ElectricScooter
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Fremont Motors shows off Fido electric scooter prototype
Most scooters are generally a bit offbeat in appearance, but Seattle's Fremont Motors has truly gone the extra mile with its new, all-electric Fido prototype. That eye-catching design also incorporates a good bit of practicality, however, including wheels that are the same size and can be easily removed, a battery beneath the floorboard that can also be easily replaced (and charged indoors), and even a removable storage case under the seat that can be worn as a backpack. In terms of performance, you can expect to get a range of up to 35 miles on a charge, and hit a top speed of 45 mph. Of course, it is still just a prototype, but Fremont Motors is planning a "limited" in the third quarter of next year, with the scooter expected to run $5,000. Head on past the break for a look at the (stationary) scooter on video. [Image: orinoneill / Flickr]
Inhabitat's Week in Green: fly like a bird, bend batteries in half, and spray clothing from a can
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. This week saw several amazing feats of aeronautics as we showcased the world's first continuous flight of a human-powered ornithopter and the sun-powered Solar Impulse plane embarked upon an incredible voyage across Switzerland. We also watched transportation take off as BMW unveiled a zippy new electric scooter, Sanitov launched a GPS enabled cargo tricycle in London, and this week's Green Overdrive show took us off-roading on a souped-up e-bike! Renewable energy tech also energized the globe as several countries in Central America launched plans to tap volcanoes for power and China developed the world's first directly solar-powered air conditioning unit. Energy storage also got a big boost as Stanford researchers unveiled a new type of bendable battery made out of paper - just the thing to power the flexible e-readers of the future. In other news, this week we brought you exclusive coverage of the greatest green designs from this year's London Design Festival and we showcased the latest in wearable tech - instant spray-on clothing in a can! Finally, we tackled an issue that has plagued tech junkies forever - those impossible-to-open clamshell plastic packages.
Ewee-PT is how you say 'Segway' in German (video)
Billed as "the Segway's little sister," this self-balancing electro scooter comes from a small German company called Ewee. The idea behind it is pretty simple: file down all the extraneous bits, keep the stuff that keeps you going, and presumably try to sell it to hardy macho types who like the barebones aesthetic. You accelerate by leaning forward and decelerate by doing the opposite, while steering is handled by a joystick (apparently "driving pleasure is gauranteed"). We're not sure how much trust we're willing to invest in either the company or its product, but exclusive retailer fun-components does have it ready for pre-order today, so if you're feeling adventurous with your €799 ($1,039), feel free to pay their site a visit. The rest of us are going after the break to watch the video.
Yogo electric scooter asks: 'Why not take a spare battery?'
It would certainly seem like the range of the average electric vehicle could be extended quite a bit if you could just throw a spare battery in the trunk and swap whenever the lights started to dim. That's the idea behind the Yogo from Econogo -- except this is made in the UK where they call trunks "boots," and it's a scooter so it doesn't have one of either, just a storage compartment under the seat. Anyhow, in there you can store a second battery, doubling the 22 mile range and, since that cell is removable, you can easily take it inside, making office time refills a real possibility. The manufacturer's site is decidedly a work in progress but we do know that a scooter will set you back £1999 (about $3k) and that they are available in a wide array of hip colors: your choice of black or beige.
XOR's X02 Urban Transformer is more Vespa than Wheeljack
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.
