One of the biggest problems of electric vehicles in their early days was that design-wise, they often tried too hard. The only thing this electric scooter tries too hard is to look like a Vespa.
Copying is never a good idea, but if you simply have to do it, then at least know what to use your carbon paper on. And in the world of urban, two-wheeled vehicles, you can't really do much better than the Italian classic.
Electric powertrains have found it oddly difficult to enter the market for two-wheeled vehicles, and that's mostly due to the bulkiness of the battery pack and the extra weight it adds. The one place where the "e-" prefix does seem to have found a place for itself is the electric bicycles.
Adding a small battery and a tiny motor to a vehicle that also uses another type of propulsion essentially turned e-bikes into veritable hybrids. The extra grunt provided by the motor makes accelerating to cruising speed a breeze, reducing the rider's effort and making commuting on a bicycle over longer distances a much less sweaty affair.
However, there are bound to be those who don't like to move their feet even if they get some help from an electric motor. Those will have a few options to choose from, but none more stylish than the unu electric scooter.
This German-designed and built scooter comes with a maximum range of 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) thanks to its 51V 29Ah Panasonic lithium-ion battery pack that weighs eight kilograms. The battery can be removed for easy recharging and is easily transportable thanks to an integrated strap. A full recharge will take up to five hours, and for those who need more than the standard 50 kilometers, the unu scooter has a second battery slot that can double the maximum range.
Power is delivered by one of three Bosch electric motors - 1,000, 2,000 or 3,000 Watts - enabling a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph). Since the unu is intended as an urban commuting solution, that should be more than enough.
The entire vehicle only weighs around 58 kg (128 lb) without the battery, and will take a payload of 150 kg (330 lb). The vehicle requires a driver's license, insurance, and registration to operate one on the street legally, but unu is willing to take of the latter two for its customers upon delivery.
Now let's talk money. The base version with one battery pack and 1,000W motor will cost €1,799 (a little over $2,000), while the supplementary battery pack has a price of €700 (about $790). The most expensive unu will set those interested back €2,799 ($3,157). Considering there are e-bikes that sell for prices in the same region, the unu scooter does sound like an apt choice provided it ticks all the boxes of your daily commute.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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