Mobility product manufacturer, Zinc, has launched what it claims is "the UK’s first seated e-scooter." The Venture is not just an e-scooter with a seat though, as it has a number of features you might find on e-bikes, such as 14" folding bike size wheels, a fold-down handlepost, a kickstand, hardwired lights, 'built-in shock absorbers', double disc brakes and mudguards.
Other features include a top assisted speed of 15.5mph and a battery range of 15 miles (battery size not given) from the lithium ion battery located in the middle of the frame (a sensible location from the point of view of handling and balance). It is also e-bike-like in its weight (17.3kg) and load rating (120kg).
Zinc's claim that it is the UK's first seated e-scooter seems to be credible at least - similar products such as the Razor EcoSmart Cargo and Fiido's recently announced seated e-scooter the Q2 are not, as yet, available for sale over here.
So why is the Zinc Venture not an e-bike when it has so much in common with one? Well, first and foremost, it lacks pedals, with 'anti-slip footpegs' in their place.
The Venture really highlights the confusion - legal and terminological - around such non-standard electric vehicles. Legally speaking, electric two-wheelers tend to fall into the electric moped category when they fall outside the legal definition of an e-bike - either because they lack pedals like the Venture, or because they exceed the 15.5mph max assisted electric assist speed.
> Alternatives to e-bikes - what other light electric vehicles can you ride in the UK?
They might also be considered 'powered transporters' - a catch-all term invented by the government when it started trialing e-scooters.
So it's an open question whether the Venture would be legal should the government ever get around to legalising e-scooters. (The estimated date for legalisation has been pushed back from 2022 to 2023 then 2024...) For now, whatever you call such designs, you can't use them on UK roads. if type-approved they could be used under the cyclomobiles légers road user category in France.
Like much of the rest of the e-scooter world, Zinc are clearly pinning their hopes on future legalisation in the UK for their designs to really take off commercially.
Chirag Shah, chief operating officer for Zinc Sports said: “For us it was important that the Zinc Venture e-scooter has many of the qualities that you would associate with a bike, but in the form of an e-scooter, at an accessible price point. We think it will prove popular with those that want to sit down, and when legislation does eventually allow, it will also benefit couriers and delivery drivers too.”
The Zinc Venture is available now from Argos and Zinc Sports for £500.
