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Honda begins selling its silly little briefcase electric scooter in the US
- kccqzy 3y agoThere are cheaper electric scooters with comparable specs but I guess you are paying for the Honda name and the nice-looking design here. Personally I still don't like scooters due to their small wheels. Not sure why the original article couldn't figure out the amount of energy stored in the battery (it only says the amount of charge is 6.8Ah) but an article on Car And Driver[0] says the battery is 0.24kWh. It also has other fun spec items like 0.7hp power, 12 lb-ft of torque, and seven seconds from 0 to 15mph. [0]: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a45684781/honda-motocompacto-e-scooter-ride/# https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a45684781/honda-motocom...
- hereme888 3y agoSo it's advertised as $1k but you end up paying $2k when buying from the dealer?
- autoexec 3y agoIt looks uncomfortable. Plus it uses a cell phone app for your settings "including lighting and ride modes", which violates my "Never buy hardware that requires a cell phone app to use" rule.
- kccqzy 3y agoDoesn't require it. There are physical controls to adjust ride modes etc.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- jasonpeacock 3y agoI love it. It's fun. You don't buy it because it's objectively the best option, you buy it because it puts a smile on your face and you enjoy riding it. Like the Honda Grom/Monkey motorcycles - there are much better options for the same price, but they are _fun_.
- filoleg 3y agoI was always envious when I saw packs of Groms passing by and looking like they were having tons of fun. Meanwhile, my bike was fun and all, but there is almost definitely this social element to Groms and the overall culture around them that is something else, and the small size of them just invites you to have fun and not take yourself too seriously. In addition to Groms just being stupid fun to ride, of course. Disclaimer: I wasn't paid to write this, but upon re-reading it, it definitely could pass as Grom ad comms, but oh well
- kaffeeringe 3y agoWhy is it silly? Looks more like future than the average truck.
- JoeAltmaier 3y agoDarling!
- psygn89 3y agoI feel like Mr. Bean would get a little too much enjoyment out of this!
- m463 3y agolooked it up and I see "a phone app on the way that will let you adjust personal settings, change the lighting and ride modes via Bluetooth" why do these things always need an app?
- MrRolleyes 3y agoThey don't want to invest in actual hardware to control the machine that might require repairs and additional labor to assemble. Apologies if this was a rhetorical question.
- m463 3y ago"A clever phone app enables riders to adjust their personal settings, including lighting and ride modes, via Bluetooth" why do these things always need an app?
- mixmastamyk 3y agoTo nudge you into analytics and surveillance.
- 31337Logic 3y agoThis is obviously the real reason. Users can't be tracked, otherwise.
- guestbest 3y agoMarketing and advertising. It’s easier to make those two multilingual with an application than by dedicated hardware on the scooter
- otabdeveloper4 3y agoThe real answer is because putting physical buttons or touchscreens on an electric vehicle is a safety risk. (Flaky Bluetooth controllers are also a risk, but a much lower one.)
- wkat4242 3y agoTaking your phone out of your pocket is an even bigger safety risk. And they can always lock the controls while in motion. I think the app is preferred by the manufacturers because it's cheaper and allows them to collect a lot of data (most apps also require an "account" for no reason other than data collection)
- otabdeveloper4 3y agoYou're not supposed to take your phone out the pocket while riding. The app is only for changing certain factory settings or for maintenance. It's a safety risk because buttons and screens can cause water leaks and/or sparks, which you definitely do not want in any electric vehicle. (Scooters/e-bikes/EUCs don't have many moving parts, but you need to take care of the wiring very seriously.)
- pb060 3y agoI’d rather buy an electric Brompton, though this is much cheaper.
- Havoc 3y agoI predict this will have investment value. Like classic cars. It’s so absurd / funky there is absolutely going to be hipster like buy in Silly looking? Perfect - makes it distinctive. Overvalued? Great. Serves as display of wealth Uncomfortable? Look at high heels or a lambo Diablo. Comfort does not matter.
- datavirtue 3y agoWhat's that thing on her head. I've seen people endo off a bird several times, they didn't have one of those things on their head.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- otabdeveloper4 3y ago> The front wheel motor measures 490W and the top speed is a mere 15 mph (25 km/h). So worse in literally every way than a standard Chinese electric scooter? > US $995 Wait, what?? Lol. Okay, nice objet d'art, but what is it for? Seems too big to be put on a mantelpiece.
- nytesky 3y agoAre these made in Japan?
- thesaintlives 3y agoMakes you wonder why the Sinclair C5 was not a hit!
- ThrowawayR2 3y agoI've said this elsewhere but the big unanswered question is about ongoing maintenance. How long has Honda pledged to make replacement parts like tires and brake components available? Who does servicing? I'm not sure dealerships would want to do servicing and even if they did, it would likely be pricey. Another possible pain point I've seen mentioned is that its weight might make it troublesome to move when folded up, e.g. if you're carrying it from the street to your desk. There doesn't seem to be a way to roll it around.
- sn00tz00t 3y agoThis looks similar to the 'HIMO H1' - some xiaomi miniature e-bike. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrnhd2PGSqw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrnhd2PGSqw I bought one and it sucks.
- theflyingelvis 3y agoSays I have to pick it up from a dealer. I’ll pass. Car dealers are disgusting.