New HMP Flash brings affordable 75 MPH electric scooters to the US

This one's outside the home energy world Retrofit Relay usually covers, but here's what's new: a San Francisco company called HMP Bikes has released the HMP Flash, an electric scooter aimed at US buyers who want something between an e-bike and a full motorcycle. It tops out at 75 mph and gets a real-world tested range of 70 miles, with HMP saying that figure came from actual city riding rather than optimistic lab numbers.

The Flash comes with a removable battery, available as a single pack (3.3 kWh) or dual pack (6.6 kWh total, needed to hit the 70-mile range). Buyers can add a 2 kW onboard charger that uses a J1772 plug and takes the dual-battery version from 20% to 80% in about two hours, or charge the batteries off the bike with an included 840-watt plug-in charger. Standard features include ABS brakes, traction control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a dash cam, keyless start, and a cargo rack. Because of its speed, California registers it as a motorcycle, meaning riders there need a motorcycle license and DOT-approved helmet — rules elsewhere may differ.

Pricing starts at $4,799 for the single-battery model without the onboard charger and goes up to $5,999 for the dual-battery version with the charger included. That's notably cheaper than the BMW CE04, one of the few other highway-capable electric scooters sold in the US, which costs close to $13,000.