Unu begins sales of 2nd generation e-scooter

The Berlin-based electric scooter manufacturer Unu has started regular sales of the new model via its online store after completing the pre-order phase. The first e-scooters are to be delivered in October.

The first production batch of Unu’s second-generation electric scooter will be exclusively matte black vehicles. After pre-orderers receive these in October, the manufacturer has now announced that all further models are to follow from November onwards. The scooter can be ordered online in three models and seven colours from 69 euros per month or 2,799 euros per purchase.

The second generation of the Unu was announced and presented in May 2019, and since then Unu says that 13,000 people have registered for a test drive. It will be October 2020 before the first second-generation vehicles are delivered to customers – due to the Corona pandemic, which has paralysed production in the meantime.

The Covid-19 break has also had an impact on the sales activities: Instead of also increasing sales to sharing providers, the focus is has shifted back to private buyers. “Right now, we want to offer our customers the opportunity to get from A to B safely, flexibly and cost-effectively,” says Pascal Blum, co-founder and CEO of Unu. “At the moment, this is mainly done with private vehicles. To prevent everyone from getting back in the car for fear of shared mobility, our new product generation is now coming at just the right time.”

The “current developments in the sharing market during the corona crisis”, as Unu puts it, have led to not only restrictions on the range of products offered by many providers, but also to reduced investments. According to Blum, the situation is being observed “with tense optimism”, and he continues to talk to sharing providers.

The second generation of Unu-E-Scooters is said to differ from its predecessor primarily in terms of connectivity features. Among other things, it was announced that the scooter could be started via an app with a digital key. If this digital key is shared digitally with friends, family and in the neighbourhood, several users can access the vehicle – a process known as peer-to-peer sharing (P2P).

That being said, the vehicles delivered this year will not yet be equipped with this function. Unu is now announcing updates for the app and the scooter for spring and summer 2021, which will enable navigation, anti-theft protection and digital key sharing in stages via over-the-air updates.

The Bosch motor integrated into the rear wheel of the new model delivers 2, 3 or 4 kW, depending on the power variant. The battery, which remains portable, guarantees a range of up to 100 kilometres. Besides, according to the manufacturer, the new electric scooter is said to offer “the largest storage space and one of the fastest acceleration values in the electric scooter segment,” (which comes to 33.4 litres with two batteries inserted).

Source: information via email., unumotors.com (configurator, in German)