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Innovative E-Scooters for the Last Mile Commuter

If there were any doubts about the growing interest and popularity within the category of last-mile electric scooters – designed to transport urban dwellers the short distance between point A to point B – news about BMW launching their own e-scooter model should put to rest that micro mobility is a waning fad. The German auto group’s foray into scooters joins an already crowded field, some of the most notable models listed below:

Photo: BMW Group

BMW E-Scooter
Launched by the BMW Lifestyle wing of BMW Group in cooperation with Micro (inventor of the Micro Scooter), the compact city scooter is set to hits streets starting this September, offering riders a range of 7.5 miles per charge with a top speed of 12 mph. The 19.8 lbs BMW E-Scooter sports a 150 watt motor with a lithium-ion battery that hides into the footplate and rear wheel, while also featuring a fold-up, space-saving design. Expect to pay a premium in the ballpark of $890 for the ultimate scooting machine.

Jetson Quest Folding Electric Scooter
One of the more premium models available today, the Jetson Quest’s most distinguishing features are its sleek fold-up design, a bright LED headlight array for night riding, alongside a small LED display offering the rider info about battery life, speed setting, a headlight indicator, and an odometer. The Quest is plenty fast, with a 250 watt hub motor capable of reaching up to 15 mph with an 18 mile range that can climb up hills at 15 degrees incline. The Quest can fold down from a height of 46.5-inches down to just 19.5-inches, and we give it extra points for the inclusion of grippy tread tires that give this urban scooter a more confident ride over less than ideal street or sidewalk pathways.

Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter
Is there anything the Chinese electronics manufacturer doesn’t make? Like the Jetson model above, this aluminum frame e-scooter sports a 250 watt motor able enough to drive it at a max speed of 15.5 mph and with a maximum travel range of up to 18.6 miles. Winner of a 2017 Red Dot Award and iF Design Award 2017, the design folds up for easy transport and offers app compatibility via Bluetooth for real-time riding statistics.

Inboard G1 Glider
Designed by electric skateboard company Inboard, the G1 Glider is an e-scooter featuring integrated data connectivity and GPS tracking intended for fleet operators, municipalities, and campuses to keep tabs on a small army of these scooters, rather than for individual customers. But the specs sheet is impressive, with a top speed of 22 mph and capable of tackling hills of 18% incline at up to 10 mph. The scooter only has a range of 12 miles per charge, but because of the hot swappable battery design, this range can be extended indefinitely.

Bird One
Arguably the biggest name in e-scooter mobility right now, and a ubiquitous presence in many major cities around the globe already, Bird is taking aim at the consumer market with the Bird One. With a huge battery with a range up to 30 miles, Bird’s foray into consumer e-scooters impresses with standout features like regenerative front motor braking, 30-40 lumens front and rear lights, over-the-air firmware updates, IP67 water-resistant specs, and a trio of colors to choose from. At $1,299 the BirdOne is one of the most expensive models, but the brand recognition should sell this model.

PAL
Well, you know e-scooters are trending when they make an appearance at Milan Design Week at Wallpaper* Handmade, like this concept by design agency, LAYER, for Chinese electric vehicle company, NIO. Sitting somewhere within the realm of longboard and 4-wheel scooter, the svelte graphene-coated carbon fiber frame is fronted by an electromagnetic panel that allows the PAL to be accessorized with its own modular luggage accessory.

Boosted Rev
$1,599 gets the e-scooter enthusiast a vehicle-grade scooter with Batmobile-like wheels, capable of zipping along at up to 24 mph and up to 22 miles with a single charge. Even more impressive is the hill climbing capabilities of the Boosted Rev, powerful enough to charge up hills at even a 25% grade hill that makes this dual wheel drive, 1,500 watts powered e-scooter a leader in its class. All this power does come at the cost of weight; at 46 lbs, it won’t be easy lugging up and down stairs; but the Rev folds up to a fairly slim 20″ height and can be used by riders up to 250 lbs, making this one of the most rider versatile options in the e-scooter category.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.