This is the Lavoie Series 1 and while it may not look like it, it is the latest product from McLaren and is an electric scooter unlike any other. The Series 1 has been brought to life by Lavoie, a unit of McLaren Applied, the technology company that the McLaren Group spun off a couple of years ago. It has been designed by Ian Callum and is unique from most other e-scooters on the market because it can be folded down and easily carried by hand.
Two versions of the Series 1 have been
developed, consisting of the entry-level Series 1 and the flagship Series 1
MAX. The first of these features a 468 Wh battery pack and when ridden at an
average speed of 19 km/h, can travel 40 km. Meanwhile, the
Series 1 MAX benefits from a larger 702 Wh battery which means it is good for 61 km of range. Both scooters can hit 40 km/h and it will
take a touch under 3 hours to fully recharge the battery.
Three different riding modes are
available: Eco, Cruise, and Sport. When ridden by a 5’8” rider that weighs 165
lbs, the Series 1 can travel between 49.8 km and 70 km in Eco mode at 14.4 km/h, between 40 km and 60
km at an average speed of 25 km/h in Cruise mode, and between 25 km and 35 km at an average of 40 km/h in Sport
mode. Lavoie refers to its folding mechanism as ‘flowfold.’ All that is needed
is the press of one button for the stem of the scooter to collapse.
The first 469 examples built will form
part of the Founders Edition, paying tribute to the first electric two-wheeled
vehicle that was patented in April 1869. The Founders Edition will come with a
unique numbered plaque. As for the regular models, the Series 1 costs US$ 1,990
while the Series 1 MAX will set back shoppers US$ 2,230.
