Motoring: Smart electric eScooter concept unveiled

Smart will unveil an electric scooter concept at the Paris Motor Show, transforming the engineering of its Smart Electric Drive automobile into a two-wheeler. Details, photos and video after the break.

“When our customers speak enthusiastically about their Smart, they describe the perfect city car that is manouevrable, flexible, safe, spacious and fast, and offers lots of driving fun, on the road and when looking for a parking space,” said Dr. Annette Winkler, head of Smart. “Lots of people are already looking forward to the zero-emission continuation of the ‘Vision Smart’ with the Smart Electric Drive, which will soon become a firm part of the cityscape. And now we are bringing all these features to two wheels with the Escooter.”

Smart, which was founded by time piece conglomerate Swatch’s Nicolas Hayek, decided that an electric scooter concept will be a viable addition to their electric vehicle lineup, specifically to the successful Fortwo. Smart aims to broaden both their clout on the electric vehicle market as well as boost their overall sales

The electric scooter includes an airbag, anti-lock brakes and a blind spot assist system. The company said that two-wheelers will enable the brand to reach younger people who do not have a driver’s licence, and offers the ideal prerequisites for integration into mobility concepts such as Car2go, the company’s car-sharing program.

The scooter has a top speed of 45 km/h and uses a 48-volt lithium-ion battery pack with a range of up to 100 km/h. It can be charged from a standard household power outlet within three to five hours, with the charger integrated into the scooter.