Chinese electric scooter now available in Ann Arbor

As a college town with an image (not entirely deserved, by the way) as a bastion of liberalism, Ann Arbor, MI has long had a fringe population of oddball vehicles. It's not that unusual to spot an electric vehicle like a Corbin Sparrow or a first-generation Smart ForTwo puttering around town. So far I have yet to see a Vectrix electric scooter anywhere near my office, which is not surprising given its $11,000 price tag which has resulted in only 123 sales to date. John Harding has set up a business in town offering up a range of Chinese-built electric bicycles, scooters and ATVs. Our pals over a Winding Road paid a visit to Harding and sampled the XM-2000, a scooter with a 2 kW electric motor and 60V worth of batteries. While it's not quite as stylish a ride as the Vectrix, its $2,000 price is quite a bit easier on the budget. The 40-45mph top end and 30-mile range is workable for getting around town emissions free. Other products in the lineup range from a $549 electric bicycle to a 4 wheel electric ATV for $699.

[Source: Revolution EV, via Winding Road]