3 ms·

12 miles range? I wouldn't even get to work and back. My Van Moof gets 35 miles and that's at 20mph with a 80kg load.

blamazon 3y ago
My cursory web search indicates that the van moof MSRPs were something like 2x to 3x that of the motocompacto at $995[1] and, not to snark but it does appear that company went bankrupt while selling at that price point. A more direct comparison might be the Niu KQI3 e-scooter which claims 30 miles, 45 pounds, at $800. [2] [1] https://motocompacto.honda.com/ https://motocompacto.honda.com/ [2] https://shop.niu.com/products/niu-electric-kick-scooter-for-adults-kqi3-pro https://shop.niu.com/products/niu-electric-kick-scooter-for-...
- walthamstow 3y ago
  Ebikes with 30-40 mile range are available for much cheaper than 3k, I only referenced the VM because I have one and I know the range very well. 12 miles is not sufficient in almost any major city. I'm struggling to think of a use case for a vehicle with such short range. It does look cool though!
  - blamazon 3y ago
    >12 miles is not sufficient in almost any major city. I'm struggling to think of a use case for a vehicle with such short range. Two things: 1. This is intended as a first-last mile intermodal device, not a primary commuter. It is plenty for any city where you want to go from your house to a train station that is perhaps a 30 minute walk (1.5-2 miles) away. Easy way to save on rent without sacrificing time, since rent goes up as you get closer to a train station in most cities. Or, you might be driving from a roomy suburb to a park and ride that is a similar distance from your work downtown. Or, you might be able to take two 5 minute train journeys to work, but there's an annoying 30 minute walk transfer in the middle. Myself, I struggle to think of an intermodal use-case that does not make sense for this in say, any Japanese urban city I've been to. 2. This is a Honda product, in the spirit of the MotoCompo, which was sold as an accessory to a car. [1] Think of it also that way - You've effectively expanded your last-mile parking radius from your destination by six miles. That's plenty in even cities without good public transit - going back to the saving money idea, $995 doesn't pay for much commuter parking in an urban core downtown type of environment. [1]: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1981-honda-city-turbo-ii-with-motocompo/ https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1981-honda-city-turbo-ii-w...
- chipsa 3y ago
  I literally have just bought a new e-bike for not much more[0] (mine was pre-order, so a bit cheaper than currently). Claim is up to 60 miles, depending on conditions, at 45lbs. 0: https://www.prioritybicycles.com/products/eclassicplus?variant=39832510070861 https://www.prioritybicycles.com/products/eclassicplus?varia...
  - avery17 3y ago
    Oh sick, I've been looking for an e-bike that doesn't look stupid. Thanks!
bombcar 3y ago
12 miles is quite beyond normal “reasonable walk” range so this could have some “legs”. It’s also smaller than a bike and maybe even than a collapsible bike. But it pretty much needs to be on pavement.
- MichaelZuo 3y ago
  The wheels do look pretty small, maybe too small to even handle an unusually large pebble.

My cursory web search indicates that the van moof MSRPs were something like 2x to 3x that of the motocompacto at $995[1] and, not to snark but it does appear that company went bankrupt while selling at that price point. A more direct comparison might be the Niu KQI3 e-scooter which claims 30 miles, 45 pounds, at $800. [2] [1] https://motocompacto.honda.com/ https://motocompacto.honda.com/ [2] https://shop.niu.com/products/niu-electric-kick-scooter-for-adults-kqi3-pro https://shop.niu.com/products/niu-electric-kick-scooter-for-...

walthamstow 3y ago
Ebikes with 30-40 mile range are available for much cheaper than 3k, I only referenced the VM because I have one and I know the range very well. 12 miles is not sufficient in almost any major city. I'm struggling to think of a use case for a vehicle with such short range. It does look cool though!
- blamazon 3y ago
  >12 miles is not sufficient in almost any major city. I'm struggling to think of a use case for a vehicle with such short range. Two things: 1. This is intended as a first-last mile intermodal device, not a primary commuter. It is plenty for any city where you want to go from your house to a train station that is perhaps a 30 minute walk (1.5-2 miles) away. Easy way to save on rent without sacrificing time, since rent goes up as you get closer to a train station in most cities. Or, you might be driving from a roomy suburb to a park and ride that is a similar distance from your work downtown. Or, you might be able to take two 5 minute train journeys to work, but there's an annoying 30 minute walk transfer in the middle. Myself, I struggle to think of an intermodal use-case that does not make sense for this in say, any Japanese urban city I've been to. 2. This is a Honda product, in the spirit of the MotoCompo, which was sold as an accessory to a car. [1] Think of it also that way - You've effectively expanded your last-mile parking radius from your destination by six miles. That's plenty in even cities without good public transit - going back to the saving money idea, $995 doesn't pay for much commuter parking in an urban core downtown type of environment. [1]: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1981-honda-city-turbo-ii-with-motocompo/ https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1981-honda-city-turbo-ii-w...
chipsa 3y ago
I literally have just bought a new e-bike for not much more[0] (mine was pre-order, so a bit cheaper than currently). Claim is up to 60 miles, depending on conditions, at 45lbs. 0: https://www.prioritybicycles.com/products/eclassicplus?variant=39832510070861 https://www.prioritybicycles.com/products/eclassicplus?varia...
- avery17 3y ago
  Oh sick, I've been looking for an e-bike that doesn't look stupid. Thanks!

bombcar 3y ago

12 miles is quite beyond normal “reasonable walk” range so this could have some “legs”. It’s also smaller than a bike and maybe even than a collapsible bike. But it pretty much needs to be on pavement.

MichaelZuo 3y ago
The wheels do look pretty small, maybe too small to even handle an unusually large pebble.