Back in July of last year, Motor Trader met up with Joe D’Ercole and Ben Silver, entrepreneurs who were, at the time, deep into planning the development, launch, establishment, and growth of their electric scooter business, Benzina Zero.

Already a couple of years into the project, Joe and Ben were drawing on their collective decades of experience in the scooter sector – which had seen them sell more than 18,000 scooters through Joe’s company Scooterlife – and their shared interest in environmentally friendly mobility solutions, to build a business offering a selection of electric scooters that would offer decent range, would be easy to charge, be practical and affordable, and be well suited to the urban landscape and to the commuters and delivery businesses to which they would likely be of interest.

Working in collaboration with a production factory in China, Joe and Ben worked to develop scooters of the highest quality, utilising first-rate components including Bosch motors, LG batteries and disc brakes, and which offered a range of appealing features.

Light and manoeuvrable, and with features that include, depending on the model, keyless ignition; an LED display; USB connectivity to charge other devices; storage and attachment options for carrying objects and goods; and anti-theft elements including an immobiliser, portable alarm, motor and steering lock, the Benzina Zero scooter range that emerged from those years of effort is top-notch.

On September 15 this year, the company had its official launch at an event held at EV Moto Brisbane – a business that focuses on electric vehicle options, including scooters and mopeds, and which is part of the Bartons Motor Group dealership network. At the launch was Benzina Zero’s four-scooter range – the City, the Duo, the Duo+, and the Sport.

The City has a top speed of 45km/h a range of 80km and is a classic-looking scooter. The Duo range consists of the Duo and the Duo+, with the Duo able to reach 45km/h and travel for 105km, and the Duo+ receiving a more powerful Bosch motor and able to reach 65km/h and go for 95km. The Duo is also the company’s most adaptable model, with as many as 20 different attachments available that can be fitted to carry all manner of goods, from a surfboard to groceries.
The Sport is fitted with a pair of lithium batteries, is the most powerful scooter in the range and can reach 75km/h and be ridden for up to 90km. It has a twin-speaker Bluetooth audio system and USB charging for devices.

While charging times might be the brow-furrowing concern of electric car owners, the smaller batteries – of around the 2kWh size – used by these scooters mean charging times are much shorter. In fact, thanks to the ability to hot-swap the batteries – meaning a drained battery can be swapped out for a fully charged one in just a few seconds – there is barely any need for downtime at all.

It’s important to note that Benzina Zero is offering the environmentally conscious buyer more than just an emissions-free way of getting around. The company’s 1M2 project sees them regenerate one square metre of land in Australia for every vehicle they sell, and has signed up to the national B-cycle battery recycling initiative.
While Benzina Zero only launched officially last month, new models are in the development pipeline and Joe and Ben have been building the distribution network for many months with the range available through 10 dealerships.

“We are ready to go,” said Ben. “We have the Duo, City and Sport models in our warehouses and in dealerships right now and our new models will start production in 2023. “Everyone is talking about electric,” he added. “People are starting to make the switch because they can see the social, lifestyle and environmental benefits.

“Swapping a car for a Benzina Zero electric scooter means you can remove two tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from our atmosphere every year.

“We were the first electric vehicle manufacturer in the country to sign up to the B-cycle battery recharging program ahead of all the major players including four and two-wheel vehicles.”

The Benzina Zero range of scooters is also available internationally, with the company based in Italy for distribution through Europe and further international networks being developed. The European move has, said Joe, been a successful one.

“The Italians love the way they look,” he said. “I was on a Duo in Italy in August and locals were literally flagging me down from the sidewalks and shouting out from balconies to ask me what it was and where they could buy one!

“People are telling us they love how practical they are, they are impressed with the quality of the scooters and how good they look.”

With the electric mobility revolution well underway, two-wheel scooters offer an attractive way for people to get into the action. With the price for the Benzina Zero range starting at $4,250 for the City model and reaching $7,250 for the Sport, they are an incredibly affordable option for efficient and cost-effective transport.

“Our scooters are perfect for commuting and great for deliveries. They are the perfect vehicle between a push bike and a ute,” said Joe. “They fulfil this really important space where you can do quick, localised deliveries, you can carry a decent amount of goods. And you can do that quicker than you can on a pushbike, and you can carry more and get into places that you can’t in bigger vehicles.

“Our prices mean that our Benzina Zero scooters are available to stacks of people. It’s a fantastic second vehicle for a family who want more mobility but not a big expense and, of course, don’t have the space for a second car.”

Benzina Zero is a finalist for the MTA Queensland Innovation Award, the winner of which will be announced on 19 November.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (October 2022)

21 October 2022