Few people might have heard about Cezeta, but its scooters in the 50s raised a lot of eyebrows in Europe through their unconventional design. They went out of production in 1964 but, now, a new company took over, and the funky machine should come back as an electric two-wheeler soon.
After decades since production ended, a new prototype Cezeta 506 was developed in Prague by Neil Eamonn Smith in 2012. The following year, the concept entered in the development phase and today it looks almost ready to go on sale.
The original Cezeta scooter was powered by a 175cc two-stroke single-cylinder engine and was able to reach a top speed of 55 mph (88 km/h) while providing a 73.5 mpg (3.2 l/100 km) fuel consumption. However, since emission regulations pretty much forbid the use of a smoky two-stroke in a new vehicle nowadays, the new Cezeta 506 will reincarnate as an electric scooter.
Don’t worry, though, it looks almost exactly as the original one, retaining the shapes that made it famous. People back then were calling it a torpedo due to the fuel tank unconventionally placed on top of the front wheel to save space under the seat. The headlight was also mounted in a recess of the tank and was amplifying the torpedo look. Some were joking that this was like ‘detonator’ to the ‘explosive warhead’ at the back.
The Cezeta 506 will be hand-built in a limited number per year and will use a frame structure to which the smooth body panels will bolt on. It will use larger wheels (13’’ instead of 12’’) to be more stable at higher speeds and will also come with brake discs and ABS front and back. Top speed is said to be reached at 68 mph (110 km/h), which is quite a lot for a scooter.
Speaking of speed, power will come from a rear wheel-mounted electric motor, generating around 11 kW (15 HP). Feeding it will be a battery pack that weighs only 25 kg, provides a 62-mile (100-km) range and uses the same technology as Tesla. Future plans include a larger pack that doubles the range.
The company plans to manufacture around 1,000 units this year, and we might be able to see them on sale by winter. You can reserve one on their official website with prices starting at €7,000 ($7,738 at current rates).
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