Urban Transport

Gravel-capable electric scooter rocks a set of tubby tires

Gravel-capable electric scooter rocks a set of tubby tires
The Vinghen Ti1 is presently on Kickstarter
The Vinghen Ti1 is presently on Kickstarter
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The Vinghen Ti1 is presently on Kickstarter
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The Vinghen Ti1 is presently on Kickstarter
The Vinghen Ti1, hittin' the snow
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The Vinghen Ti1, hittin' the snow

The Vinghen Ti1 is being offered in a choice of 10 frame colors
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The Vinghen Ti1 is being offered in a choice of 10 frame colors
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Electric scooters may be a simpler alternative to full-on ebikes, but those tiny wheels don't do well on gravel paths, snow, or pothole-filled roads. That's where the Vinghen Ti1 comes in, as it has big ol' fatbike-style tires.

Designed by Bulgarian engineer Tsvetan Iliev, the scooter features a galvanized steel frame (despite the titanium-suggesting "Ti" in its name), a longboard-like impregnated plywood deck, and a 250-watt rear hub motor. A 13-Ah/36V lithium-ion battery pack, located in a polycarbonate box beneath the deck, provides power to that motor via a handlebar-mounted throttle.

A top speed of 15 mph (25 km/h) is possible, unless you're just kicking the thing along without using the motor. One four- to five-hour charge should reportedly be good for a range of 20 miles (32 km). The whole vehicle weighs a claimed 55 lb (25 kg).

Iliev tells us that he plans on adding a throttle-free electric-assist feature, which will cause the motor to automatically boost each of the rider's kicks. It should be noted that the fat-tired Scrooser scooter already works in this manner.

The Vinghen Ti1 is being offered in a choice of 10 frame colors
The Vinghen Ti1 is being offered in a choice of 10 frame colors

And yes, the wheels … the front one takes a beefy 26 by 3.0-inch tire, with a smaller 20 by 3.0 in the back. Mechanical disc brakes stop those wheels, with hydraulic discs available as an upgrade.

Should you be interested, the Vinghen Ti1 is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. Assuming it reaches production, a pledge of £530 (about US$660) will get you one. Its planned retail price is $899.

And if you like the idea of a fattie e-scooter, but are interested in seeing something in a different style, you might want to also check out the Phatty and the Stator.

Source: Kickstarter

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3 comments
3 comments
PAV
Hmm 🤔 this actually looks pretty nice. Now just as a seat post for longer rides. Oh and some pedals to increase range. Maybe a rear rack for gear.
mctomasz
I love the concept. Howevwe a stronger motor for the US would be nice and equally important is ground clearance. I have a ninebot max and speed bumps in parking lots hit my battery compartment! I replaced the plactic bottom cover with a steel one but the wheels are so small not much in ground clearance. Now a fat tire bike should allow ground clearance. The Vinghen Ti1 has tiny ground clearance under the battery! It really needs 3-4 inches more so it can handle a rock or root on a trail and a speed bump. I probably would buy if not for this reason - and the power.
ljaques
Yeah, seat and rear rack for gear would make this thing more whole...for us lazy and cluttery bastids. Decent price, interesting build, and they were smart to put a much larger wheel up front. Watch a few vids on YT about scooters and you'll see people doing endos trying to climb a filter cigarette butt. Large wheels allow you to go over small logs with ease. I'd like to see smaller tires (2.75 motorcycle tires) and rims on those, though. Fat bike tires are heavy.