For those not keen to ditch their petrol-powered four-wheeler, there is another electric alternative. The Ego Street Scoota went on sale in Britain last week at £1,000.

Built in China, where several million electric scooters are bought every year, it is marketed here by the online gadget retailer Firebox.com. It has a (restricted) top speed of 30mph and a maximum range of 40 miles and is exempt from road tax and the congestion charge. You charge it up from the mains.

As well as being the best congestion-busters, bikes are a great way to make a noise – loud means fun, and I smile from ear to ear each time my Ducati Monster fires up. So the idea of an electric scooter leaves me mute – a bit like the Street Scoota itself, which is almost silent in operation. It barely murmurs on start-up, giving little clue that it’s come to life. A few telltale lights illuminate when you turn the ignition key, and reveal how much energy is left “in the tank”, but it’s up to you to make your own “broom-broom” noises.

Twist the throttle and progress is swift up to 25mph, after which the Street Scoota loses ground to petrol power. At 30mph, though, it holds steady, is comfortable and handles as well as any other scooter on the market.

With very low running costs and no tailpipe emissions, it can give rise to bouts of rider righteousness, but these dissipate as you realise you’ve become a hazard to cyclists, pedestrians and even other scooter riders as you slice in silence through the air. And that means you need to apply higher-than-normal levels of concentration to avoid mishaps.

I’ve got to say, on two wheels, I prefer to be heard. Now, where’s my V-twin?

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