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My motorcycle goes faster, has much heavier batteries, and a pretty good size steel frame. All that makes it less efficient than an electric bicycle.
However, I also have a headlight and horn, turn signals, and other safety items - plus I think it's pretty cool.
What charger you also use makes a difference. My calculations were all based on power from the wall measured with a Killawatt meter. I found that using an old fashioned transformer charger used almost twice as much power to get the same charge as a small modern electronic charger did.
Electric bikes really are very efficient. I would think a scooter would be somewhere between my motorcycle and an electric bike.
I have seen a scooter that was technically an electric bike, as it had working pedals on it. That sounds like an ideal light electric vehicle. You could gain efficiency by pedaling away from stops and whenever else you felt like it, but you would still look like a "real" vehicle, but people wouldn't expect you to be going too fast.
I agree that 49cc engines aren't the greatest thing. I have a 49cc scooter sitting in my garage. I have really never used it because of the noise and vibration. My electric motorcycle is very smooth and quiet. The scooter sure isn't. I think I am going to sell it for funding my electric car project.
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