Hey guys,
People are CONSTANTLY asking me for leads on ways of getting BUDGET-MINDED electric vehicles, so here goes.
I know the owner of FLUX MOPEDs, who builds 49cc equivalent electric scooters. They have a few of their 2012 models left still, on closeout, because they don't have batteries. SO, if you can build your own battery, you can get a BRAND-NEW, completely street-legal, electric scooter for $950!
They agreed to let me borrow one to play around with. I used some old Ford Escape Hybrid NiMH cells to build a pack and test it out. It worked great. The cycle uses a 50-amp Anderson disconnect to hook up the battery, so it's all standard industrial parts to build your own. You would also have to provide the charger to match whatever battery you build. The motor controller is designed for a 60V system.
There's quite a bit of room under the seat for batteries. I just threw together a pretty small pack, but I think you could almost fit 8 Nissan LEAF cells in there. It would be total overkill, but you would have a heck of a range with it!
I shot a couple of videos for you.
I have a full write up at my blog page:
New Scooter/DIY Battery