PROVIDENCE – The Providence Police Department this morning launched a three-month trial of the all-electric Vectrix Maxi scooter, kicking off the pilot with a test-drive at the Providence Public Safety Complex.

Chief Dean M. Esserman and Mayor David N. Cicilline were joined by Vectrix Corp. President and CEO Mike Boyle for the 10:30 a.m. announcement. Four Providence police officers have been selected to try the Vectrix scooters for the next three months, they said.

“We reached out and requested a demonstration of the Vectrix vehicle in February,” Esserman said. “Since then, we have researched this product, and we are impressed by its design and operation.”

The scooters can go as far as 60 miles on a single charge, thanks in part to their patented regenerative braking system, Middletown-based Vectrix says on its Web site. They can be charged in 3 to 5 hours using standard household current, and can achieve a top speed of 62 miles per hour.

“With the rising cost of gasoline and the threat of global warming, it’s critically important that we explore ways to reduce costs while protecting our environment for future generations,” Cicilline said in a statement. “These high-performance scooters will offer our police officers more mobility in our neighborhoods while helping to reduce air pollution.”

The Vectrix Maxi’s virtual silence, emissions-free operation, low energy costs and minimal maintenance requirements make the vehicle ideal for an urban environment, company and city officials said today. Over the course of a year, they noted, a 400cc gasoline-fueled motorcycle would emit about two tons of carbon dioxide.

Providence is the third city in the United States to host a pilot program featuring the battery-powered vehicles.

“We are excited and proud to be one of the first departments in the United States to launch this energy-saving initiative,” Esserman said. “The Providence Police Department would like to thank Vectrix for the three-month trial of these vehicles at no charge.”

Vectrix Corp. (AIM: VE61.L) – a Delaware corporate with its headquarters in Middletown, engineering and test facilities in New Bedford and production facilities in Wroclaw, Poland, plus sales offices in London and Rome – was founded in 1996 to develop and commercialize zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) technologies for two-wheel applications. For more information, visit www.vectrix.com.