Walking is so 20th century. That's certainly the impression you'd get if you begin to round up the e-scooters that have been hitting the market lately. From simple cargo-hauling two-wheelers to electrified sit-atop models, there are certainly no shortages of ways to zip around town – sans boring old walking. The latest to take a stab at the e-scooter market is the CityGo Urban, a sleek and portable model that's activated with a single kick.
Currently in the midst of its Indiegogo campaign, the CityGo uses an onboard battery to turn a quick kick-off into sustained power that can propel its riders forward at speeds up to 15 mph (24 km/h). The scooter comes equipped with a 300-watt motor that is activated when you propel the scooter forward using your foot. There's no throttle, key or switches involved.
Using an accompanying smartphone app, the scooter can be set in three modes, each of which caps your speed: Novice (6 mph, 10 km/h); Normal (12 mph, 19 km/h); and Sport (15 mph, 24 km/h). The CityGo will come in two versions – one with a standard battery that is supposed to provide two hours of runtime and cover a distance of 12.5 miles (20 km), and the second with a beefed-up battery that ups the runtime to three hours and the distance to 16 miles (26 km). (Those metrics apply to riding the scooter at about 6 mph or 10 km/h.) The batteries take about as long to charge as their corresponding run times.
The app can also track routes, battery life and tell you how much carbon dioxide you've saved by not driving a gas-powered car around town. It further doubles as a key of sorts, letting you lock and unlock the scooter from its folded position.
Braking is accomplished by pressing a lever above the back wheel which, the company says, provides a power boost to the battery, although it can't be very significant.
The CityGo is mostly meant for flat surfaces, so if you live in a hilly city, it's not going to quite cut it, unlike the zippy and powerful Eon Scooter. Still, what it lacks in power, it makes up for in looks and portability. It weighs in at 21.6 lb (9.8 kg) and once the simple folding routine is carried out, it rolls along on its back wheel. The front of the scooter has a built-in strip of LED lights which lends it a very futuristic – and decidedly grown-up – air.
The base level CityGo Urban can be purchased at the early bird price of US$539, while the more powerful model, the CityGo Urban Pro, costs $629. Both represent decent savings off the rather steep eventual retail price of $1050 and $1100.
If all goes well – and that's a big "if" considering a product this complex – the scooters are expected to ship in January 2017. The campaign has already exceeded its goal of raising $50,000 and still has about three weeks left.
This campaign video offers you a glimpse of how the CityGo Urban will work.
Source: CityGo
