The recent boom in personal urban mobility has been making waves across Europe and Asia, and in many ways, changing the lives of thousands of people. In a lot of European and Asian countries, an electric bicycle or e-scooter can actually serve as a solid, sustainable alternative to taking a car or public transport. While the US is still quite far from this, we’re seeing more and more lightweight EVs on the roads, especially in the urban setting.
Innovative electric personal mobility devices continue to transform the world of mobility, as we see more and more weird and wonderful vehicles emerge from various manufacturers. Take, for example, the TOM, a funky electric scooter from Italian start-up To-Move. From a motorcyclist’s point of view, this thing is little more than a toy. However, when looked at from an urban mobility point of view, the concept has quite a lot of potential.
First and foremost, the scooter’s unique folding design means it’s super compact when stored – something extremely valuable for a space-saving urban dweller. On top of that, the scooter has a seat, giving the rider a more comfortable riding position than a standard stand-up e-scooter. This means that longer commutes are possible with the TOM, as your knees and hips don’t need to work double time to keep you balanced.
Adding to the comfort factor of the TOM is a suspension fork that should do a good job of absorbing small bumps and road imperfections. It also comes to a stop with disc brakes, all while keeping its weight at a very approachable 20 kilograms. According to To-Move, the TOM can be folded in just seven seconds, making it easy to reach its compact size for when it’s loaded in the back of a car, in the bus or train, or under your desk at home.
From a technology standpoint, the TOM is powered by a rear hub motor with a nominal output of 500 watts. This is similar to motors we find on commuter-focused electric bicycles, and in the case of the TOM, it promises a top speed of 28 miles per hour. A 750-watt-hour battery pack housed within the frame provides about 35 miles of range on a single charge, while fully charging it via a standard household socket should take about four hours.
In Europe, the To-Move TOM electric scooter commands a fairly premium price tag of 2,750 Euros, or about $3,000 USD. Indeed, you could pick yourself up a cheap e-scooter or e-bike for a third of that price, but none of them feature as funky of a design as that of the TOM. At present, To-Move is undergoing a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter, with production expected to begin in the fall of 2023.
