Small is beautiful for Australia’s new electric two wheelers

The Driven

You have to hand it to Redfern based Fonzarelli Electric Moto – this little outfit is doing a decent job of innovating in the electric scooter segment right here in Australia.

I was invited to their office recently to test ride their all new NKD model prototype which is best described as a hybrid between a scooter and a motorcycle, with a slight off-road but modern flavour.

Fonzarelli have been really successful in developing and selling a growing range of all electric scooters over the last few years, and by my count are the number one supplier of electric two wheelers in Australia in volume terms. Quite an achievement.

As I walked from my nearby office to Fonzarelli HQ, I was struck by reality.

I watched a guy jump into his 5L V8 Maloo ute with his bread and milk and proceed to consume several litres of premium fuel and wake up the entire neighbourhood with his ridiculously loud exhaust system.

He made a statement and there are people sentimental about such noise; but quite honestly, a silent electric two wheeler would have been infinitely more suitable for the task at hand.

It was the perfect segue to a warm welcome, a fresh macchiato and meeting the team at Australia’s most successful electric two wheel outfit.

The new NKD model they presented has around 10kW of peak power and a 3.3kWh 72V battery utilising Panasonic cells, although final production specifications may change a bit.

Although it was a protype, the design was simple and effective featuring easily customisable body panels (in carbon fibre and alloy sheet), great access to the main components for serviceability and a neatly designed and very quiet belt drive. I dig the way it looks.

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