Electric scooters have been pretty popular at EICMA
2017 as manufacturers attempt to attract younger, more environmentally
conscious riders. While Piaggio stole their part of the show by unveiling the a
new electric Vespa, the storied Italian scooter maker wasn't the only one with
new high-tech machines. Other, smaller companies rolled out their own electric
vehicles, among them was Austria's KSR MOTO.
KSR announced its new 2,000-watt, two-passenger
E-scooter that boasts a surprising amount of noteworthy features for such an
affordable ride. Cheap two-wheelers typically mean weak engines, but KSR MOTO’s
VIONIS has managed to deliver a machine that delivers good around town
performance at a very reasonable cost. Powered by a Bosch motor and
fully-removable LG lithium ion batteries, the VIONIS is capable of speeds of
around 30 mph and a range of 35 miles per charge.
The VIONIS's 2,000-watts of continuous power results
in 34ft-pound feet of torque on tap, which KSR MOTO claims is comparable to
your average motorcycle. The removable LG lithium-ion cells are ideal for
urban dwellers who might not have a garage, as the batteries can be easily
schlepped inside walkup apartments and charged. Obviously, none of the VIONIS’s
specs are particularly striking, but KSR MOTO has nonetheless created a pretty
impressive package when you consider its roughly US$ 2,300 price-tag.
There are other Chinese scooters on the market that
are comprably cheap – some of them are electric too – but most offerings in the
VIONIS’s price-range are much more primitive. They often containing lead-acid
batteries that not only can’t be removed, but have a much shorter lifespan and
weigh much more.
KSR MOTO clearly stuck to what mattered with this e-scooter
and, aside from the decent brand name motor and battery, the VIONIS is a
no-frills twist-and-go model.