Sonoma County company's technology key to next-generation scooter

The newest thing in earth-friendly transportation — a sleek, high-performance electric motor scooter called the Vectrix ZEV — rides on technology made by a Sonoma County company.

Parker Hannifin Corp. is building the scooter’s onboard computer system at its Compumotor Division in Rohnert Park.

The Vectrix made its U.S. debut last week in San Francisco, where it was hailed by alternative fuel advocates and scooter fans. The fuel cell hybrid runs 40 to 60 miles on a charge and hits speeds up to 62 miles per hour.

It produces no emissions (ZEV stands for Zero-Emission Vehicle) and costs less than two cents a mile to operate, according to Vectrix.

Such innovation isn’t cheap. The Vectrix retails for $11,000 in the U.S..

For Parker Hannifin, a global company that makes motion-control technology, plug-in vehicles promise a hot new market.

“Hybrids are one of the biggest markets we’ve seen in a while,” said Ken Sweet, general manager at the Rohnert Park division. With the price of gas soaring, demand for alternative fuel technology should continue to grow, he said.

Compumotor makes the 8-by-10-inch printed circuit board that controls the Vectrix motor. Mounted under the seat, it regulates the scooter’s speed and acceleration and provides data to the dashboard displays.

The device was designed at the Parker facility in Rohnert Park, where computer-controlled machines stamp tiny parts on circuit boards as they flow down an assembly line.

Vectrix represents a breakthrough in electric scooter engineering because of its power, speed and range, said John Guite, engineering manager at the Rohnert Park division. “It’s equal to a gas-powered scooter,” he said.

Vectrix, based in Newport, Rhode Island, calls the scooter the world’s first high-powered electric two-wheel vehicle, claiming it’s comparable to a 400cc gas-powered maxiscooter.

The scooter is aimed at upscale urban commuters, especially in Europe, where governments offer cash incentives to buyers of electric-powered vehicles.

Parker Hannifin owns a 50 percent stake in Vectrix’ fuel cell hybrid patent and is the main supplier for the scooter’s electronic and motor components.

Parker facilities elsewhere make other parts of the Vectrix, including valves, seals, compressors and the motor itself.