Hyundai Unveils Foldable Electric Scooter With 20 Km Range

Remember Hyundai’s foldable electric scooter concept from CES 2017? It was part of the automaker’s ‘Project IONIQ’ initiative, with users able to fold it with just one hand before storing it inside the front door pocket of the Ioniq.

Now, we finally have a prototype that builds on that concept, featuring rear-wheel drive, a 10.5 Ah lithium battery and stylish front and rear lights. As for its range, it can travel up to 20 km (12.4 miles) on a single charge.

The plan is still to enable what the automaker calls “first and last-mile mobility”, by integrating the scooter into future Hyundai and Kia products. When mounted on a vehicle, the scooter is able to charge automatically.

Thanks to the shift to rear-wheel drive, the prototype is said to enhance safety and stability by positioning weight near the rear. Additionally, engineers have also added a suspension setup to the front wheel so as to provide users with a smoother ride.

“This is the vehicle-mounted personal scooter which could be featured in future Hyundai Motor Group vehicles. We want to make our customers’ lives as easy and enjoyable as possible. Our personal electric scooter makes first- and last-mile commuting a joy, while helping to reduce congestion and emissions in city centers,” said the head of Hyundai Motor Group’s Robotics Team, DongJin Hyun.

Also read: Audi Entering Uncharted Waters With E-Tron Scooter Concept

Another very interesting aspect here is the portability. The scooter weighs just 7.7 kg (17 lbs), which means it can be easily carried by hand when need be. It also comes with a digital display showing you the battery status and speed – by the way, the fastest you can travel on it is 20 km/h (12.4 mph).

In the future, the Hyundai Group plans to install a regenerative braking system in order to increase the scooter’s range by 7%.