Hyundai and Kia have unveiled a personal electric scooter concept vehicle that folds for easy storage and transport yet can carry its rider as far as 20 kilometers and will offer a top speed of 20 km/h. The scooter is designed for what the automakers call first- and last-mile mobility.
Based on a prototype unveiled at the Consumer Electrics Show in Las Vegas in 2017, the new model has rear-wheel drive, a shock absorber for the front wheel, a lithium battery and front and rear lights. In a video, the folded scooter is stored in a variety of small storage compartments built into Hyundai and Kia vehicles, and its batteries are recharged while the car is in motion.
“This is the vehicle-mounted personal scooter which could be featured in future Hyundai Motor Group vehicles,” said DongJin Hyun, head of the Hyundai Motor Group Robotics Team.
“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.”
The scooter weighs 7.7 kilograms (less than 17 pounds). It has a digital display that shows battery status and vehicle speed.
