Vectrix selling souped-up scooters in U.S.

Vectrix said today it is ready to start selling its motorbike-like electric scooters in the U.S.

The company has started its first customer deliveries and is establishing a distribution network across the country.

Backed by Parker Hannifin (NYSE: PH), Vectrix is set to open its first retail store this summer in Newport, Rhode Island where the company is headquartered.

The Vectrix scooter will reach a top speed of 62 miles per hour, with a maximum range of 68 miles on a single charge.

The company uses a nickel metal hydride battery pack that can charge in two hours from a standard electrical outlet.

The two-wheeler, which has room for two, has a 60-inch wheelbase and 30-inch seat height.

The company expects total production for the year ended Sept. 30, 2007 to be in the range of 1,800 to 2,000 units.

Vectrix has set up distribution networks in the mid-Atlantic region in New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Delaware, Maryland and Washington, D.C., as well as in Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Miami and West Palm Beach.

Founded in 1996, Vectrix has an engineering and test facility in New Bedford, Mass., with its European division based in Rome.

Parker Hannifin, a manufacturer of motion-control technologies and systems, invested an undisclosed amount in Vectrix in November 2004.

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