SEAT has unveiled the all-electric
e-Scooter concept at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona as part of
its new SEAT Urban Mobility business unit. As a matter of fact,
the Spanish brand had a triple announcement to make: the unveiling of the
e-Scooter concept and updated e-Kickscooter concept, as well as the creation of
the new SEAT Urban Mobility strategic business unit.
The first electric scooter in the
company’s history, the e-Scooter features a compact design based on stylized
geometric shapes. It is a concept for now but SEAT says it will go on sale in
2020 both to private users and shared services fleets. The battery-powered
vehicle features a 10 HP motor with a peak rate of 15 HP,
roughly equivalent to what a 125-cc gasoline engine would deliver.
However, the instant peak torque of 240 Nm is way higher than what a 124-cc engine could produce. As a result,
the electric scooter is able to sprint from 0 to 50 km/h in just 3.8
seconds and reach a top speed of 100 km/h.
More importantly, the driving range on a
single charge is rated at 115 km, according to WMTC (World
Motorcycle Test Cycle) test results. SEAT does not reveal the capacity of the battery
but says it can be “removed and easily charged at home or public charging
stations at an estimated cost to all customers of only € 0.70 (US$ 0.8) for every
100 kilometers.”
Since the e-Scooter is a connected
vehicle, users can track the battery charge level or its location via a mobile
app. Also worth mentioning is the fact that it has enough storage space for two
helmets beneath the seat as it can transport two people. The e-Scooter will be
built by Barcelona-based scooter maker Silence at its facilities in Molins de
Rei, located halfway between Barcelona and Martorell, SEAT’s car production
base.
In addition to the e-Scooter, the company
presented a concept of its new generation e-Kickscooter that features a range
of up to 65 km, two independent brake systems and a much higher
capacity battery that reaches 551 Wh. The current SEAT eXS achieved sales of
over 10,000 units since its launch in 2018.
Finally, the new SEAT Urban Mobility
business unit will integrate all the product, service and platform-based
mobility solutions, including the Respiro car-sharing service operating in
Madrid and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. The division will develop purpose
designed products for all the Volkswagen Group’s brands, not only for SEAT.
