XOR's X02 Urban Transformer is more Vespa than Wheeljack
By Tim Stevens 
posted November 20th 2009 9:19AM
posted November 20th 2009 9:19AM
We can't all be a Witwicky, owning a badass robot able to change from sportscar to hulking humanoid. Some of us have to aim a little lower; enter the XOR X02 Urban Transporter. It's an electric scooter that can fold into a little cube for easy storage (shown after the break) and attaches to a luggage cart to be wheeled away -- just keep in mind that at 50kg (110lbs) it's not hardly suitable for overhead compartments. There are three models, the lowest being the X02-50 with a top speed of 37mph and a maximum range of about 40 miles. Highest spec is the X02-125, supposed to deliver performance like a 125cc scooter, a maximum speed of 65, and "impressive accelerations" -- performance comparable to the Zero S or Brammo Enertia. Charging takes just two hours and they actually don't look half bad, providing a nice mix of retro scooter and futuristic urban transporter. Just the same, you probably wouldn't want to show up at any robot uprisings on one. 
I really resent the new comment system.
Please bring back the old one, which nicely highlights Highest Ranked comments in blue.
This new comment system is totally bland! Last one was exciting.
@FrmrPSPCoderTopAppStoreDev
I agree. I liked the blue top ranked comments and the faded downranked. I also would like the ability to auto expand. The new style makes the reply a second class comment.
@%UsernameHTML% Yes, There is something really wrong with how the fonts are used. Serif fonts should be used for dense texts, not the other way around. The date is unusually large and for some really strange reasons the comment itself is smaller than the date itself. WTF!?
I really don't think this new layout has been well thought out, and the new system STILL don't let me change my screen name to a more unique one.
@Steve Yes... Fonts are too big in general. Bring back compact, small fonts NOW.
http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/62478
blue highlights.
Enjoy
Whats with the older post and newer post they look like in the wrong place, OLDER POST should be on the right not the other way around, when reading a magazine/book and am in the middle half of the of it I know that page 1 is on the left.
Also, the Report/+/-/Reply widget is way too heavy, and the grey borders around avatars are unnecessary. Generally the new layout seems to have been designed by someone with very little experience in the web space.
It would also be very nice if Engadget didn't hardcode Times New Roman as the serif font. I suspect the design was never really tested on Windows.
Uhhh am I on Gizmodo?
I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.
@NickNick No, you are in AOL land...
this thing makes scooters look cool.i wouldnt be afraid to be seen on it.
Almost as neat as the Moto Compo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Motocompo
I find the electric scooter concept more reasonable than the electric motor bikes being sold at the moment - such as the Brammo Enertia (www.brammo.com).
More information on the XOR-02 can be found at http://www.xor-motors.com/ (why did I have to google XOR-O2? The link should have been in the article!).
PS. I like the new look.
@%UsernameHTML% Just noticed the VIA and SOURCE links were added... That's better.
@PJE Yes, that was my mistake to not include them from the beginning.
That is pretty sweet...... Good little urban hopper......
One thing though.. those stupid scooters and obnoxious motorcycles of combustion were LOUD. And, though it was annoying to some, it no doubt was an audible alert to a vulnerable traveler. I have to assume that small things that are quiet will have a higher mortality rate than previous.
As someone who's ridden motorcycles for years (the noisy kind), I can tell you that a loud bike isn't necessarily more noticeable. Even bikes with no mufflers at all aren't loud from the front (the pipes aim backwards, so the sound does too). And even the loudest bike is relatively quiet if you're not accelerating. Or constantly revving.
In other words, in my experience, the concept that a loud bike is safer is a myth, and in fact a dangerous one if the rider is so confident in the noise that they're not riding defensively. Like I was. After weeks in the hospital and several sugeries, I still have a significant limp, which I might have avoided if I had been less cocky.
I like the way it folds up into a small box. That way I can strap it on to the back of my Harley.
From the manufacturer's site: "XO2 is maintenance free. No revisions, no liquids, no leaks, no friction, no wear. Still, you'll need to check your brake pads and your tires from time to time."
Even for a translation, this is a pretty weaselly definition of "maintenance free".
@%UsernameHTML%
Calling a vehicle maintenance free is risky. Everything will wear eventually.
I once had a girlfriend that said she was maintenance free.
As in the tires on this scooter, that also was not completely the truth.
"No friction"? Wow. Um. Just, wow. Hopefully that's the translation's error, and not an actual assertion.
Unless it's using magnetic bearings? That would be pretty hot.
@Kid Dynamic
"No friction... pretty hot..." - wait are we talking about the scooter or the girlfriend??
That would be something if it was able to fit on an airplane as checked baggage (under 70 lbs with cloth bag & no body panels). It could be taken on a train though if it can be wheeled around the station easily.
i think you can take it on the plane, just pay extra. On Bermuda, for example, visitors are not allowed to drive a car, so logging this thing would be nice. How soon does it run out of juice you say?
i've always wanted something like this. pretty neat, IMHO.
First pic even looks like Scooter from the Gobots.
its.....a scooter....
yay?
im a comment, and i wont be low ranked
@hoho2200294
Thats what you think
If it ever stopped raining here, one of these would be a lot of fun.
Perfect for retirement homes
How much?
"it's not hardly suitable for overhead compartments."
Howdy Tim! So what parts of backwoods Appalachia are y'all frum?
It's Megatron from Transformers 3!