflicts with the forces of the. order in case of use of "hard-to-snatch" variators and "ki-font-un-max-de-barouf" silencers so popular with teenagers on their thermal scooters !

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