Honda Motocompacto Is Finally Here as a Modern, Electric Take on the Iconic MotoCompo

This is the Honda Motocompacto, an all-electric sitting scooter designed to tackle the issue of first- and last-mile mobility with an emphasis on versatility, convenience, and plenty of style. It's foldable so that it packs neatly into a compact unit that you can then throw into the trunk of your car, and it's sleek and reliable.

If the idea behind the Motocompacto rings a bell, it's because Honda has done it before. In 1981, with a new line of Japan-market Honda City cars, Honda offered a 50cc scooter called MotoCompo. It also packed into a boxy shape that could live inside the trunk of your car and only come out to take you from wherever you'd parked your car to wherever you needed to be – on the condition the distance between points A and B wasn't too big.

The MotoCompo was in production only for a couple of years, and no more than 54,000 units came off the assembly line during this time. Limited availability and quick discontinuation, as well as the compact form factor, turned the scooter into an obscure icon whose popularity has increased in recent years.

Honda was always aware of it, by the way. 2011 marked the company's first attempt at bringing back the MotoCompo with the Moto Compo concept, presented at the Tokyo Motor Show. It shared a similar design to the original but featured a swappable battery pack and marked the first confirmation that Honda wanted to update the '80s scooter.

Then, in 2020, word got out that Honda had secured a patent for something called the Motocompacto, which looked like an organic development on both these mobility solutions. The Motocompacto is here now and will be arriving in stores as early as November 2023.

As rumored three years ago, the Motocompacto is an electric scooter with functionality similar to its '80s predecessor. However, it's sleeker, smaller, lighter, and less polluting, so it's better suited for today's city dweller who has to commute to work and would require a first- and last-mile solution for that.

The Motocompacto is specifically designed for that, so don't expect record-breaking performance stats. Power comes from a permanent magnet, direct drive motor peaking at 490W, delivering 11.8 lb-ft/16 Nm of torque to the front wheel. The motor draws power from a 6.8 Ah battery estimated to take you 12 miles (19.3 km) on a single charge before you have to plug it in again for 3.5 hours.

Admittedly, the range is ridiculously low, but only if you compare it to what other electric city two-wheelers offer. This is an e-scooter meant to take you from your car to work and back again, so those 12 miles promised should be enough for that. The same goes for the max speed, which is electronically capped at 15 mph (24 kph).

The Motocompacto weighs 41.3 lbs (18.7 kg) and folds down into a box that is "its own carrying case." In other words, the rear wheel, the seat, and the handlebar tuck into the boxy aluminum body, allowing for very convenient storage both during transport and charging. It's a scooter that blends in wherever, including in the office, but which also stands out because of it. Paradox, thy name is Motocompacto.

This being a sitting scooter, it comes with retractable pegs to rest your feet. Lights, a digital display, a secret storage option, a solid kickstand, and app connectivity enhance functionality even more. Honda says that the app allows remote control of certain functions of the Motocompacto, such as lighting and riding modes.

The boxy aluminum body comes in handy for extra personalization, Honda notes. That's a more delicate way of saying you can add decals, skins, or stickers to it, which Honda may or may not provide. The company does say that they're working on a line of branded accessories that will include backpacks, helmets, apparel, "and more," so the decals could fall in that "more" category.

"Motocompacto is uniquely Honda – a fun, innovative and unexpected facet of our larger electrification strategy," says Jane Nakagawa, vice president of the R&D Business Unit at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Motocompacto supports our goal of carbon neutrality by helping customers with end-to-end zero-emissions transport."

Motocompacto is also comparatively affordable, with an MRSP of $955. The catch is that it will be made available only as an add-on to new electric SUVs, either online or through Honda and Acura dealers.

The idea is to create a community of Honda commuters with a unique solution to their first- and last-mile problems – not that this could ever stop non-Honda owners from getting their hands on one if they wanted to.