Electric scooters are a contentious subject, on one hand they’re said to be eco friendly and cheap to run but on the other they’re expensive to buy and have a limited range. This new offering from Spanish manufacturer, Rieju might just help to convince a few commuters that riding electric is the way forward.

Firstly let’s look at the styling of the MIUS (pronounced my us), you can’t argue with the fact that it’s bang up to date, minimalist and likely to appeal to the fashion conscious, as well as the eco warrior. With it’s tubular steel frame, eye-catching graphics and functional good looks it should tempt a few people on to two wheels for the first time. Add in the fact that it’s easy to ride, almost silent, can be charged on an ordinary socket at home, work or at one of the growing number of free electric points in London (the capital will have 1300 electric points by 2013, other major cities are following suit) and has a good quality Panasonic Lithium battery which is capable of covering 25 miles between charges it does start to make a bit more sense. How many miles does the average commuter cover in a day? Around 12 is enough for most people so you’ll get to work and back twice for the cost of one charge, which is less than 50p on average. Service costs are also minimal, tax and insurance is inexpensive, congestion charging and parking are free and the scooter is classed as a moped, so if you passed a car test before Feb 2001 or have a full bike licence you can ride it without ‘L’ plates. Otherwise you’ll need to be sixteen or over and take a one day CBT course at your local bike training school. New licencing rules come in on 19^th January 2013, so keep an eye on our training section for the latest info.

As you probably know, a moped is limited to 30mph and the Rieju MIUS is no different. It’s also exactly the same as riding a moped; all the controls are the same, with a left hand rear brake lever, a right front brake lever and a throttle. The only difference is that you don’t have an engine to start; instead you simply turn the key and press the button to ‘arm’ the scooter, then just twist and go. With an electric scooter you’ll find that it accelerates quite well, that’s because the 3kw motor makes maximum power from zero rpm. Depending on the type of area you live in will determine just how practical the moped version of the scooter is, I live in a very hilly rural area and the power does drop off quite significantly when going up hill but on the flat, or downhill the scooter will hold 30mph easily. If you’re from a flatter area then you’ll be happy with this version, otherwise I’d suggest you opt for the more powerful model, which is capable of 40mph. The MIUS lends itself well to fleet drivers who need to zip around a city, maybe delivering pizzas or parcels for instance. There are extra luggage and fleet options available and the scooter can be supplied in custom colours complete with your company branding if required.

As electric vehicles go the Rieju MIUS is the perfect vehicle for anybody who doesn’t need to travel too far in a day. If your commute is less than 25 miles in total, or you have the option to charge at work then it’s £3199 well spent.