Urban Transport

Lit Motors launches crowdfunding campaign for its kubo electric cargo scooter

Lit Motors launches crowdfunding campaign for its kubo electric cargo scooter
Lit Motors' cargo-haulin' kubo
Lit Motors' cargo-haulin' kubo
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Cargo is held in place using integrated tie-down hooks, loops, and rails
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Cargo is held in place using integrated tie-down hooks, loops, and rails
The kubo rider's point of view
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The kubo rider's point of view
The kubo's cargo mat
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The kubo's cargo mat
The kubo is claimed to have a range of up to 50 miles (80.5 km) per charge
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The kubo is claimed to have a range of up to 50 miles (80.5 km) per charge
The kubo features a full lighting package
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The kubo features a full lighting package
The kubo, seen from behind
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The kubo, seen from behind
Lit Motors' cargo-haulin' kubo
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Lit Motors' cargo-haulin' kubo
Items measuring up to 22 inches (55 cm) in width or height can be put inside the square opening in the frame
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Items measuring up to 22 inches (55 cm) in width or height can be put inside the square opening in the frame
View gallery - 8 images

San Francisco-based Lit Motors is definitely best-known for its C1 – a self-balancing, fully-enclosed electric motorcycle, that's still in development. The company has also been quietly working on another vehicle, however, known as the kubo. It's an electric cargo scooter, in which the payload is carried inside the frame. It's ready to go into production, so its makers have turned to Kickstarter for funding.

While the specifics regarding its motor and battery have still yet to be stated, the kubo is claimed to have a range of up to 50 miles (80.5 km) per charge, a top speed of 45 mph (72 km/h), and a carrying capacity of 300 lb (136 kg) including both rider and cargo. Charging takes "a few hours," and is accomplished by plugging the scooter's onboard charger into a regular wall outlet.

Items measuring up to 22 inches (55 cm) in width or height can be put inside the square opening in the frame, then held in place using integrated tie-down hooks, loops, and rails.

The Kickstarter campaign began today, with a pledge of US$5,000 getting backers a kubo of their own, when and if they reach production. Shipping is scheduled to begin next July.

You can see one of the scooters in action, in the video below.

Source: Kickstarter

View gallery - 8 images
8 comments
8 comments
Derek Howe
and THAT ladies and gentlemen is how you kill your companies "cool" factor. It would at least tie in nicely with the C-1 and they could keep some of the coolness is it was self balancing.
socalboomer
that's cool! Saw an American Pickers where they found an OLD bike that was like this. Nice to see a good old idea brought back and updated!
Paul Adams
300 pounds load capacity for the UK and USA that could easily be just the rider. I'd think about one in an adult size.
bogdan
That is pretty lame and uncool. They should just put a big basket in front of it.
Jay Finke
Great.. a KEG of beer would fit in this nicely, and would help numb the driver to the incredible amount of heckling he or she would get riding this eyesore.
Neil
I do love the C1 in concept, but the chances of it making it into production were already slim. And now they do this... *Sigh*
John McMullen
It takes guts to try something this original and practical at the same time. Pity you lot are only used to seeing completely unoriginal repetitious designs and don't know how to appreciate something that is trying to be different from the norm. The world can't afford huge wasteful Cadillacs and Harleys anymore, TIME TO BREAK THE MOLD. Well done Lit. You'll do well in Europe, they will "get" this. Did you know the average small car requires more than 7 Tonnes of ore to be dug up just to build it? Think about that for a few minutes before you get back into your 4x4.
Τριαντάφυλλος Καραγιάννης
An interesting idea, but I'd seriously put some larger wheels in there. The wheels in that are 10 inches at best. Not stable! Especially when you're laden and you have that awkward steering+seating geometry to take into account.
Anyway, I hope those engineers prove my skepticism wrong.