The Super Soco TC Max electric motorbike has been named the best way to cross the UK capital quickly, after a comfortable victory ahead of a Porsche Taycan in an E-Race across London.
Move Electric, Autocar’s sister brand dedicated to all forms of electric transport, staged the event to find out the fastest vehicle for inner-city use. Six electric vehicles, ranging from a £72,850 Taycan and a Citroën Ami to a rental e-scooter, all took part in the event. Watch the video to find out how they fared.
The race went from Haymarket’s head office in Twickenham, south west London to the Olympic Park in Stratford, to the east of the capital. It covered 18 miles, although the participants were free to pick their own route. And, of course, competitors had to follow all the rules of the road.
The in-depth story: Move Electric’s E-Race across London
The contest resulted in a combining victory for the TC Max, which was ridden by What Car? Road tester Neil Winn. The machine, which has a top speed of 60mph and a range of 60 miles, completed the route in 1h 20mins.
The Taycan, driven by Extreme E commentator Andrew Coley, finished second, exactly 10 minutes behind the Super Soco. Coley decided to take the North Circular, which meant driving 32 miles but helps avoid central London traffic.
An Eskuta SX-250, driven by delivery rider Atlanta Martin, finished third, just six minutes behind the Porsche. The moped-style machine features a 250W motor that is engaged by turning the pedals, which means it meets UK e-bike regulations.
Another e-bike, the GoCycle G4 that is designed by a former McLaren engineer, finished fourth in 1hr 43 mins. That was despite Rebecca Bland, Move Electric’s e-bike correspondent, having to do much of the event without electric assist due to a security feature on the demonstrator G4 disabling the motor.
The Ami, driven by Autocar’s Piers Ward, took fifth after struggling in London traffic. The e-scooter failed to finish, because the race finish in Stratford is in a borough not taking part in the government- approved rental e-scooter trials.
You can read the full story of how Piers Ward fared in the Citroën Ami in Autocar magazine tomorrow (November 30).