Vectrix is an
electric vehicleAn electric vehicle , also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, is a vehicle which uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. Depending on the type of vehicle, motion may be provided by wheels or propellers driven by rotary motors, or in the case of tracked vehicles, by linear motors...
company based in
Middletown, Rhode IslandMiddletown is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,335 at the 2000 census. It lies to the south of Portsmouth and to the north of Newport on Aquidneck Island, hence the name "Middletown."-Geography:...
, United States, with research and development facilities in
New Bedford, MassachusettsNew Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located 51 miles south of Boston, 28 miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about 12 miles east of Fall River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 93,768, making it the seventh-largest in the...
. Its vehicles are assembled in Wrocław, Poland. In the first half of 2009, the company laid off the majority of employees and, , is in the process of being sold or liquidated, with the remaining staff reportedly preparing for bankruptcy.
The Vectrix is a maxi-size
scooterA scooter is a motorcycle with step-through architecture and either a platform for the operator's feet or footrests integral with the bodywork. Elements of scooter design have been noted in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
, and is the first commercially available high performance electric scooter.
It is capable of over and is reached in a little under 7 seconds, with maximum
torqueTorque, also called moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
available from 0 rpm, a characteristic of
electric motorAn electric motor uses electrical energy to produce mechanical energy, usually through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors. The reverse process, producing electrical energy from mechanical energy, is accomplished by a generator or dynamo. Traction motors used on...
s.
Vectrix is an
electric vehicleAn electric vehicle , also referred to as an electric drive vehicle, is a vehicle which uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. Depending on the type of vehicle, motion may be provided by wheels or propellers driven by rotary motors, or in the case of tracked vehicles, by linear motors...
company based in
Middletown, Rhode IslandMiddletown is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,335 at the 2000 census. It lies to the south of Portsmouth and to the north of Newport on Aquidneck Island, hence the name "Middletown."-Geography:...
, United States, with research and development facilities in
New Bedford, MassachusettsNew Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located 51 miles south of Boston, 28 miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about 12 miles east of Fall River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 93,768, making it the seventh-largest in the...
. Its vehicles are assembled in Wrocław, Poland. In the first half of 2009, the company laid off the majority of employees and, , is in the process of being sold or liquidated, with the remaining staff reportedly preparing for bankruptcy.
Scooters
The Vectrix is a maxi-size
scooterA scooter is a motorcycle with step-through architecture and either a platform for the operator's feet or footrests integral with the bodywork. Elements of scooter design have been noted in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
, and is the first commercially available high performance electric scooter.
It is capable of over and is reached in a little under 7 seconds, with maximum
torqueTorque, also called moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
available from 0 rpm, a characteristic of
electric motorAn electric motor uses electrical energy to produce mechanical energy, usually through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors. The reverse process, producing electrical energy from mechanical energy, is accomplished by a generator or dynamo. Traction motors used on...
s. It has under 250 parts, compared with 2,500 for a conventionally powered scooter, and has a range of up to at .
In the United Kingdom , Italy, the Netherlands and Slovenia, the Vectrix is exempt from paying
road taxRoad tax is a general term used for tax paid for usage of automobiles to the local or central government. For road tax in UK or U.S. see Vehicle excise duty...
.
The Vectrix scooter uses NiMH batteries with a manufacturer-claimed life of 10 years and 1,500 recharges.
The 125 volt battery pack has a capacity of 3.7 kW·h and can be recharged to 80% in two hours from a standard domestic power socket. The battery can also be partially recharged through
regenerative brakingA regenerative brake is a mechanism that reduces vehicle speed by converting some of its kinetic energy into a storeable form of energy instead of dissipating it as heat as with a conventional brake...
.
Replacement cost of the battery is estimated to be around $3,000, almost one third of the cost of the bike.
Vectrix has recently announced it is planning and testing Lithium Ion battery packs based on
lithium iron phosphate batteryThe lithium iron phosphate battery is a type of rechargeable battery, specifically a lithium ion battery, which uses LiFePO4 as a cathode material.-History:...
technology, in an agreement with
GP Batteries International LimitedGold Peak Industries Limited is an Asian battery manufacturer established in 1964 and based in Hong Kong.In 2000, Gold Peak acquired Lighthouse Technologies, a Hong Kong-based LED technology developer and manufacturer specialising in large-scale LED screens for indoor and outdoor use.The European...
of Singapore, to be delivered before the end of 2008.
In Fall of 2008. Vectrix announced that it would be expanding its product line with two lower-priced bikes: The VX-1E would arrive March 2009 and the VX-2 would arrive in June 2009. Both bikes were shown at NY International Motorcycle Show in Jan 2009 and also at Birmingham Motor Show. Vectrix filed for bankruptcy protection in July 2009.
Specifications
| Vectrix |
| Maximum Speed |
|
| Acceleration (0-50 mph) |
6.8 seconds |
| Acceleration (0-31 mph) |
3.6 seconds |
| Range* |
|
| * Range is based on simulated urban driving at |
Concept vehicles
Vectrix showed a superbike concept vehicle at the 2007 Milan motorcycle show, to be produced if 500 deposits were received.
In 2008, Vectrix announced a 3-wheeled version of the Vectrix Maxi scooter.
Notable users
The
New York City Police DepartmentThe New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
announced in December 2007 that it will be testing vehicles from Vectrix with the goal of replacing its current gasoline-powered scooters.
The Government of Canada purchased in August 2008 a vehicle from Vectrix with the goal of testing and evaluating a fully electric compliant open motorcycle's energy consumption, range, and additional road testing parameters. This environmental initiative is part of Transport Canada’s ecoTECHNOLOGY for Vehicles program.
Bankruptcy
In July 2009 Vectrix Corporation laid off all but essential staff, this followed several months of announcements of financial problems. Analysis of corporate financial results showed the company had huge expenses for each bike sold which were many times more than the income earned. On September 28, 2009 the company announced chapter 11 a bankruptcy filing in Delaware and that likelihood of a New Vectrix will buy the assets of Vectrix to recapitalize a new company.
External links