Motorcycles

It may be light but don't call Xkuty a pedelec

It may be light but don't call Xkuty a pedelec
Currently in development in Spain, the Xkuty is a remarkably lightweight electric scooter weighing in at a mere 45 kg (99 lb)
Currently in development in Spain, the Xkuty is a remarkably lightweight electric scooter weighing in at a mere 45 kg (99 lb)
View 11 Images
Currently in development in Spain, the Xkuty is a remarkably lightweight electric scooter weighing in at a mere 45 kg (99 lb)
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Currently in development in Spain, the Xkuty is a remarkably lightweight electric scooter weighing in at a mere 45 kg (99 lb)
The Xkuty boasts a 1500-W motor granting a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph)
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The Xkuty boasts a 1500-W motor granting a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph)
Xkuty is quiet, emitting an average of just 5 dB if the claims are accurate
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Xkuty is quiet, emitting an average of just 5 dB if the claims are accurate
Although pictured in the white and lime livery that is fast become the fashion for electric vehicles, it seems would-be owners will be able to configure the color of the bike's chassis, saddle and handlebar grips
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Although pictured in the white and lime livery that is fast become the fashion for electric vehicles, it seems would-be owners will be able to configure the color of the bike's chassis, saddle and handlebar grips
A novel Xkuty ad attempts to communicate its light weight
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A novel Xkuty ad attempts to communicate its light weight
The Xkuty boasts a 1500-W motor granting a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph)
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The Xkuty boasts a 1500-W motor granting a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph)
Saddle color can be customized
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Saddle color can be customized
The Xkuty boasts a 1500-W motor granting a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph)
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The Xkuty boasts a 1500-W motor granting a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph)
Docked, an iPhone's screen can display speed and charge info
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Docked, an iPhone's screen can display speed and charge info
Handelbar color can be customized
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Handelbar color can be customized
The Xkuty ships without an instruction manual, the advertising boasts, needing the press of a single button on the right handlebar to start up
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The Xkuty ships without an instruction manual, the advertising boasts, needing the press of a single button on the right handlebar to start up
View gallery - 11 images

Weighing in as it does at a mere 45 kg (99 lb), it's tempting to categorize the Xkuty as an electric bicycle. There's a small problem with doing so, though. It doesn't have any pedals. Needless to say, its designers from Spain bill this as a feature (thanks to the lack of chain), though it does leave little room for debate: the Xkuty is a scooter, albeit a remarkably lightweight one.

As well as the weight, the creators of the Xkuty are keen to stress its ease of use. The Xkuty ships without an instruction manual, the advertising boasts, needing the press of a single button on the right handlebar to start up. It's quiet, too, emitting an average of just 5 dB if the claims are accurate.

The Xkuty boasts a 1500-W motor granting a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph). This is powered by dual lithium batteries with a combined storage of 17-Ah, apparently good for a range of 50 km (or 31 miles). Recharging takes two hours at a cost of 50 euro cents via one's domestic electrical supply. Such figures make for competitive running costs, though the makers of the Xkuty point out that one is likely to have to replaced the battery every couple of years if used regularly.

A nice touch is a smartphone docking station. According to autoevolution, when connected, an iPhone or Android handset doubles as a dashboard display, providing the rider with speed and charge information.

Although pictured in the white and lime livery that is fast become the fashion for electric vehicles, it seems would-be owners will be able to configure the color of the bike's chassis, saddle and handlebar grips.

The designers of the Xkuty claim to have whittled away at construction costs in order to bring down the end price for the consumer comparable with that of a common or garden two-stroke scooter. A post on the Xkuty blog puts the target retail price at €2,314 (US$3,138 – a conversion which suffers somewhat from the strong Euro at the moment). Launch dates aren't clear at this point, though the Xkuty blog states that those that pre-order will find a helmet and first year's insurance thrown into the bargain.

The Xkuty is "demonstrated" in the tongue-in-cheek tutorial video below.

Sources: Xkuty, autoevolution

View gallery - 11 images
7 comments
7 comments
Freyr Gunnar
We're probably still quite a few years until electric scooters/bikes are good enough replacements, but I can't wait to ride a silent scooter that costs much less to run/maintain.
bergamot69
You wouldn't want it to be too silent however, too many pedestrians cross the road relying only on their ears (and not the grey matter or the twin sensors that lie between them).
I've run into pedestrians this way when they've stepped out, lemming fashion, in front of my bicycle. One of whom stood up and told me that I had broken his leg!
RXTR
Nice concept, BUT, here in Canada, the law requires pedals on an electric scooter to avoid the need to register and insure the bike as a motorcycle... If it has pedals here, an electric scooter can be ridden without a licence plate, insurance or a licensed rider at the controls, otherwise it has to be registered as a motorcycle if it lacks pedals, and the rider must have a full driver's license with a motorcycle permit.
billybob1851
@ bergamot69. know what you mean, every since they made the "pedestrians" in crosswalks laws, people just cross anywhere they like, and jump out in front of you. idiots. @ Freyr Gunnar. i too look forward to electric motorcycles and scooters, but looks like it will be a while until they can compete.
Nairda
I invite you all to take a visit to Shanghai. Good food, maglev trains, and ..... virtually all scooters in the city are electric. Well within ~30miles of city centre. Didn't go to the outskirts.
There is a massive mama and papa run industry that has sprouted out of nowhere (no doubt to do with high price of petrol), to maintain these things. Anything from running gear, to battery maintenance to replacement/retreading of tyres. There are as many side of the road scooter maintenance and battery exchange/refurbishment joints as there are restaurants.
You can buy electric scooters from their equivalent wallmart and walk away with a top of the range scooter model good for 60km and 62mph rating for around $US3,500. Or half that much for a scooter that has half the range and top speed for round town. By the look of things this has been going on for a number of years because there are a lot of really used looking scooters around the place. And they aren't toys. Locals have peaked to the benefit of the torque from the electrics. Scooters are used to carry all manner of unwieldy items and sacs of various food stuffs.
My point is its been done, so why are other countries taking so long to get an affordable electric product for the people?
Cdog
The problem in America is the restrictive laws preventing anything with enough performance to be useful from being affordable due to "safety features" required.
Dave B13
"Nice concept, BUT, here in Canada, the law requires pedals on an electric scooter to avoid the need to register" Ditto USA, our vehicles are licensed by the State, and we got like 50 of them, but if the States don't do what Bigger Daddy (Federal Gov) says, then the Fed will stop giving us our tax money back for road projects & stuff. Anyway there is a Fed Gov law, that If you got pedals on your electric scooter, than the State you are in can't outlaw you, and jerk you around in other "we know better what's best for you than you do" which translates better into, "We know what's best for us, do as you're told, and we won't hurt you. OK, so we will hurt you anyway, but it's the thought that counts." Home of the brave, land of the free, NOT.