Hampshire Police is among a number of leading UK fleets that have been in discussions with Vectrix about its electric bike, the VXe.
Already in the final stages of development after eight years work, the bike can be charged on a traditional three-pin socket, can hit 50mph in about six seconds and reaches a top speed of 62mph through a twist and go throttle.
It takes about two hours to charge and has a range of 75 miles, but a short 20-minute top-up charge can give up to 30 more miles motoring.
Priced at about £5,000, running costs should be 85% less than an equivalent 250cc or 400cc motorbike, according to the firm’s UK managing director Alex Bamberg.
Already several prototypes are being shown to selected fleets in the UK, including Hampshire Police, DHL, TNT and the Metropolitan Police.
Once on sale next year, the company expects to sell about 800 bikes in the first 18 months. Bamberg said: ‘When people try it, they buy it. We have been keen to talk to fleets about the product because of the potential benefits and their ability to order in large numbers.’
But the bike’s multi-million pound development will not stop at an electric version, with plans already well advanced for a fuel cell-powered bike to be launched a couple of years after the arrival of the fully electric model.
Bamberg added: ‘We feel very strongly that this bike has the ability to turn the delivery motorcycle fleet business on its head.
‘On cost grounds the 250cc to 400cc sector cannot compete with Vectrix. If the Vectrix operator covered 11,000 miles per annum over four years, the petrol bike operator would have to be given his bike free of charge in order to even get close on wholelife cost grounds.’
John Bradley, fleet manager at Hampshire Police, which last year received a Fleet News Environmental Star Award, sponsored by BP, said: ‘We have discussed the concept of an electric bike as part of our continuing commitment to running an environmentally-friendly fleet.’
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