Photo: MINi
Today MINI unveiled how they want to help you out when covering that ‘last mile’ and they took out the MINI Citysurfer Concept, a more than interesting proposition. Taking a closer look showed us just for far we’ve come and how low we’ve succumbed.
The now famous ‘last mile’ concept refers to the walk a user has to take from the car park on the outskirts of the town to their final destination in the city centre after parking their car. That’s a more and more often scenario, especially in big cities.
Due to what the increased urbanization we’re facing today there’s an important shortage of traffic and parking space in the very sections of large conurbation areas which frequently attract particularly large numbers of people.
The concentration of work, leisure and shopping facilities in a few areas results in increased mobility within a limited space. That immediately translates into traffic congestion and an immense shortage of parking space.
In huge urban areas there’s simply no solution for such problems and the only alternative is to convince people to leave their cars on a wider radius. However, that creates yet another problem: getting to the point of interest in time. This is where the MINI Citysurfer Concept steps in.
It weighs just 18 kg (40 lbs) even though it packs a decent battery and an electric motor that can take the scooter up to 25 km/h (15 mph) and offers a range between 10 and 15 miles (15-25 km). Due to its compact size, it can be easily folded and transported either with your own car but also with public transport.
Of course, the electric motor will help out but you can still use it as a kick scooter when the battery runs out. Furthermore, the electric unit powering the rear wheel will not kick in unless you start it up riding the scooter in the good old fashion way first.
Big pneumatic wheels will make sure the bumps are easily absorbed while the batteries that are stowed under the foot board are protected from dirt and weather thanks to special covers.
Basically, you get to the parking lot that is 10 miles (16 km) away from the place you actually want to go, send the coordinates from the navigation system to your phone, hook it up to your handle bars and get there with the scooter. Quite interesting.
Due to what the increased urbanization we’re facing today there’s an important shortage of traffic and parking space in the very sections of large conurbation areas which frequently attract particularly large numbers of people.
The concentration of work, leisure and shopping facilities in a few areas results in increased mobility within a limited space. That immediately translates into traffic congestion and an immense shortage of parking space.
In huge urban areas there’s simply no solution for such problems and the only alternative is to convince people to leave their cars on a wider radius. However, that creates yet another problem: getting to the point of interest in time. This is where the MINI Citysurfer Concept steps in.
It’s a scooter with batteries, brake discs and brake energy regeneration
The concept introduced by MINI today is basically a scooter that goes further than you thought possible. It’s just the same as a kick scooter at a first glance but it has an electric drive and expressive design that reminds of features used in typical British products.It weighs just 18 kg (40 lbs) even though it packs a decent battery and an electric motor that can take the scooter up to 25 km/h (15 mph) and offers a range between 10 and 15 miles (15-25 km). Due to its compact size, it can be easily folded and transported either with your own car but also with public transport.
Of course, the electric motor will help out but you can still use it as a kick scooter when the battery runs out. Furthermore, the electric unit powering the rear wheel will not kick in unless you start it up riding the scooter in the good old fashion way first.
Large pneumatic wheels and multiple means of recharging
While brake energy regeneration sounds cool and all, it will by no means be enough to replenish the batteries completely. When the Citysurfer is all dried out, you can recharge it at a normal wall socket or even in your car, using the 12V sockets available.Big pneumatic wheels will make sure the bumps are easily absorbed while the batteries that are stowed under the foot board are protected from dirt and weather thanks to special covers.
Finishing your trip is easier with MINI connectivity
The most important aspect about this new concept is that you can actually use it to complete your itinerary. The Citysurfer has a phone holder and a charge facility for it on the handle bars. You can therefore park your MINI or BMW and send the remaining steps from the navigation system to your phone and complete your journey with the electric scooter.Basically, you get to the parking lot that is 10 miles (16 km) away from the place you actually want to go, send the coordinates from the navigation system to your phone, hook it up to your handle bars and get there with the scooter. Quite interesting.
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