Although there are now a ton of electric scooters on the market, most of them have tiny wheels that could easily be swallowed by potholes. The Kobra is different, in that it has relatively big, beefy wheels – along with a tubular stainless steel frame.
First of all, there are actually two models of the Kobra: the urban-oriented Smart and the heavier-duty Climber.
Both have a 20-inch wheel in the front and a 16-incher in the rear. Those wheels are clad in pneumatic tires – slicks on the Smart and knobbies on the Climber. Stopping power is provided by electronically activated mechanical disc brakes. An "E-ABS" system keeps the wheels from locking up while braking.
The back wheel additionally packs a hub motor – 350 watts on the Smart and 500 watts on the Climber – which is powered by a frame-mounted lithium battery. One charge should reportedly be good for a range of over 100 km (62 miles), at a top speed of 25 km/h (16 mph). Because of its more powerful motor, the Climber is claimed to be able to tackle slopes of up to 35 percent, whereas the Smart tops out at 22 percent.
Since the "motorcycle-inspired" frame is made of stainless steel tubing, rust shouldn't be an issue. That frame is additionally said to absorb road vibrations by flexing. Some of the Kobra's other features include cruise control, regenerative braking, plus integrated head and tail lights (with a brake light).
Should you be interested, the Kobra is currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign. Assuming it reaches production, a pledge of €2,170 (about US$2,615) will get you a Smart, with €2,480 ($2,989) required for a Climber. Their planned retail prices are €2,890 and €3,310 ($3,483 and $3,989), respectively.
You can see both models in action, in the following video.
Source: Indiegogo
