Kickscooters are fun but, as Carson Brown, lead designer of the Uniwheel says, at the end of the day, there’s nothing more than the electrified adult version of a toy.
As such, kickscooters are plagued by a long series of downsides, from instability and flimsiness, to poor quality build and the seeming ability to trip over the smallest bump or pothole. They’re not made to be ridden on the road, require only the smoothest pavement and offer an unnatural riding position.
Sure, they’re fun and can help you move around quicker than you would on foot, but sometimes, it’s at the expense of your health and well-being. Taur claims to be the opposite of a kickscooter in all these regards, while also being a fun and powerful micromobility solution. And it’s currently raising funds on KickStarter.
Taur is the brainchild of Carson Brown, who was also lead designer on the Uniwheel. By looking at typical kickscooters, he came up with an idea for each of the disadvantages mentioned above, and the result is a tough yet striking-looking e-scooter that was pretty much made for the road.
Photo: KickStarter / Taur
Taur takes the standard deck found on any kickscooter, whether electric or not, and replaces it with solid food pads that fold down whenever you need to ride it. This way, the rider sits naturally, facing the road, and is able to lean into turns with ease and turn side to side to have better visibility in traffic.
Made of aircraft-grade aluminum with a matte powder-coated finish, Taur stands out for its massive tires, too – bigger than anything you’ve seen on kickscooters before. Because adding suspension would have added to the weight of the final product, the designers opted for bigger, low-pressure, deep-tread tires from Continental. In addition to being wrapped in Kevlar and puncture-resistant, each tire can be changed in under three minutes in case of a (very rare) flat, the designers say.
Powered by a 500W motor in the front wheel, Taur can ferry you across the city at a top speed of 24 mph (39 kph, but will be limited electronically depending on the country of delivery) and a range of 22 miles (35km), further extended through regenerative braking. Stopping power is ensured by the motor on the front wheel and hydraulic disc brake on the rear. The battery can be fully topped up in 3 hours, while an 80 percent charge is achieved in 2 hours’ time.
This being an e-scooter for riding on the road, safety is paramount. Taur comes with a 300 lumen LED headlight with a high-power directional beam for maximum visibility and an 80 lumen brake light. Also in the back, there’s a separate 100 lumen rear-projection patented light that mostly lights up your butt and makes you, the rider, visible to drivers. Because brake lights on scooters are low to the ground, the rider is hardly visible, but this is no longer the case here.
Photo: KickStarter / Taur
Because practicability was another goal in designing Taur, it’s foldable and easy to carry. Once folded, you can store it vertically on the rear wheel and the bullhorn handlebars, and carrying it anywhere is no Samsonian feat, since it weighs 15.5 kg (34 pounds). Total payload for maximum performance is of 115 kg (250 pounds).
In case you have no plans of taking it inside, you can safeguard it with the two-fold locking system: physical locking through the frame and digital lock through the app. The accompanying app also offers vital stats and certain optimizations, like speed and light settings.
IP55 rated, Taur is completely waterproof for extended functionality. Should you decide or need to ride in the rain, you won’t have to worry about the electronics on it or the slippery roads, given those massive, low-pressure and deep-tread tires mentioned above.
Backers on KickStarter can order Taur now for £845, which is roughly $1,106 at today’s rate exchange. Though the company is based in the UK, where such e-scooters are not legal for private ownership right now, it will ship worldwide in March 2021. If all goes according to plan.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News