This is the Lightfoot, a solar scooter conceived by San Francisco-based R&D outfit Otherlab, which is claimed to be available for purchase in the US from January. The most eye-catching feature are the two side panels covered in solar cells that hopefully won’t require you to plug in a charger.
However, in the gap between the two is a fairly large cargo compartment with about 1.6 cubic feet of space. This should be more than enough to carry your stuff to and from work or to pick up some groceries when you’re out. The padded seat and footplate are also designed to carry the rider and an additional passenger.
As for the specifications, it has a pair of 750W brushless DC motors with a maximum speed of 20 mph, producing a peak torque of 90Nm, which will hopefully be enough to traverse the hills around SF (and wherever you are).
They’re connected to a 1.1kWh battery, which the company claims will give it 37 miles of range on a single charge. Two 120W panels on either side will slowly charge the battery when parked on the street or outside. Otherlab claims this passive solar charging will add three miles of charge per hour, or 18 miles if you leave it for a full day.
Apart from the solar hardware, Otherlab claims you – or a qualified technician – will be able to keep it running without any outside help. That said most of the components are off-the-shelf motorcycle parts and can be easily repaired or replaced.
There’s also a one-year whole bike and two-year mechanical guarantee, as well as a no-questions-asked buy-back policy. We’ll reserve judgement on every aspect of it until we’re able to try it out ourselves, but we’re curious to see what it feels like to ride this thing.
Pre-orders for the Lightfoot start today for $4,995, with Otherlab promising first deliveries in January 2025.