Women Drive Take-Up of Two-Wheel City e-Mobility

Paul Myles

TU-Editor

---

19th November 2019

Women are driving the surge towards two-wheeled e-mobility solutions for urban dwellers in the UK.

That’s the message from Phil Griffin MD of e-moped and e-motorcyle maker Artisan Scooters who also claims the uptake of these zero-emission micro vehicles is now being driven by consumer demand. TU-Automotive caught up with Griffin at his company’s stand amid the usually gasoline-drenched environment of the Motorcycle Live 2019 show in Birmingham’s NEC.

He said the impetus for seeing more electric bikes and mopeds on our city streets has changed from when the company started trading. Griffin said: “When we started about four and a half years ago the market was being driven by the manufacturers. Dealers who would express interest said they couldn’t order any bikes because none of their customers were asking for them. Now dealers are coming to us to ask what we can supply and when. That’s how the market has now become driven by the consumer.”

Griffin also noted that the biggest levels of interest in electric bikes is coming from female riders queuing up to test the company’s products. He explained: “In our test rides of the bikes, we are finding a 70-30% split in favor of women bikers who seem to like the cleanliness of the technology and the lack of noise.”

Two of Artisan’s top sellers include a scooter moped, the retro-styled Vespa-like EV 2000R, and the more traditional sports-styled Evo motorcycle. Griffin said the two are targeting distinctly different consumer needs. He said the first was aimed squarely at the urban dweller, saying: “The scooters have a double battery pack so one can be lifted out and charged at a time. They are designed to weigh just 10kg each so they are easy for most people to carry up to a high-rise city apartment to be charged overnight. The scooters are limited to 30mph to give a usable range of 50 miles which is enough for most daily city trips.”

Alternatively the needs of the out-of-town commuter are the focus of the Evo. Griffin said: “The bigger bike, which sits in the 125cc segment, has an in-built battery pack and, with a range of 50 miles and a top speed of 50mph, is aimed at the commuter coming into town who is more likely to use dual carriageways and have charging facilities on a driveway or garage.”

— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_