Super Soco’s commuter king
The new Super Soco CPx offers an electric escape from public transport
Electric bike sales jumped 50% in 2020, with most interest at the milder end of the power spectrum. With city commuters fleeing pox-ridden public transport for two-wheeled self-isolation, Super Soco’s new flagship CPx scooter has landed at the perfect time.
One lump or two?
You can buy a CPx with one battery (£3654), or two (£4754). Each removable 2.7kWh unit is good for 35-40 miles if you stick to 30mph or less, with the range dropping to around 20 miles per battery if you ride everywhere at top speed. The hub-mounted 4kW (5bhp) motor drives linearly but leisurely, building to an indicated 57mph (a GPS-tested 53mph). But performance drops as each battery depletes. When charge is low the CPx gets increasingly sluggish, while top speed drops to 45mph. With two batteries, the CPx first drains one from full to 20%, then switches to the second (fully charged) battery. So it starts off with full power, slows, perks up when it swaps to battery two, then slows again. When there’s just 10% battery left, top speed is cut to around 25mph. We did achieve Super Soco’s claimed 80-mile range for our twobattery bike, but only by staying strictly below 30mph and limping the final few miles. Batteries can be charged in or out of the bike, but weigh 18.4kg each. One battery takes just over three hours to charge, at a cost of roughly 40p – so six hours and 80p for both.
Size matters
The wide, plush seat is comfy enough for an hour’s commute and you’re sat behind a tall, protective windscreen. Foot-room is modest, with just enough space for my size nines. On MCN’s scales the CPx weighs 146kg with two batteries, or 127.6kg with one. It’s wellbalanced, with easy walkingpace U-turns and superb agility nipping through traffic. There’s even a reverse mode to back out of a parking space.
Patchy practicality
Suspension is basic but behaves over potholes. Brakes lack ABS but are linked, so both levers need a firm squeeze to trigger all three of the front caliper’s pistons. Bite and stopping power is pretty mild, with the motor adding little engine braking.
Practical touches on the scooter include a USB charging socket near the phone-sized glovebox, but traditional underseat storage is taken up by batteries. The ignition can be turned on remotely, though you still need the key for the steering lock. There’s an alarm, but it’s very quiet.