An interesting alternative to the gas-guzzling Yukon sucking you dry is now on the showroom floor at Rocky Mountain Cycle Plaza: an electric scooter capable of mixing it up on city streets.

The Vectrix scooter gets the equivalent of 357 miles per gallon per electrical charge, which costs about 50 cents, said Steve Clark, general manager at Rocky Mountain.

The scooter, essentially the size of a mid-sized motorcycle, is made in Poland for  Massachusetts-based Vectrix.

The details: A nickel metal hydride battery pack pushes the 515-pound scooter to 62 mph, with a nice acceleration of 0-50 in 6.8 seconds. The “maxi-scooter,” as Vectrix calls it, has a 60-inch wheelbase and 30-inch seat height, giving the rider more stability and visibility on city streets. This is not one of those 50cc micro-scooters that has a hard time leaving a stop light.

In fact, a recent test ride revealed a machine that can really scoot. Unlike gasoline engines, electric motors produce full torque with the first twist of the throttle. That allows the scooter to jump ahead of cars at stoplights and accelerate into gaps in traffic, allowing riders to keep a safety zone around them.

The scooter, nicely finished and with a lot of storage, was easily able to keep up with traffic on city streets. Locomotion is direct from motor to wheel, so there is no clutch lever or transmission shifter to master. Rotating the throttle back produces a braking effect and slightly recharges the battery as the machine slows for a stop.

There is, obviously, a complete lack of engine noise, a welcome relief for riders accustomed to tiring exhaust noise. The long wheelbase and the battery pack carried low in the frame contribute to stable but effortless counter-steering. It would be a nice machine to get around the city.

But there are drawbacks to the Vectrix: It has an average range of 30 to 55 miles before it needs to be plugged into a 110-volt electrical outlet for a two-hour to three-hour charge. Higher speeds means recharging more often.

And the scooters aren’t cheap: Clark said the machines range from $8,000 to $9,000.

Clark said the Vectrix has been selling well in Boulder. But this is Colorado Springs, so he has “modest expectations” for sales.

Still, he said he decided to carry the scooter, in part, to encourage further development of electric two-wheeled vehicles, including the next generation of batteries that promise far more miles between a charge. In fact, Vectrix is developing a smaller electric scooter and a sportbike that may use that refined technology.

Clark said he expects customers to be well-heeled professionals who don’t have a long commute and can afford a traditional machine but want the Vectrix for bragging rights, its zero-emissions and the rude – but cute – finger it raises to Big Oil.

“It’s for the Prius-type customer,” he said, referring to the popular Toyota hybrid.

For more information about the scooter and the company producing it, visit: www.vectrix.com

PLAN TRIPS ON GOOGLE TRANSIT

Folks who want to travel on Mountain Metropolitan Transit buses can now plan their trips on Google Transit, an online mapping service. Just plug in your starting and ending destination, and the service spits out suggested trip plans, walking directions if necessary, transfer instructions and arrival times. Visit www.google.com/transit or www.springsgov.com/transit.-Tell me your commuter tales. 636-0197 or bill.mckeown@gazettedev.gazette.com