This Spanish-made solar scooter docks in a solar charging station and switches on and off via an iPhone app that also controls navigation and a speed limiter.
It’s called the Xkuty – quaint, ain’t it? – has a fast charger under the seat that can charge the scooter in three hours for a 100km range. It also comes as a battery version that can be charged by conventional mains power.
Xkuty solar scooterThe solar scooter manufacturer, Electric Mobility Company of Spain, is seeking crowd funding to develop their 320-Wp Spark solar parking dock.
The Xkuty is not the first solar-powered motorcycle. One African university is leading the development of harnessing the sun for two wheels.
The Xkuty solar scooter also uses your iPhone as the instrument pod. A special app allows you to turn the scooter on and off, display charging and navigation information, and even set a top speed limit.
Not that you are likely to cop many speeding fines as the maximum speed from the 1500-watt rear hub motor is 45km/h.
The app also uses the phone’s gyroscope to sense major lean angles and detect whether you are about to crash. It then dials a preset emergency contact number.
EMC plans to make an integrated Bluetooth carbonfibre helmet for hands-free phone calls or listening to music through the docked iPhone.
The Xkuty solar scooter is made from composites and aluminium, and weighs only 46kg. It is no bigger than a bicycle.
EMC is offering a 40km-range (25-mile) Xkuty on Indiegogo for pledges of at least US$2550, the 100km (60-mile) version from $3400 and the solar-powered non-battery model from US$6700 pledges, plus shipping.
They are scheduled to deliver from May 2016.