A design sequel to the Motocompo! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Motocompo
The original is now a collector's item worth thousands. If Honda sells the Motocompacto it'll be mostly to Honda enthusiasts looking for a neat trunk item.
A motocompo came up for sale locally a couple of months ago for only a couple of 1000, shame I missed it. Classic design.
At 40lbs this thing is only half the weight of the full gas-powered 'compo, way too heavy for a modern take -it's basically an e-scooter with cosmetic panels.
I've been daydreaming of stacking a 5 pack of em in the boot for family use exploring places during weekends away. Kids would have an absolute ball ripping around on one of those.
Hoverboards or electric unicycles might fit the bill, depending on how well your kids can balance. I have a $300 folding scooter that fits in my Honda's trunk and has more capability than the Motocompacto- the value proposition of a slightly smaller package is not amazing.
If hoverboards existed, that is...
Often-explosive miniature Segway clones in 2-wheel parallel and unicycle configs are somehow called hoverboards circa 2017. Don't like the idea of materializing it that way but created cheap supply for robotics research platform it seems.
Yeah nah two wheels > 1. My kids are accident prone af so I'll give em any help they can get to mitigate that lol.
But also the Honda appeals because it's a big brand. With that comes a lot of users and hopefully lots of mods. There is lots of space in that middle bit that holds the battery and charger. Without a doubt I'd be able to sneak a larger battery in. Not to mention parts will probably be available from the multiple local Honda dealers making repairs easy af in just about any region. Lots of value that isn't just in the spec sheet.
Fingers crossed they release it here (aus). I want to switch as much of my family's transport to electric or public transport as soon as i can afford it. Fuel prices are making ice vehicles unusable.
Don't e-scooters fit that bill? slightly different form factor - more umbrella than briefcase - but cost much less than $5k.
For completeness, you can buy suitcase scooters with actual luggage space right now[1].
I actually saw a child riding one (not this model, but similar) at the airport on a recent trip. I'm sure they were having fun but I doubt it's useful enough to warrant the cost and weight penalty over a regular carry-on bag for most adults. Any adult incapable of walking through an airport likely doesn't have the flexibility and balance required to ride this safely.
Price $995, available November. See article in The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/14/23872334/honda-motocompac...
A 12 mile range and price point of $1000? Who is this for?
> the delightfully square-shaped two-wheeler is billed as a first- and last-mile solution “designed for the new realities of urban mobility.”
My first thought was salarymen going from train to home or office, not for home to office directly as some other solutions would be better at.
At 42 lbs or 19 kg, I find it hard to believe that anybody would be lugging this around more than a minute or two. The people I know that do take e-scooters to places typically roll them into the station and only fold them to stow, so the carrying is not very important.
Show a picture of an adult riding one, you cowards.
They had one in the press kit.
https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/01-Honda-M...
Oh I like that more than I expected.
It's like a mouse riding a credit card. It feels... human. I would like the world to have more cute nerdy fun like this in it.
Now someone well over 6 feet. It's hard enough to get a frame big enough as it is and you have to go around with the seatpost just barely in the tube.
It did give a friend groin strain when he tried to get on it once, so that's an anti theft measure I suppose.
12 mile range?? i bought a scooter that is smaller (only long, not long+tall) with greater range for less than half the price, 4 years ago.
The only use case I could see for myself using one would be to get from the station to the office, but e-scooters are banned on trains in the UK. Otherwise it (or similar) is something I might have considered.
Aside from some pilot programs, I think e-scooters are still technically banned in every public space in UK, as they are considered motor vehicles and are not (yet) insurable.
Not that that seems to stop anybody.
Why are e-scooters banned on trains? That’s sad. A small scooter for a last mile commute sounds great.
I believe there were a few that caught fire.
I'm sure if they were properly regulated and people weren't importing iffy ones from wish.com that don't meet safety standards, this wouldn't have been such a problem.
Looks nice but 12 mile range? My electric bike which has a battery the size of a soda bottle can do 70km (43 miles) in one charge.
It looks really impractical. The only benefit it is smallish, but since it is heavy I don’t see there are many people who would use it
Beautiful design but no lock point to attach it (with its accessories secured to a lamp post or a bike rack?
And no handle to lift it like a suitcase?
Under the "Recreational Fun" heading at the bottom:
> Out shopping or sightseeing and need to leave Motocompacto outside? The steel welded lock loop on the kickstand is designed to be compatible with most bike locks.
Is it going to be sold in the US? Their previous interesting electric offering, the "Honda e" did not come to the US.
Looks like it would be perfect for cruising around my town. It isn't fast, and it doesn't reach max speed quickly, but a 12 mile range means I'd only have to charge it once a week maybe.
Out of curiosity, at that point why not a bicycle?
At the point where you’re happy traveling at or below 15mph for 1.5mi total a day (so two trips of 3/4mi), the effort involved is nearly nothing.
Just for handy reference, 10mph is a mile every six minutes. So we’re talking about bike trips on the order of about five minutes at a very low intensity.
You can fold this and bring it into an office that doesn’t provide bicycle parking. Also some people detest any form of physical strain, fearing they might get sweaty or ruffle their clothing.
A five minute, low-intensity bike ride is not going to make you sweaty or noticeably ruffle your clothing, unless you’re in an environment where simply walking would.
And as a sibling noted, foldable bikes exist and are smaller, lighter, and cheaper than this.
So just like the electric Brompton[1] except 3.5kg heavier, less practical and a lot more expensive.
Being heavy when riding isn’t that bad but being heavy when carried up stairs is.
I love the novelty of this; it’s James Bond’s scooter. It’s a wonderful concept, collector’s item but not a serious means of transport.
Personally, I’d rather have a 7.45kg non-electric Brompton than a 19kg scooter with a short range.
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1. https://www.brompton.com/p/823/electric-p-line-urban-with-ro...
12 miles on a single charge sounds very little.
It looks like there's extra space inside to hold the charger above what looks like a fairly compact battery, so it would have been nice if they included some mechanism to have an extension battery optionally stored inside of it instead of the charger...
Maybe someone will figure out how to add one.
I'd say it's perfectly acceptable given how it'd mostly be used for the sub 5 miles range.
If you're going further, there's definitely better options, or bus/train.
It is, but it's further than I'd want to ride something like this, so it's fine.
But it begs the question: why have something so huge if its range is terrible? Electric scooters are more compact, transportable, comfortable, you're more visible because you're standing, etc.
An e-scooter doesn't have an obvious way to pick it up and carry it with you. This is basically an e-scooter, but very narrow and shaped like a briefcase with a handle, which seems like an improvement for transporting it. It would be nice if it was a standing ride, that would probably be more comfortable.
I have a folding e-scooter that I can and do carry into my home, on a train, into a friend's apartment. It has a higher top speed and range than this.
What model? I'm looking for something that isn't awkward to carry around or on a bus.
"Hiboy" sells multiple folding models on Amazon. I have one (can't remember the exact model) and the folding feature makes it pretty convenient to carry.
Range 20+ miles, top speed 18mph. Air-filled tires are a nightmare when you get a flat, but you can replace them with non-air tires.
E-scooters are actually banned in a lot of places because of the menace called cheap rental escooters.
So this is an alternative to that. Also the size and weight is more compact than escooters.
If there is a regulation of e-scooters in a location it will also be applied to this one given some time. It's just a different form factor imho.
Isn't this just an electric step with a saddle bolted on? I've seen kids ghettorigging chairs onto those for ages.
Would not be legal in Toronto where it would need pedals