VMOTO are the new owners of e-moped and e-motorbike brand Super Soco (now called VMOTO Soco, whose CU Mini e-moped we've reviewed). They are now looking to bring the cost benefits of direct-from-the-manufacturer importing to the UK market with three new models, the VMOTO Stash and the VMOTO ON-R and OFF-R, and they're offering £700 off all models in a sale.
The Vmoto Stash has been around as a prototype for quite some time now but late 2023 should see it go on sale in the UK, Vmoto Soco UK Sales Director Clive Mann told ebiketips. It will be the top performing e-motorbike in their range and is a so-called L3e category electric vehicle, though the exact final spec is yet to be confirmed. L3e electric motorbikes (125cc equivalent) typically have a top speed in the 50-60mph region
Vmoto will also offer a dirt bike in two variants. The ON-R features road tyres, and naturally the OFF-R comes with knobblies. There will be two speed classes of both variants too; L1e class bikes will max out at 28mph, while L3e models should top out at 53mph.
There are further interesting details. The ON-R is described as suitable for gradients up to 18% and the OFF-R 30% whilst both have an 8kW-rated mid-drive style motor. The battery system has what is described as a 'patented, submerged cooling system' where the battery temperature can quickly be dropped by 50% if required and the battery itself is rated for use in temperatures of -40 degrees.
Launch sale as a springboard to future growth?
Currently in the UK around 150,000 to 160,000 e-bikes are sold annually, dwarfing the 3,000 or so sales of road-registered e-mopeds and e-motorbikes (Vmoto Soco claim around a 50% share of the latter figure).
This relatively low figure might seem something of a mystery when the entry point of Vmoto Soco's range is a base price of £1,699 for the CU Mini and even the projected price of the top of the range Stash is in the £7,000 to £10,000 region - which is still only on a par with top end e-MTBs.
Mann believes it's a combination of factors that are masking the great value and cheap running costs that are to had with both L1 and L3 class two-wheelers. "Registration requirements, lack of a European style moped culture, cuts in government subsidies and competition from existing petrol models have all played their part," he comments.
But Vmoto Super Soco are having a launch sale to mark the internalisation of the UK distribution network with £700 off all models. The promotion, which lasts until the end of
July, marks the distinction of the brand becoming manufacturer owned in the UK.
The restructuring plan affects all UK imported models currently in stock, including the
‘perfect for the campsite’ CU Mini, the dual battery, city commuter CPX and the café
racer styled TC Max. It also includes the new for 2023 Hunter and Wanderer models. The offer extends across the dealer network with more details of it available here.
Surely then, there can be little excuse not to look very seriously at all the advantages of throttle-powered electric two wheelers - quick, sustainable, stress-free travel that costs relatively little in 'fuel' and maintenance costs.
