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Motocompacto from Honda, 3.7 inch wide Briefcase-form Electric Scooter
- PeterStuer 3y agoIsn't this just an electric step with a saddle bolted on? I've seen kids ghettorigging chairs onto those for ages.
- I_Am_Nous 3y agoLooks 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.
- stouset 3y agoOut 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.
- unsigner 3y agoYou 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.
- adamors 3y agoThere are plenty of foldable bikes that take up very little space when folded.
- SoftTalker 3y agoYep and they cost less than half and weigh about half of what this weighs.
- stouset 3y agoA 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.
- _rutinerad 3y agoFor some of us (genetically predisposed to sweating a lot), it definitely would. I am a pretty athletic person but just walking between two rooms with a shift in temperature makes me sweat. A five minute bike ride makes me have to change clothes.
- bigfudge 3y agoAnd loads more fun. A Brompton looks wacky but rides like a much bigger bike.
- Lio 3y agoSo 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. - 1. https://www.brompton.com/p/823/electric-p-line-urban-with-roller-rack-23 https://www.brompton.com/p/823/electric-p-line-urban-with-ro...
- I_Am_Nous 3y agoI'm not opposed to a bike, but as someone mentioned below the heat here during the summer isn't conducive to bike riding or walking to work. It's currently 90.5 F in the shade but I'd stay cool enough riding an electric scooter, not so with the bike. Another concern I'd have is tail spray from the back wheel in wet weather, I've had clothes stained from a similar mechanism in the past.
- stouset 3y agoA five minute, 10mph ride is not going to cause you to appreciably sweat. At least not more so than a walk in the same conditions. Most commuter bikes and folding bikes come stock with fenders which eliminate tail spray.
- dharmab 3y agoA design sequel to the Motocompo! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_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.
- gtvwill 3y agoI'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.
- dharmab 3y agoHoverboards 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.
- gtvwill 3y agoYeah 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.
- ShadowBanThis01 3y agoIf hoverboards existed, that is...
- niux 3y ago12 miles on a single charge sounds very little.
- theodric 3y agoIt is, but it's further than I'd want to ride something like this, so it's fine.
- KennyBlanken 3y agoBut 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.
- dymk 3y agoAn 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.
- nwiswell 3y ago> An e-scooter doesn't have an obvious way to pick it up and carry it with you. Yeah but this is 41 lbs, so you aren't going very far with it.
- dymk 3y agoTrue, but I imagine it's mostly carried on/off busses or in/out of a building entrance, and not much farther.
- dharmab 3y agoI 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.
- bryanlarsen 3y agoAre there any pictures or video of anybody actually sitting on the thing on their web site?
- japaget 3y agoPrice $995, available November. See article in The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/14/23872334/honda-motocompacto-electric-scooter-photo-specs-price https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/14/23872334/honda-motocompac...
- toxik 3y agoA 12 mile range and price point of $1000? Who is this for?
- accrual 3y ago> 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.
- toxik 3y agoAt 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.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- aquaticsunset 3y agoI fit this description and would love to have one. It's less cumbersome than a bicycle and I'd arrive to work much less sweaty.
- slug 3y agosuspension ?
- jauntywundrkind 3y agoIt both seems awesome, but also like a slow (12mph) low-range heavier (40lb) scooter.
- bluSCALE4 3y agoLooks like a folding table with wheels.
- jcoder 3y agoShow a picture of an adult riding one, you cowards.
- viraptor 3y agoI'm not sure any of the images are even photos. They all seem like CGI.
- danmaz74 3y agoIf you watch the video, you'll at least see the proportions (even if it's CGI).
- tpmx 3y agoThey had one in the press kit. https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/01-Honda-Motocompacto-.jpg https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/01-Honda-M...
- Fluorescence 3y agoOh 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.
- Tempest1981 3y agoGreat, now show it in a new "OK Go" video. Old: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1ZB_rGFyeU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1ZB_rGFyeU
- adhesive_wombat 3y agoNow 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.
- _rutinerad 3y agoNow do someone well over 400 pounds!
- lamroger 3y agoLooks fun!
- throwaway892238 3y ago12 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.
- seb1204 3y agoWith Honda being a big company the development started likely before you bought your scooter.
- daliusd 3y agoIt 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
- petepete 3y agoThe 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.
- baq 3y agoBut this is a suitcase!
- rtpg 3y agothe fact that this looks like it can't stand up upright is a real missed opportunity to make this more "suitcase"-y
- jbombadil 3y agoWhy are e-scooters banned on trains? That’s sad. A small scooter for a last mile commute sounds great.
- petepete 3y agoI 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.
- gpderetta 3y agoAside 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.
- ricardobeat 3y agoLooks 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.
- nico_h 3y agoAgree on the range being low, but I’m pretty sure you have to assist the bike mechanically to reach that range.
- ricardobeat 3y agoGood point :) The Segway scooters are a better comparison, those can go 25-45km on a charge. There are other models that can do 100km+, it’s a quite dramatic gap to what Honda is offering.
- yurishimo 3y agoThe battery is actually really small. There is storage space inside.
- bagels 3y agoIs it going to be sold in the US? Their previous interesting electric offering, the "Honda e" did not come to the US.
- zaps 3y agoI could see myself taking a ride on my Motocompacto down to the Rancho Relaxo
- rgmerk 3y agoFor 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. [1] https://www.airwheel.net https://www.airwheel.net
- nico_h 3y agoBeautiful 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?
- paulannesley 3y agoUnder 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.
- grey_earthling 3y agoOh, upright! I was expecting something like the Walkcar.
- holografix 3y agoSo they added a square box around a scooter with a seat post…?
- Jemm 3y agoWould not be legal in Toronto where it would need pedals
- RhysU 3y agoAnd the video shows it on the sidewalk, where no mechanized thing belongs... Updated: Wheelchairs, accessibility scooters, etc exempted.