Neil rides a Piaggio 1 Active electric scooter.

This is Neil’s first electric scooter, he’s owned the Piaggio 1 Active from new and drives under 5,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the scooter is between 0-500 miles and he achieves 30 miles from a full charge.

Why did you buy the Piaggio 1 Active?

I chose the 1 Active as it’s a fully electric Piaggio. I’ve loved Italian scooters for years and when the opportunity presented itself to buy a toy I don’t really need, I jumped at the chance!

The 1 Active is a smart looking, well-equipped scoot and it even has Bluetooth connectivity and a reverse gear!! That feature is surprisingly useful when putting the scooter away after a ride.

The ride is firm but forgiving and the acceleration is not exactly stunning but it gets you away from the lights at a good pace. The top speed is shown as 37 but I’ve had it up to 45 downhill!! Way quicker than the Citroen Ami!

Charging is easy with the supplied, fan-assisted charger. You simply take the battery out of the scooter and plug it in at home. A full charge from empty takes about 6 hours and gives you 30 miles. That is consistent as you charge indoors and there’s less influence from temperature change.

This cool scooter cost me £2,350 on the road from Global Moto in Watford. Great fun!

Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this electric scooter

• Great value at £2,350 OTR
• good fun and looks cool
• very low running costs.

Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really don’t like about this electric scooter

Considering everything, I can’t think of any negatives.

Compared to when you first bought the scooter, does your battery still charge at the same rate & do you still get the same range?

Yes, but it’s early days.

Have you experienced any faults with the scooter? If so, what have they been?

Needed a software reboot initially but since then, no issues.

What are the standout technological features of the scooter?

• Reverse gear
• digital instrumentation
• bluetooth connectivity.

Surprise us! Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this electric scooter

I think that would have to be going backwards on a motorcycle!

What’s the biggest or funniest myth you’ve heard about EVs?

My masculinity is somehow reduced due to driving an EV.

Home charging unit?

Piaggio-supplied home charger.