Vectrix

Vectrix is an American electric scooter manufacturer based out of Rhode Island and Massachusettes, with an assembly facility in Poland. Pioneered in 1996 by aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin in conjunction with entrepreneur Andrew McGowan, Vectrix was designed to anticipate a market for an electric zero-emission urban commuter vehicle.

Technology and engineering companies such as Parker Hannifin, ALCOA and Gold Peak batteries were also invited to pool their resources on the project, and the scooter was introduced to the public at the 2000 Motor Show Bologna in Italy. After winning the Frost & Sullivan Award for “Technology Innovation & Leadership of the Year,” the Vectrix VX-1 scooter was released to the public in 2007. Running purely on battery power, the Vectrix can be recharged even while the bike is in use by regenerative braking. This is an energy recovery mechanism in which the vehicle’s kinetic energy can be transferred through the handbrake from the motor back into the battery for future use.

Also unveiled was the V3, a three-wheeler presented during at the 2007 Electric Vehicle Symposium. To date this model has never been put into production past a prototype.

The VX-1 stood as the company’s lone production model and featured an eleven thousand dollar price tag (plus an additional three thousand if the battery ever needed to be replaced.) It was a hard sell without the understanding that its cost was more than made up for by its nonexistent fuel requirements. In response to public concern at the vehicle’s price point, Vectrix announced two lower-cost models to be released in 2009: the VX-1E and the VX-2.

The new bikes were stalled in pre-production, however, when Vectrix laid off the majority of its staff and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009. The company had cost its investors about 50 million in start-up capital, and the investment had proven too difficult to recover from. The company’s buyout asking price was around five million dollars, and one of its own investors came to the rescue. Gold Peak batteries purchased the renamed New Vectrix brand with no competition from other companies.

In May 2010, Vectrix returned to the market with a new offering – the VX-1 Li, featuring a new lithium ion battery designed and produced by Gold Peak. The battery was reported to increase the bike’s range by 30 to 40 percent. The Li was offered alongside the VX-1, with no immediate news on its relative cost.

Related Information:

Gilera

Italjet Motor Scooters

Products
Vectrix V3 Electric Scooter 100% electric Lithium batteries Top speed of 62 mph		Vectrix VX1 Scooter Electric engine with electric starter Automatic transmission type Peak power 21 kW (28.2 HP) at motor shaft
Vectrix VX2 Scooter 100% electric scooter Acceleration of 0-30 mph in 7.0 second Peak power of 4 kW (5.4HP)