Up close with Fuzion's V-1000 folding electric scooter

The Fuzion V-1000 is one of a new breed of folding electric scooters that can fit in a car's trunk or a train's luggage rack, then unfold to zip down the street. Here's what it looks like closed...

...and here's the $1,100 (roughly £900 or AU$1,450) Fuzion V-1000 open and ready for action.

The scooter (designed by I-Max) stays super stable when you're riding thanks to this beefy locking mechanism and extremely strong construction. (On the downside, the scooter weighs 36 pounds.)

To open up the scooter, you flip open this huge quick-release lever, then push down the second little lever on the left. It's tough to do without bending down.

The V-1ooo has a nice wide, long deck which makes it easy to ride no matter where you plant your feet.

The wide handlebars (with nice cushy grips) are a double-edged sword. Easy to control, but wide enough that it's hard to weave around pedestrians or pass between cars.

The throttle is nice and smooth, not jerky -- but the battery indicator is extremely unreliable.

Handlebars fold down easy: Just pull these two collar rings to the sides, then push them down. The rings snap into place magnetically, so they don't move while you ride.

Big beefy tires and a huge rear disc brake make it easy to stop if you're being careful, but also make the scooter prone to skids if you're not.

The best feature: the suspension. Front shocks and a rear coil spring keep the ride smooth.

One last shot of the Fuzion V-1000.