Zipping around town? Flip open your new foldable scooter
City dwellers take note: your daily commute is about to get a lot speedier with a fold-up scooter that can take you from work to play.
Sure, you could walk to the bus stop. Or you could fold out your very own electric scooter, grip the throttle and zoom past those fools, leaving them gasping in your wake. With the Xcooter, leaving people in your wake will be part of your daily life.
Billed as a "last-mile solution" for big cities and hectic commutes, the Xcooter can go 17 miles (28 kilometers) off a single 3-hour charge, and will travel as fast as 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour. We didn't get to test those kind of speeds at CES with all the bloggers wandering around, but with a turn of the throttle it certainly has plenty of get-up-and-go.
CES has pulled the big car companies out of the woodwork this year, but off the main show floor there are plenty of smaller players like Xcooter showing off vehicles that are a little left of field. With the rise of ride-sharing and growing populations in the city, there are plenty of people willing to ditch the car for a cheaper, smaller solution.
While the Xcooter hails from Miami tech accessories company Smart Rhino, this scooter isn't designed for long rides by the beach -- it's definitely built for the likes of New York, London and Tokyo. And it has a price tag to match that kind of real estate, currently selling through pre-sale for $1,499 (£1,020, AU$2,100). When it ships in April 2016 the price is set to go up to $1,799 (£1,230, AU$2,530).
The best part of the Xcooter is that it folds up, making it easier to wheel around or carry up the steps. But at the 40-pound mark (roughly 18 kilograms), it's not really built for lugging up your office stairwell.
The balancing act on the Xcooter takes a little getting used to, but after a while it's just like riding a zippy little electric bike. An LCD screen on the front keeps track of your speed, distance travelled and remaining battery, and there's even a horn and head -- and tail lights to alert passers-by to your awesomeness. All that's left to do is leave them in your wake.
Correction, Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. PT: This article previously featured a photo incorrectly labeled the Xcooter, it has since been replaced.