As a former Honda Ruckus-, alternative-fuels-, outdoors-, and fun-enthusiast, I can honestly say that this is the one thing that puts all of these things together, a solar-powered lithium-ion two-wheel drive Electric Ruckus, an electric scooter otherwise known as the DAYMAK BEAST D.
First, let me tell you that the Honda Ruckus doesn’t seem like a great ride. After all, it’s only equipped with a 50 cc engine and a tiny belt-drive CVT, which might get you to 40 mph, and that downhill with a tailwind and a slight modification to the CVT! On the other hand, most states don’t require you to get a motorcycle endorsement and it delivers 114 mpg.
While these were the main reasons I bought it, it also happens to look cooler than practically anything else on the road. You can think of it like two-wheel version of a dune buggy or Jeep Wrangler, which is interesting, because one company figures that it should also be able to perform as well off-road as these other cool options, adding in a pure electric two-wheel drive powertrain, to boot!
Modified by DAYMAK, a Canadian electric mobility specialist (think: granny’s electric scooter and your kid’s Barbie convertible), looked at the Honda Ruckus and thought, “We should electrify that,” and they did. The result, perhaps with a nod to the Tesla Model S P85D, is the DAYMAK BEAST D, a dual-motor lithium-ion battery electric scooter. Equipped with 20 Ah of lithium-ion battery and two 500 W electric motors, one in each wheel, and knobby-off-road tires, the BEAST D has a top speed of 31 mph, a range of up to 18.6 miles, and is totally off-road capable.
Of course, the DAYMAK BEAST D isn’t rated for on-road use, so I guess I’d have to settle for the BEAST ULTIMATE, which is a little slower, only up to 20 mph, but has the same range. At the same time, I can honestly say that I don’t want to buy some of the other e-bike options that are out there. What’s really cool about the Electric Ruckus is the charging system. Of course, you can plug it in, and it’ll fully charge in four to six hours, but the battery case is shod in solar panels, which function as a trickle charger, charging about 5 miles per day in ambient lighting conditions. You may never have to plug it in if you pedal and keep your speed and distance down!
