Jimmy Cooper would have protested that he couldn’t ride it from London to Brighton unless he kept his speed below 25 mph. Regardless, the battery-powered 2024 Lambretta Elettra is here, and it is positioned as an urban scooter with substantial in-town performance and a city-friendly range.
While the continuous output of the electric motor is a meager 5.4 horsepower, it has an enormous amount of grunt at 190 ft-lbs of torque. So, the Elettra will get away from the stoplight with authority. The motor is capable of up to 15 horsepower in spurts, and the top speed is 68 mph, though it’s not intended to be a freeway commuter.
The range of the Elettra depends on how it is ridden and what power mode is used—just like a gasoline-powered scooter. The gold standard of range estimates is WMTC (World Motorcycle Test Cycle), and the Elettra rates 65 miles out of a charge of its 4.6-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. Lambretta claims 79 miles in the Eco mode, with the speed limited to 25 mph. The range drops to 44 miles in the ride mode at a maximum of 45 mph. Click the Elettra into sport mode, and you get 39 miles at no more than 50 mph. All of those numbers are more than satisfactory for urban and suburban use.
If you have access to a fast charger, the Elettra can be charged from 20 to 80 percent in 36 minutes—a common range of charging. European households run on 220 volts, so they can go from a zero to 100 percent charge in 5.5 hours.
The 2024 Lambretta Elettra has an impressive chassis. The frame is cast aluminum, surrounded by steel bodywork with space to store a helmet. A horizontally mounted shock is connected to an aluminum swingarm via a linkage system, while the front wheel has twin-shock linkage suspension. Pirelli Diablo Rosso Scooter tires are mounted on 12-inch wheels—110/90 front and 120/80 rear. Ready to ride, the Elettra tips the scales at less than 300 pounds—about a dozen pounds heavier than a Yamaha Zuma 125. The seat height is a manageable 30.7 inches.
We don’t have any information on the minimalist controls. This is undoubtedly a scooter that Jimmy, or any other 1960s mod, would not recognize. However, Lambretta continues to make vintage-flavored scooters with internal combustion engines.
You will likely have to go to Europe to purchase the Lambretta Elettra, as there is no dealer network in the United States. Also, we don’t have a price for this futurist electric scooter.
2024 Lambretta Elettra Specs
MOTOR
Type: Permanent magnet synchronous
Peak output: 15 horsepower
Continuous output: 5.4 horsepower
Maximum torque: 190 ft-lbs
Top speed: 68 mph
Transmission: Clutchless single-speed
BATTERY
Type: Lithium-ion
Maximum capacity: 4.6 kWh
220V home charger: 5.5 hours (0 to 100 percent)
Fast charger: 36 minutes from 20 to 80 percent
ESTIMATED RANGE
Eco: 79 miles @ 25 mph maximum
Ride: 44 miles @ 45 mph maximum
Sport: 39 miles @ 50mph maximum
WMTC-certified range: 65 miles
CHASSIS
Frame: Cast aluminum w/ steel bodywork and aluminum swingarm
Front suspension: Linkage-assisted twin shocks
Rear suspension: Linkage-assisted horizontal shock
Tires: Pirelli Diablo Rosso Scooter
Front tire: 100/90 x 12
Rear tire: 120/80 x 12
Front brake: Disc w/ Brembo caliper
Rear brake: Disc
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
Wheelbase: 54.3 inches
Seat height: 30.7 inches
Curb weight: 298 pounds
2024 Lambretta Elettra Price: €TBA MSRP
