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Automotive

Oddball electric scooter makes it to production

By Scott Collie
August 22, 2016
Oddball electric scooter makes it to production
The BOXX scooter will hit 54 mph in top spec
The BOXX scooter will hit 54 mph in top spec
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The BOXX is a quirky all-electric scooter for riders determined to cover ground uniquely
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The BOXX is a quirky all-electric scooter for riders determined to cover ground uniquely
There's storage inside the BOXX's chassis, and there's enough power to haul a rider and their backpack
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There's storage inside the BOXX's chassis, and there's enough power to haul a rider and their backpack
There are three different trim levels of BOXX available
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There are three different trim levels of BOXX available 
BOXX was seeking pre orders in 2012, now it's up and running
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BOXX was seeking pre orders in 2012, now it's up and running 
The BOXX scooter will hit 54 mph in top spec
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The BOXX scooter will hit 54 mph in top spec
The scooter is "roadworthy," but it's not designed to fight traffic
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The scooter is "roadworthy," but it's not designed to fight traffic 
The BOXX starts at around $3,000 and gets up to around $5,000
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The BOXX starts at around $3,000 and gets up to around $5,000
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Here at New Atlas, we come across a lot of out of the box ideas aiming to revolutionize the way we move. The BOXX scooter from 2012 fits the bill in more ways than one. Back then the team behind the wacky e-bike design was chasing preorders in the hope of making it to mass production. In 2016, it's moved from a pie-in-the-sky idea to a production reality.

Measuring up at just 1 meter long, the BOXX looks cute, but it also possesses a 97 km (60 mi) of all-electric range and an impressive turn of speed. The three-phase brushless motor churns out 111 Nm of torque, and it's shuffled to both wheels by a patented all-wheel drive system for grip in all conditions. The range-topping model's top speed is 54 mph (87 km/h), although that can be limited to meet state requirements for riders without a motorbike license.

There's also 6 inches of ground clearance, which should help it handle the odd curb.

There are three different trim levels of BOXX available
There are three different trim levels of BOXX available 

Range depends on the specification level of your scooter. The base BOXX e will cover 32 km (20 mi) at a maximum of 45 km/h (28 mph), while the BOXX can manage 64 km (40 mi) at up to 56 km/h (35 mph). High-performance rollers will really want the BOXX M, with its 86 km (60 mi) of range and 87 km/h (54 mph) top speed.

Pricing starts at US$2,997 for the BOXX e, jumping to $3,797 for the BOXX and $4,987 for the BOXX M. If that seems like a reasonable price for an all-electric oddball, it can be purchased through the company's website.

Source: BOXX Corp

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AutomotiveScooterElectricBattery
11 comments
Scott Collie
Based in Melbourne, Australia, Scott grew up with a passion for cars and a love of writing. He now combines the two by covering all things automotive for New Atlas. When he’s got a spare moment, you can usually find him freezing himself silly in search of fresh powder to ski.

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11 comments
Dan Parker
Smells like a scam. I went on their website and couldn't find a video of one being ridden. Looked on the net and couldn't find any videos of one being ridden. All I found was what looked to be photo-shopped images of this thing in different colors. On top of that, there's a distinct lack of safety equipment and small wheels/tires that would adversely affect its stability and steering at higher speeds. That's all assuming that these even exist, or work and that you can license them to be driven on a public street. Buyer beware!
Island Architect
Very nice design. Clean. A
The front and rear panels could be a tad more interesting, turn signals maybe larger.
Nice that you could scoot it in the front door and park it in the entrance hallway and plug it in.
So how is the basket worked out for Grocery shopping and how can you chain it up and lock it?
Would be nice if the side panels met at the bottom as well. Continuity.
b
Qiltroll
Eh, how do you turn the front tire?
Dan Parker
After looking at this thing again I have to wonder about its safety; especially the BOXX M. It has a very short wheel base and the driver's weight is placed rearward about as far as possible. From what I know about electric bikes, they tend to be torque monsters. The torque can be tamed somewhat depending upon the controller selected, but I can see the BOXX M being an unintended wheelie machine if you're not careful with the throttle. The price is no incentive to buy one of these things, so you'd at least hope that it'd be safe to ride.
Milton
we need some video footage of this. Especially at the 54 MPH "performance" version's top-speed!
Malatrope
Very unsafe design. Ridiculously unaerodynamic. The front end is hugely draggy (presenting a flat surface to oncoming wind!) and the big broadside will make it a slave to any side winds. The rider is too far back, as someone else pointed out, it looks top-heavy, and the turning circle is quite large.
This company is going to have a fun time defending its design in court, one day soon.
noteugene
54 mph? no way. by looking at these photos, you know somebody's going to invent a fold out driveable attache case soon right?
danmar
Some people have very strange thought processes. :) This is like putting a seat on your luggage.
Leonard Foster Jr
Most all of these reply's were addressed some time ago and with a video which i think is still on you-tube, the drag is not that bad seeing a electric bike is worse in co effc speed it's electric it's all about the voltage and range many home builds are doing 70+ mph ez, it steers thats not a problem. if a mini bike can do 90+ mph why not this?
Derrick
It looks stupid and dorky, and I really want one! If it lives up to its claims it would be perfect for commuting to work in, based on the particulars of my situation. I wouldn't be putting in miles on my car, my route doesn't require me to go faster than 30mph, I could plug it in at work and leech free electricity from my employers (ok, they can deduct the 23 cents I would steal daily from my paycheck) and the suitcase shape makes it perfect for storing it compactly in the tiny storage shed allocated to me in my apartment parking garage. $5000 isn't too terrible for the convenience if it lasts for a good while and it's of good quality.
Of course I'd like to see a through review by a reputable journal, or take one out for a test drive. $5000 is just too much for me to buy without doing some kind of homework first. I'd like to be assured that if I need to register the M series as a motorcycle, that it can come with the required rear view mirrors, has a VIN registration, and insurance companies will register it without a problem.
Just hoping it's not a rip-off, because I really want this to be a thing!
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