Top 8 Electric Scooters and Mopeds 2023 | 125 equivalent

Electric bikes have been among us for a while now and with the Government continuing its pledge to reduce emissions, they seem like the inevitable future of transport here in the UK. One area of debate has been whether these electric alternatives are quite up to the job of replacing our beloved combustion motors just yet.

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Without a doubt, one area in which these new electric machines are making great strides is the 125cc equivalent category. These bikes will excel as an urban run-around and are now able to compete with traditional mopeds and scooters around town, both in the performance and price departments. The fact they can be ridden from age 17 with a CBT licence means they are extremely accessible too.

Energy costs may be climbing here in the UK but it is still significantly cheaper to run one of these electric scooters than a petrol counterpart. It isn't just the fuelling costs that are cheaper either, servicing is easier, running costs are minimal and they are tax exempt (until )! If you are looking for a short-range commuter, there are definitely savings to be had here.

In this blog, we are going to look at some of the absolute best L3e (125cc equivalent) mopeds and scooters currently available in !

8. Lexmoto LX06

While most electric mopeds and scooters are going for a more modernist approach in their visual design, the LX06 embraces a vintage scooter aesthetic that makes it stand out in this category. If you're looking for a modern electric option that still looks like a traditional scooter, this could be the one!

Aside from the clean traditional design, one of the other major selling points here is the price point. At £2,699, this is the most budget-friendly model on the list and one of the cheapest ways to own an electric vehicle.

The LX06 weighs just 90kg in running order, which is light as a feather and lends itself well to the 4kw motor's instant power delivery. It isn't quite as fast as some of the other L3e scooters here with a top speed of 47mph, however it is still respectable for the category. The dual 60v 32ah lithium batteries provide a range of around 60 miles and can charge in 5-6 hours.

As usual here, this scooter is squarely aimed as a cost-effective urban commuter and it will do its job very well for the money.

Pros:

• Cheapest scooter on the list
• Lovely 60's inspired design

Cons:

• Not the fastest top speed
• May struggle out of town

7. Yadea G5S

The Yadea G5S is imported into the UK by Lexmoto and with a £2,980 starting price, is another strong, budget-friendly electric option.

The design is simple and minimalistic, yet still stylish with 4 distinct colourways, and its compact size results in an 81kg running weight! That is absolutely tiny in comparison to its petrol counterparts and it means that the 4.1Kw electric motor can reach 50mph top speeds fairly swiftly.

The G5S's two 72v 20ah batteries can be charged from your mains plug to full in around 6-8 hours and will provide a 70-mile range. Those are some decent stats and mean the Yadea can easily handle your trips to work or college and is perfect for zipping through town traffic.

Even at such a low price point, the Yadea manages to squeeze in a few extra features like keyless ignition, eco ride mode, wheel lock, and built in alarm. Aside from that, it's fairly basic but if you are looking for a cheap stylish town commuter, this could be worth a look!

Pros:

• Extremely economical
• Light as a feather
• Batteries can be charged off the bike simultaneously

Cons:

• Taller riders may feel cramped
• Could struggle outside of urban areas

6. Keeway Blueshark 80

The Blueshark 80 from Keeway, is a trendy electric scooter with a futuristic design and a host of interesting tech features.

Weighing in at 112kg with its dual 48v 30ah batteries installed ready to go, the 5kw electric motor can accelerate swiftly to a 50mph top speed and offers agile and nimble handling. The Blueshark can be fully charged in just 4 hours and according to Keeway, the dual batteries will give around a 60 mile range.

For the tech features, there is a huge 10" full colour HD display with a smart operating system that includes GPS and 4G navigation support. It will also provide status reports from the scooter's 74 sensors, including battery life, speed, acceleration, lighting conditions, temperature etc. The handy Blueshark app can synchronise all the information and readouts in real time with your , so you can easily keep track of your scooter's status and battery life wherever you are.

On top of that, the Blueshark 80 has a built in camera which can record as you ride, a fingerprint scanner for added security and a built in alarm. There are 5 different ride modes, including a reverse assist mode and a 'Turbo' mode if you don't care about battery life and just need to get to your destination in good time.

The Keeway Blueshark 80 starts at £3,699 and offers great 125cc equivalent performance, as well as plenty of quality of life features, built in security and some lovely modern styling. All in all, a nice little package for the money.

Pros:

• Fast charge up on the dual batteries
• Numerous built-in security features
• Excellent 10" HD display

Cons:

• Not the cheapest here (although still good value for the category!)
• As usual, this is an urban commuter, so trips over 60 miles are off the cards

5. SUNRA ROBO-S

The Robo-S is another electric scooter with a clean futuristic visual design and some nifty features up its sleeve.

You can see from the design there is a cool looking chunky floor area and that is because the dual 72v 20ah batteries are actually housed there! This is a great idea and something I'd like to see more electric bikes doing, as it opens up space for a 24L storage area under the seat!

The batteries themselves can be charged in 4 hours and will offer around a 61 mile range. The 3kw electric motor has a maximum speed of 50mph, which isn't the fastest here but it will zip to 40mph in a hurry and will traverse those urban areas very efficiently.

In terms of tech features, we have a keyless ignition system with a fingerprint reader, smart connectivity and app integration, as well as a built in alarm. There's also the usual ride modes with an eco and sport mode to help you squeeze out some extra performance or economy.

The Sunra Robo-S starts at £3,299, which makes this another affordable option with some great economy. If you want to know more about the Robo-S, why not check out Brett's test ride review here.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Excellent storage space for an electric bike

Cons:

• 50mph top speed limits the performance outside of town

4. Super Soco CPX

The CPX from Super Soco is another great 125 equivalent scooter with a modern sporty design and an accessible price tag.

The CPX is a little bit more substantial than some of the others here, leading to a slightly heavier weight (143kg for the dual battery version). That means the proportions are a little more spacious and it generally has a bit more road presence, which can be important in the crowded urban areas this scooter is most at home in.

Super Soco are using a 60v 45Ah battery with an estimated range of 44 miles and a 3-4 hour charge time. The initial cost of the single battery version starts at £3,049 which is highly competitive for an electric vehicle but if you want to venture further afield, you will likely want to go for the dual battery option. This brings the price up to £4,299 but extends the range to 87 miles which is one of the best on offer here. Depending on your budget and riding needs, it could either be economical or an outright bargain.

Powering the CPX is Super Soco's patented 4kw electric motor and the scooter can reach speeds of around 56mph. As with most of the models on the list, it will work best as a nippy urban runaround with excellent running costs. If you want the full scoop on the Super Soco CPX you could check out Brett's review.

Pros:

• Decent proportions
• Large windscreen comes as standard
• Accessible price point

   

Cons:

• Not the fastest on the list
• The budget single-battery version may not have enough range for everyone

3. Horwin EK3

The EK3 is a trendy looking scooter with a classic style, enhanced by some futuristic curves and detailing. There are a variety of sleek colour ways available, as well as a limited edition pistachio green version for . In my opinion, all of them look great!

The EK3 uses a 72v 40Ah Lithium -Ion battery that can charge to full in 4 hours and provide a range of around 60 miles. It definitely excels as a town commuter but there is the option to have a second battery if you wanted to extend your journey a bit.

The Central motor can do top speeds of around 60mph and thanks to its electric nature, provides peak torque almost instantaneously. Again, this does lend itself to town commuting as keeping up with traffic is not a problem and filtering through smaller gaps is easy thanks to its compact size. With that said, taller riders may be pushed for leg room so make sure you have a sit on one and see how it feels.

In terms of features, we have a nice LCD display that clearly shows battery life and trip meters and there is an interesting finger swipe keyless ignition system. The EK3 uses a combined braking system instead of ABS (pretty standard in this category) but when I took one for a spin last year, I was pleasantly surprised at how good the stopping power felt. The fact that it only weighs 111kg (including the battery) helps and makes it feel agile and fun to ride.

The starting price on one of these brand new is £4,099, and if you prefer a more sporty look, you could also check out Horwin's SK3. It has a similar spec to this model but a visual design more in line with mainstream options like the PCX or NMAX.

Pros:

• Compact and light makes it great for filtering and general urban commutes
• Fun neo-retro design

Cons:

• Taller riders may struggle
• Centre stand only
• Longer range commutes are not on the cards

2. NIU MQi GT EVO

The MQi GT EVO is NIU's latest and most powerful electric scooter to date with true 125 equivalent performance and some smart tech features.

The MQi has sharp minimalist styling that is pleasing to the eye, with a large halo light taking centre stage up front. The overall proportions have been increased compared to NIU's other offerings, with a 30% larger seat designed to cater for both rider and pillion comfortably. Despite this, the MQi GT EVO still weighs in at under 130kg with the batteries installed, so it is relatively lightweight and easy to manoeuvre compared to its petrol brethren.

The EVO uses NIU's new V Motor with 6.5kW of continuous power, providing swift acceleration and reaching top speeds of around 60mph in sport mode. There is the option of using eco mode to extend the battery life but it will limit you to around 30mph. Like me, you will likely spend most of your time in sport mode but it is still a nice option to have in congested areas.

The dual lithium-ion batteries can be fully charged in 5 hours and will cover a range of around 46 miles with liberal use of sport mode. The customisable LED dashboard will keep track of your battery status along with your speed and trip meters and also has smart connectivity. With the NIU app, you can get quick status checks, locate your scooter or even receive alerts for any unauthorised movement. Other tech features include keyless ignition, cruise control and a built in alarm.

The NIU MQi GT EVO starts from £4,799 so it is one of the more expensive options on the list but as we have already discussed, the lower running costs will make sure this is still an economical choice.

Pros:

• Spacious proportions
• Decent performance
• Some handy tech features and built in security

Cons:

• Not the cheapest option
• Lack of storage space

1. Silence S01 Connected

The Silence S01 Connected is the most premium model on the list, with a hefty starting price of £6,265 but in return, it offers class leading performance and economy, with an all round level of polish that takes it right to the top of the list.

The S01 has a futuristic visual design that looks awesome in all its colourways. We were able to take the green version out for a spin last year and were impressed by how good it looked, how well put together it was, and how comfy its spacious proportions were. The large seat is for more than just comfort though, as it provides a decent under-seat storage space that can easily fit a full-size helmet inside.

When it comes to performance, the S01 is hard to beat. The 5.6kWh battery has an 85 mile range, which is going to be ample for most commuting demands and can be charged to full in 6-8 hours. When it is time to remove the battery, the Silence has a super convenient mechanism to slide it out from the side and wheel it away with ease.
The 7kW motor has a nice 62mph top speed but where it really shines is in the rapid acceleration.

The version I'm featuring here is the 'Connected', which as the name suggests comes with smart connectivity and the silence connected app, as well as generally strong all round performance. If you wanted to save a bit of money, you could go for the 'Urban' edition which shaves the price down to £4,975 but loses 20 miles from its range and reduces the top speed to 52mph. Still a solid choice.

On the other hand, if you really want the crème de la crème, Silence have released a limited edition S01+ for as well. The S01+ features a 'Push to Pass' mode with a 68mph top speed, making it one of the fastest 125 equivalent electric scooters on the road. It also adds adjustable suspension and wave brakes for a really premium package that will set you back £7,475.

Pros:

• Excellent performance for the class
• Huge 85 mile battery range
• Decent storage space
• 3 variations to choose from depending on your budget and needs

Cons:

• Most expensive model here

The Last Stop!

So there you have it! Here are my electric 125cc equivalent top picks, ready to take by storm...

Which one was your favourite? Make sure to me know in the comment section below.

Last but not least, if you have your very own electric moped or scooter you need to insure - make sure to get an electric motorcycle and moped insurance quote direct with Lexham!

I know, I know. Electric motorcycles are usually quite pricey. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles, e-motorcycles usually carry a premium of a few thousand dollars. Their long list advantages usually makes it worth it, though that still might not ease the sting of sticker shock. But if you know where to look, then you&#;ll find a surprising number of affordable options on the market in North America. All of the electric motorcycles featured here are either already rolling on America&#;s roads or are expected to become available in the coming months.

And while we&#;re at it, let&#;s put terms like &#;low-cost&#; and &#;affordable&#; into perspective. In the same way that $17,000 for a bicycle is expensive, while $17,000 for a house is pretty darn cheap, remember that all of these terms are relative.

So when we consider what makes a low-cost electric motorcycle affordable, we&#;re comparing to the current leaders of the industry, such as a $23,000 LiveWire One, a $24,000 Zero SR/F, or a $26,000 Energica Experia. Considering those prices, the rest of the electric motorcycles on this list are downright budget-friendly.

$2,795 CSC City Slicker electric motorcycle

We&#;ll start with a bike that was actually one of my first low-cost electric motorcycles, the CSC City Slicker.

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I first threw my leg over one of these bad boys in late and put about six months of riding on it. The bike hasn&#;t changed much, but when I reviewed the version last year it had only gotten better.

Keep in mind though that the City Slicker is true to its name &#; this is a city-optimized electric motorcycle. Some might even call it a scooter in the shape of a motorcycle.

It tops out at 46 mph (75 km/h), which may seem slow, but it still works great in the city. This of course isn&#;t an interstate vehicle &#; I did one exit on the freeway and considered those couple of miles as my contribution to scientific-testing. But for local riding, it&#;s a great little urban vehicle.

The City Slicker can ride 2-up (as my wife can confirm), puts out around 4 kW of peak power, and gets around 30 miles (50 km) of range before you have to lug its removable battery inside for charging (or leave it on the bike if you&#;re lucky enough to have a garage to charge in).

The dealer fees push the final price closer to $3,200, but the company ships for free all over the US from their Azusa, California, headquarters.

Micah Toll taking a spin on a CSC City Slicker electric motorcycle

And while they aren&#;t full motorcycles, CSC also offers a couple different seated electric scooters known as the CSC Monterey and CSC Wiz. Both are worth checking out!

If you&#;re into a more utility-oriented electric scooter, you&#;ll want to take a look at the Wiz. It&#;s super affordable at just $2,245.

The Wiz gets up to around 43 mph and is another perfect city commuter vehicle, especially considering it comes with an included rear cargo box.

CSC Wiz scooter (left); CSC Monterey scooter (right)

If style is more your thing, the CSC Monterey is a beautiful scooter with styling that was stolen borrowed from the classic Honda Cub.

It&#;s a bit slower with a top speed of around 32 mph, but it turns heads everywhere it goes! It&#;s also an absolute steal at $1,945. There are plenty of electric bicycles that cost more than that!

Both the Wiz and the Monterey can seat two passengers, though you might end up a couple miles per hour short of the top speed when riding 2-up.

I reviewed the CSC Monterey (video below) and I also reviewed the CSC Wiz, so you&#;ll want to take a gander at those reviews to get my complete thoughts.

CSC RX1E

While we&#;re talking about CSC, I&#;ve got to mention the CSC RX1E. This adventure-looking bike is really more of an urban commuter, though it&#;s got the performance to hit the highways too.

I had the chance to test one near LA, and it was so much more impressive than I was expecting. I did a mix of highway and city riding, and the bike performed admirably in both cases.

There&#;s also more to the bike than meets the eye. I&#;m talking, ABS, included luggage racks, belt drive, roomy glove box in the &#;tank&#; area, and more. It&#;s the only one on this list with a liquid-cooled motor, which is part of what helps it hit a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) without stressing the motor too hard or overheating. It&#;s got a range of 112 miles (180 km) at slower speeds thanks to that 6.4 kWh battery, and it can pretty much handle any commute you can throw at it.

At its current price of $8,495 (or $7,995 with a current $500 off sale), it gets you similar performance to an entry-level Zero motorcycle but at a fraction of the price.

It&#;s also got that super comfortable adventure bike setup, even though it&#;s really more of an urban commuter. Basically, this is a pretty awesome e-moto with surprisingly good value.

Check out my video review below to see the bike in action.

Ryvid Anthem

The Ryvid Anthem might not be available yet, but it is expected to roll out this coming summer. Riders can already put down a deposit towards the $7,800 purchase price, or get to the front of the line for a Launch Edition of the bike by paying in full already.

The Ryvid Anthem is quite different from most of the bikes on this list. Not only does it have an eye-catching design, but the mechanics are just as innovative as the appearance.

The frame uses a unique folded metal design, there&#;s a removable battery feature that lets you bring the pack inside for charging, and the bike&#;s seat can even be adjusted up and down by as much as 4 inches &#; even while riding!

The performance specs put it in classic commuter territory with a top speed in the 70&#;s of mph, though there&#;s a higher torque gearing option that drops the top speed slightly in favor of quicker acceleration.

I rode around LA for a couple days on an Anthem prototype with the company&#;s founder Dong Tran, which you can read about here or check out my test ride video below.

Volcon Grunt

Volcon is a brand-new electric powersports company founded late last year in Austin.

They have a couple of side-by-side electric UTVs planned for later this year and next year, but they&#;ll be launching their first electric motorcycle in the next few months.

The Volcon Grunt debuted at $5,999, though the price increased to $7,999 earlier this year. But there&#;s good news &#; the price is back at $5,999 for a limited time as part of a year end sale.

The Grunt is an off-road electric motorcycle sporting a top speed of 60 mph (96 km/h). Its 35 kW (50 hp) motor is quite powerful for all sorts of dirt riding, and the bike&#;s fat tires will feel right at home in loose terrain.

Volcon also announced a dealer expansion into Latin America, so the bike will be available south of the US border soon, too.

And if you&#;re looking for a Grunt for your kids, the company also created a 35 mph (56 km/h) version known as the Runt.

Huck Cycles electric mopeds

Huck Cycles builds bikes that are somewhere between mopeds and electric motorcycles. They have classic moped styling and inspiration, yet can reach speeds approaching 55 mph (99 km/h), so I&#;m tempted to just lump Huck&#;s bikes in together with other small electric motorcycles.

Huck Cycles is a North Carolina-based and veteran-owned moped company that was founded in early . They build their electric mopeds locally, starting from the ground up with their own frame design.

Last year they moved into a larger 5,000-square-foot production facility and have been rapidly expanding production including new models like the Huck Overland and Huck Stinger.

The company highlights its customization process, which ensures that nearly no two bikes produced are the same. Depending on how you outfit the various models, prices range from around $6,000 to $8,500 or more.

ONYX RCR

The ONYX RCR is another electric moped that qualifies as an electric motorcycle thanks to its 60 mph (96 km/h) top speed.

The bike takes on a distinctly retro vibe and incorporates genuine wood panels into its design.

I had the chance to visit ONYX&#;s southern California factory where they assemble the bikes. There I witnessed the build process in action and had the opportunity to do some fun canyon road riding, which you can see in the video below.

Recent updates to the design added even more range and a whole host of fancy new features and components. For around $5,700 (or a current sale at $5,400), it&#;s worth a look!

Zero FXE

The Zero FXE replaced my previous favorite of Zero&#;s budget lineup, the FXS. The FXE comes with a new body design but incorporates much of what we knew and loved in the FXS. It may be one of the most expensive bikes on this list at $13,000, but it&#;s worth a look.

The Zero FXE is fully highway-capable with a top speed of around 85 mph (137 km/h).

In my experience it likes to sit closer to the mid 70s when cruising, but it can do that top speed if you really punch it. The bike is something of a supermoto mashed together with a commuter bike, and that makes it great for more than just cruising around town. You can do some light trail riding on it (which I did on its FXS ancestor), though you&#;ll want the more off-road optimized FX if you want to get really down and dirty.

The bike has a modest 7.2 kWh battery giving it a city range of 100 miles (160 km) and a mixed range of 75 miles (121 km). Cruise a constant 70 mph though and you&#;ll be lucky to get 40 miles (64 km) of range, so don&#;t expect this to be a great touring bike. But as a commuter motorcycle that can ride in the left lane for short jaunts, that range isn&#;t so bad. Again, that&#;s viewing it under the lens of riding to work &#; not canyon carving.

You can check out my test ride on an FXE here, or watch the video below.

Kollter ES1

Kollter is a fairly entrant to the US but offers a few interesting models, chief among them being the ES1.

I had the chance to test this one out too and you can read about the full test ride experience here.

The bike actually has some slightly Zero FXE-ish knock-off vibes, though at an obviously lower price. The ES1 Pro carries an MSRP of $6,995. There&#;s also an off-road model that offers more FX-ish vibes.

With 70+ mph speeds, the Kollter ES1 can hang out on the highway, though it may be limited to the right lane depending on the scenario.

It doesn&#;t have quite as nice styling as the bikes it imitates, but it has great value for an around the town e-moto that is fast enough for short hops on the highway.

Just don&#;t spend too long on the highway or your range will suffer. The bike comes with a city range rating of 65 miles (105 km), so you can imagine how short the highway range must be.

Check out my video review of the Kollter ES1 Pro below.

SONDORS Metacycle

If you&#;re a fan of electric motorcycles then you&#;ve surely heard of the SONDORS Metacycle by now.

The bike made waves upon its announcement in early and its bombshell low price of just $5,000. The price has since been increased to $6,500, but that still keeps it in the low-cost end of the electric motorcycle pricing spectrum.

The low price doesn&#;t mean low performance. SONDORS says the bike will offer an 80 mph (130 km/h) top speed and 80 mile (130 km) range, though in my testing I found that the top speed is reachable only when engaging a turbo boost button, and max cruising speed is closer to 60-70 mph (96-112 km/h).

Even so, it&#;s a great ride for around the city or short hops on the highway. I had it up to max speed on California highways during my test ride and it felt just as good at the top end as it did at the bottom end. But with a smaller 4 kWh battery, it&#;s a good idea not to ride too fast for too long or you&#;ll be looking for a charging outlet quickly.

A range test performed by the company put the real-world range when measured at higher speeds at closer to 60 miles, though many early owners have reported much lower ranges at high speed.

Any way you slice it, the 4,000 Wh battery pack isn&#;t terribly large, but is also bigger than most small-format electric motorcycles like the CSC City Slicker. And an expected 3 kWh auxiliary battery will be provided as an option to fill that negative space in the frame, offering more range. A storage compartment and a Level 2 charger will also be made available as accessory plugs for the frame window. There&#;s no estimated delivery date for those accessories though, so don&#;t think you&#;ll be able to add them in the next few weeks.

You can check out my test ride article on the Metacycle, or watch my video below.

NIU NGT electric scooter

I&#;m not sure if this one technically belongs in this list since it&#;s a scooter, but this is my article, so screw it!

I just reviewed the NIU NGT and this is one awesome smart scooter. The 3,500 kW peak-rated Bosch hub motor gives the bike 125cc-ish performance and tops out at just shy of 80 km/h (50 mph).

The electric scooter also comes with one of the best apps I&#;ve seen, giving you tons of information about your scooter remotely, plus offering GPS tracking and anti-theft features.

The pair of 2.1 kWh batteries provide a stated range of 140 km (87 mi), though in highest power mode, I end up getting more like 100 km (62 mi) of range.

All in all this is a great option if you&#;re looking for something more utilitarian in the scooter format. Priced at around $4,500 in the US, it costs more than some e-scooters but also offers a nicer package with more features and definitely more range. Though if you don&#;t need 60-80 miles of range for city commutes, there are lower range versions that cost significantly less.

More to come!

There you have it, the current best options in the US for low-cost electric motorcycles.

We had expected to see entries of other low-cost Asian electric motorcycles into the market in , but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the coming wave of motorcycles from China, such as the Sur Ron Storm Bee and VOGE ER10.

Even so, could be a big year for entries from even more local startups as well as new Asian imports arriving on American shores.

Are there any other electric motorcycles you have your eye on? Let us know in the comments section below!

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