The Lightfoot electric scooter is wrapped in solar panels to address range anxiety

Otherlab has announced a caller electric scooter called the Lightfoot that tin widen its scope not by accelerated charging oregon speedy artillery swaps, but by soaking up the sun. The scooter is shrouded successful 2 ample star panels that Otherlab says tin extend its scope by an other 3 miles for each hr it’s near successful the sun.

The company, which describes itself arsenic an “independent probe & plan lab” bringing “new solutions successful renewable energy,” is readying to marque the Lightfoot disposable for preorder starting today. It volition merchantability for $4,995 and transportation is expected arsenic aboriginal arsenic January, 2025.

The Lightfoot is powered by a brace of 750W brushless DC motors paired with a 48-volt, 1.1kWh artillery that provides a scope of up to 37 miles connected a afloat complaint and a apical velocity of “just under” 20mph. You tin find cargo-capable e-bikes that are cheaper than the Lightfoot with improved scope (depending connected what you’re hauling), but what sets the Lightfoot isolated is that isn’t wholly babelike connected a powerfulness outlet.

In summation to charging the artillery done regenerative braking while you’re retired riding, the star panels connected each broadside of the Lightfoot tin make up to 120W of powerfulness portion exposed to the sun. Assuming you enactment extracurricular and the upwind cooperates, the institution claims those star panels tin widen the Lightfoot’s scope by up to 20 miles successful the summer, oregon up to 10 miles successful the winter. While immoderate scooters, similar Honda’s Motocompacto, are designed to fold up truthful you tin store them inside, the Lightfoot volition payment from being near outdoors.

With a framework made from aircraft-grade aluminum riding connected 10-inch tires, the Lightfoot is bulkier than basal up scooters, but it tin accommodate 2 riders. Underneath those star panels you’ll besides find 1.5 cubic feet of weatherproof and lockable retention which the institution says is “comparable successful size to a carry-on suitcase.” The scooter is besides built utilizing “off-the-shelf, highly rated parts” with the extremity of making it debased attraction and casual to repair.

For those who similar the thought of commuting to work, oregon adjacent moving errands, utilizing an electrical scooter but are anxious astir the hazard of being stranded by their comparative constricted ranges, the Lightfoot could bring immoderate bid of mind. At the aforesaid time, the thought of having to permission it locked up extracurricular and susceptible to theft to instrumentality afloat vantage of its star capabilities whitethorn conscionable swap 1 anxiousness for another.