The personal electric scooter makes first- and last-mile commuting a joy.
Hyundai’s latest EV is it’s smallest one. It doesn’t have the biggest range on the block. It doesn’t even have a rear suspension. But if the automaker follows through on its plans, this could be the coolest EV anywhere.
20 km of range. It’s not exactly an earth shattering accomplishment by EV standards, but it’s still pretty unique. That’s because this Hyundai is an electric scooter. And the company has big plans for the tiny runabout.
Thanks to a small electric motor and a 10.5 Ah lithium battery, the scooter weighs in at just 7.7 kg. That’s light enough to make it extremely portable. Plus it’s able to fold up. Making it usable when unfolded and purse-sized when folded.
It’s what Hyundai wants to do with it that makes it the most interesting. You’d be forgiven for not recalling the Motocompo that Honda sold from 1981 to 1983 in Japan. It was a folding gas-powered scooter that fit into the rear cargo area of Honda’s subcompact cars. Hyundai wants to do the same thing with this scooter.
“This is the vehicle-mounted personal scooter which could be featured in future Hyundai Motor Group vehicles. We want to make our customers lives as easy and enjoyable as possible. Our personal electric scooter makes first- and last-mile commuting a joy, while helping to reduce congestion and emissions in city centers.” said DongJin Hyun, head of Hyundai Motor Group Robotics Team.
Last-mile is what insiders call the distance from where you park (or where you leave public transit) to your actual destination. Normally because it’s not very far. Of course, everyone always wants to make it even shorter. Which causes issues like spending an hour looking for a parking space as close as possible. With last-mile mobility solutions, automakers can make it easier to park further away. This electric scooter can fit inside the car, making it easier to transport and potentially even keeping it charged for you. In the video, Hyundai shows the scooter emerging, Motocampo-style, from the fender, hatch, or even from the B-Pillar. That makes this scooter extra portable and extra cool.
The scooter has an LED screen with battery status and speed display, plus LED headlights and taillamps for night riding. Hyundai is also looking at adding regenerative braking to the 20 km/h scooter to give it even more than the current 20 km of range on a charge.
Keyword: Hyundai Shows Off Built-In Scooter Prototype