These two statements are true:
1) Folding electric scooters are the best way to get from point to point on crowded city streets.
2) Folding electric scooters look dorky.
It’s tough to look cool on a portable electric vehicle.
Josh Miller/CNETBut soon, there will be a folding electric vehicle that doesn’t look quite as dorky, and is more fun, less utilitarian. It’s called a Scooterboard, and it blends some of the best parts of electric skateboards and scooters into a single vehicle.
Mind you, this is more than just a skateboard with a handle, or a scooter with a third wheel. By combining a single powerful electric motor with a nifty swiveling fork, I found I could carve down the street just by leaning my body — which is super fun — and stop relatively safely when I needed.
The Scooterboard, known as the Inmotion T3 in China.
Sean Hollister/CNETAnd while scooters generally require you to keep both hands on the controls at all times, you only need one for the scooterboard. I filmed the video embedded in this post while riding at full speed!
Mind you, this particular incarnation of the Scooterboard — now accepting your Kickstarter pledges with a projected retail price of $700 (roughly converting to £515 and AU$875) — still has some issues. At 22 pounds, the Inmotion T3 isn’t exactly lightweight, and its 7.5- to 10-mile range is on the low end for a folding electric vehicle. At high speeds, the swiveling fork can feel a little shaky if you weigh as much as I do. (I could stand to lose some weight.)
(Update: The company now tells us the Scooterboard may retail for $700, a bit more than originally predicted.)
And as I’ve explained before, I’ve generally found that a front electric brake is safer and slows you down faster than the rear brakes you’ll find here. With an exposed charging port and battery wires, it also doesn’t look like something you should ride in the rain.
That said, it’s one of the most solidly constructed folding electric vehicles I’ve tried for under $1,000. If your last-mile commute is short and you can afford to charge every day, it might be worth taking a look when it arrives later this fall.
