One of the most innovative concepts that Hyundai introduced during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has only two wheels. The South Korean brand is displaying a compact, portable electric scooter designed for first- and last-mile mobility.
Called the Ioniq Scooter, the two-wheeler is so compact when it’s fully folded that it can fit in the driver’s door of the Ioniq, Hyundai’s new Prius-fighting model. The company says storing it in the door is a more user-friendly solution than keeping it in the trunk. The door panel is fitted with a special charging port so users can top up the Ioniq Scooter’s battery pack just like they charge their phone when on the go.
Hyundai stresses that carrying the scooter around isn’t a burden due to its low weight, and says unfolding it is a quick and relatively simple task that can be accomplished with just one hand. The concept is operated via a thumb switch located on the right handlebar. Scrolling it up speeds up the tiny electric motor and scrolling it down applies the brakes. Alternatively, the driver can brake by pushing down on a pad located over the rear wheel.
Technical specifications haven’t been published yet so we don’t know how far the scooter can travel on a single charge. However, it was developed to get users from the place where they park their car to their final destination — usually an office — and vice versa, so the pack only needs to store a couple of miles’ worth of electricity at most. The digital instrument cluster tells us the Ioniq Scooter can reach at least 12 mph.
Hyundai stresses the Ioniq Scooter is merely a concept and it hasn’t been approved for production yet. However, it could receive the proverbial green light for production as the brand continues to invest in sustainable mobility solutions for the future.
