Smart (merc) E-scooter.

[BenR]

Apologies if this has been posted before but I thought this looked really good.

http://www.bikesales.com.au/news/2012/s ... sr-ed-news

[gn2]

I've heard it said that electric scooters will be a total non-starter right up until the day Honda start making them.

[scorpakid]

it looks modern and funky.... but ride it in the rain and you are goin to get backwashed from rear tyre....

[Deleted User 796]

And why have a phone instead of a proper dash? 45km top speed is poor too, you might as well get a cheap 50cc hairdryer scoot, it will be as fast, cost less to buy and won't need the batteries changing after two years.

[Funkycowie]

because its powered by the phone?

[Deeping]

I can,t read my phone in the sun, being in England though that won't matter

[MrGrumpy]

It does say thats intended for European markets where small scoots can be ridden without licences. There are already far more interesting looking scoots on the market plus the Zero trials bike thingy.

I do think that electric scoots will make a lot of sense for commuting, as long as your commute isn't too long. Running costs should be tiny. The big problem at the moment is that purchase cost is far more than a petrol scoot, and I'm not totally sure whether certain claimed performance figures are really true, what the real range is (ie flat out), and how many recharging cycles the batteries are good for - they are far too expensive to replace.

The other snag is that you'll need another scoot/bike/car for longer journeys, but it can make sense.

[Deleted User 796]

because its powered by the phone?

[StephenC]

And more news on this, confirming it for the US market too. Although they seem to think it will be part of a package, something like Peugeot's Mu.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/24/smar ... utoblog%29

In a blink-and-you'd-miss-it announcement during an event in Berlin, the head of marketing and sales for Smart, Martin Hülder, told us that the third model in the Smart e-Mobility range – after the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive and eBike – will be the Smart electric scooter (or "smart scooter"). To be fair, the original announcement happened in mid-May at a shindig in Davos, Switzerland, but Daimler had some new news for us in Berlin.

The stylish two-wheeler was first shown at the 2010 Paris Motor Show but was whisked into limbo from there, presumably to end up a no-go along with several previous ideas from the traditionally cash-burning company. Instead, the scooter has gotten the green light and the United States is a key market for it.

To rehash the features of the silent plug-in runabout, a 48-volt lithium-ion battery pack stored down low behind your feet supplies juice to a 4-kW (i.e. 5.4 horsepower) wheel-hub electric motor at the rear wheel. Top speed is listed at 45 km/h or 28 mph – a choice by Smart that allows the scooter to be driven on streets in many countries before one has a driver's license.
The scooter's plug-in socket is up front behind the smart emblem and, via a normal household connection, a full recharge takes three to five hours. The range spoken of is 100 km, or just over 60 miles.

The Smart scooter's frame is made from steel and aluminum and emulates the Smart ForTwo's tridion passenger cell in its strength properties and design. Beneath the seat, there is room for two scooter helmets, and the second seat – or 'pillion' seat – folds out and back from this single seat as needed, while the rear foot pegs emerge as part of the process. If an owner does not foresee having pillionites aboard, he or she can replace the seat with a luggage rack.

As with all Smart e-Mobility efforts, an owner benefits from complete smartphone integration. Mounting one's phone in the onboard holster between the handlebar grips, a suite of smart apps and connectivity opens up. Besides acting as speedometer and range indicator, the phone serves as a full-on navigation system, charge-point finder and, when away from the scooter, as a GPS tracking device if you've forgotten where you parked it. More apps will be revealed over time, we're sure.

With respect to safety, the Smart scooter includes an airbag, ABS stopping power, and Blind Spot Assist. Braking is controlled only by one lever on the right side of the handlebar which activates the front hydraulic disc brake. Once that occurs, the rear hub electric motor switches to generator duty and the rear brake is applied electrically. In the process, the lithium-ion pack recuperates energy. Energy regeneration also occurs via the discreet solar panels mounted at the front of the scooter. And there's also standard handlebar heating.

From what we were able to gather and calculate in our heads based on loose-lipped comments, the smart scooter will start at roughly $5,000-plus.

But why buy the cow when you can milk it, you ask? Smart indicates that its electric scooter will be an integral part of the Car2go subscription program that has been running in several European and North American cities (a number that is expected to grow to 30 cities by 2016). There's currently a Smart ForTwo Electric Drive fleet in San Diego and it has reportedly been a big success. Look for this new urban mobility lifestyle to hit several more cities in the U.S. by the scooter's 2014 on-sale (or lease) date.

[Funkycowie]

ABS in a 45km/h scooter? Why?

Airbag??? WTF for?