{"id":134229,"date":"2019-03-05T04:20:18","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T09:20:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=134229"},"modified":"2019-03-04T22:58:00","modified_gmt":"2019-03-05T03:58:00","slug":"taking-it-to-the-street-vw-reveals-two-e-scooter-concepts-in-geneva","status":"publish","type":"reviews","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/reviews\/taking-it-to-the-street-vw-reveals-two-e-scooter-concepts-in-geneva\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking it to the Street: VW Reveals Two e-Scooter Concepts in Geneva"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The VW Streetmate concept features a fold-out seat for longer rides.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The automobile has, for the past century, been the symbol of personal mobility, but that is rapidly changing as other options become more widely available. And Volkswagen is showing the ideas it has in mind at the Geneva Motor Show.<\/p>\n

The automaker\u2019s Streetmate and Cityskater are two different takes on the concept of electric scooters, and while they\u2019re just for show, at the moment, few would be surprised to see them go into production, especially as competitors such as General Motors make similar moves.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mobilty News!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWith mobile solutions such as Streetmate and Cityskater, visitors and residents in cities around the world will soon be able to leave their cars at home, opting instead for smaller zero-emission vehicles to get around,\u201d the automaker explained, ahead of the Geneva debut of the two e-scooters.<\/p>\n

(Daimler unveils Smart Forease+ electric concept in Geneva. <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a> to check it out.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/strong>Streetmate is the bigger of the two and offers an intriguing solution for those who might prefer to sit, rather than stand while traveling from Point A to Point B. The longer-range of the two e-scooters, Streetmate features a seat that folds out of the handlebar pillar.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The Streetmate with the smaller Cityskater.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s powered by a 1.3 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that is built into the floor of the e-scooter, much like the latest generation of battery-electric vehicles. At a charging station, VW says, it takes just over two hours to bring a drained battery back to life, but the pack also can be removed and recharged at your home or office.<\/p>\n

Streetmate produces 2.7 horsepower, can hit a top speed of 28 mph and has a range of up to 21 miles under normal conditions \u2013 and that can be extended in \u201cEco Mode.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Mercedes saturates Geneva with new launches. <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a> to see what’s being unveiled.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The e-scooter even has regenerative disc brakes to recapture energy normally lost during braking and coasting and it boasts ABS to keep it stable during hard deceleration.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a high-resolution, 5.3-inch weatherproof color display that handles a number of functions and it can be hooked up to a smartphone to provide navigation. The phone also serves as a digital key using the Streetmate app.<\/p>\n

The Streetmate isn\u2019t light, weighing in at 143 pounds. The Cityskater, at a more manageable 33 pounds, is a more portable option. It can fold up for easy carrying, though you lose the fold-out seat.<\/p>\n

(Battery power is the big story at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, especially among German manufacturers. <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a> for more.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The 33 pound, fold-up Cityskater is designed for "last mile" travel and can be carried to home or office.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The unusual three-wheeler was designed for \u201clast-mile travel,\u201d letting you easily handle the last leg of an urban journey quickly and easily.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnlike a conventional skateboard or scooter, the Cityskater has a footboard with a front wheel for each leg,\u201d VW explains. \u201cSteering is similar to skiing, as the skateboard is steered by intuitively shifting weight from one leg to the other; a control rod provides the necessary stability and is used to start, accelerate and brake the doubleboard.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s 0.2 kWh lithium battery provides enough energy to power a \u00bd horsepower electric motor at speeds up to 12 mph. It boasts disc brakes and even a horn, and can carry up to 265 pounds.<\/p>\n

Cityskater\u2019s range is 9 miles. Using a European 230-volt outlet, the e-scooter can get a 50% charge \u2013 good for about 4.7 miles \u2013 in less than an hour.<\/p>\n

As for production plans, VW appear to be quite serious about the more portable of the two, saying, \u201cThe Cityskater is currently being evaluated for homologation; the goal is to obtain approval for use on cycle paths.\u201d<\/p>\n

VW isn\u2019t the only automaker looking at micromobility. Among others, General Motors just a month ago officially launched an electric bike business dubbed AR\u012aV. It will be selling two models, the compact Meld and the foldable Merge. Initial plans call for them to be sold in Germany and the Netherlands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The automobile is losing its lead as the symbol of personal mobility. VW is showing off two e-scooter concepts at the Geneva Motor Show that could change the way urban residents and commuters get around. TheDetroitBureau.com checks out the new Volkswagen Streetmate and Cityskater.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134230,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[],"category_reviews":[15],"make":[58,113],"post-state":[],"category_old":[149,150,151,123,287,160,319,289,155,168,152,272,243,132,291,232],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews\/134229"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reviews"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134229"},{"taxonomy":"category_reviews","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_reviews?post=134229"},{"taxonomy":"make","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/make?post=134229"},{"taxonomy":"post-state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-state?post=134229"},{"taxonomy":"category_old","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_old?post=134229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}