Volkswagen reveals last-mile e-scooter concepts

Volkswagen revealed two micro mobility concepts in Geneva, the Streetmate e-scooter that can be driven while sitting or standing; and the three-wheeled Cityskater, known as the “last mile surfer”, which is a collapsible standing scooter steered by shifting weight.

Volkswagen considers the two electric scooter concepts solutions for urban micro mobility, that is mostly the last mile.

However, the Streetmate is pretty grown up. Despite the option for the seat to be folded away, allowing the rider to drive the electric scooter in a standing position if legislation allows, the two-wheeler comes with a 2 kW motor. Integrated into the rear wheel, it gives the electric bike a top speed of 45 km/h and a range of 35 km.

Still, the Streetmate concept scooter is relatively light (65 kg), has a low centre of gravity with its 1.3 kWh lithium-ion battery integrated into the floor structure. Germany’s car-making giant says that its micro mobility concept can be fully recharged in two hours and 15 minutes at a charging station with a charging power of 500 watts. Alternatively, the battery can be removed and connected to any domestic socket.

An almost compulsory selling point for electric vehicles nowadays is connectivity. Streetmate does this with a large display in the middle of the handlebars serving as a weather-proof control centre. It can also connect to a smartphone to then obtain navigation data. The scooter’s app triggers an alarm if someone tries to start the scooter. Similarly, the app includes recognition of multiple authorised drivers, turning the smartphone into a digital key.

The Cityskater is Streetmate’s little sister in the form of a three-wheeled collapsable “last mile surfer”. This micro mobility concept is steered by means of the rider shifting their weight whereby a control rod provides the necessary stability. This makes the steering similar to skiing or riding a Segway. The little Cityskater has a top speed of up to 20 km/h and a 15 km range.

The idea of this concept is that its light weight of 11.9 kilos means that it can be taken on public transport or in a car for the last stretch of the rider’s journey. CitySkater has a lithium-ion battery that can be charged using a conventional household socket, meaning the three-wheeler can also be charged on a train.

In the press release, Volkswagen stresses that all technical data here represent planned values, as these are concept light electric vehicles. Therefore nothing was said on plans for production.

volkswagen-newsroom.com (details to both concepts), volkswagen-newsroom.com (Streetmate), volkswagen-newsroom.com (Cityskater)

Additional reporting by Nora Manthey.