XOR's folding electric scooters: a new relationship with your wheels

One of the fun things we've got to look forward to as electric vehicles become more and more common is a changing of the relationship we have with our wheels. The XO2 electric scooter is a fine example - it'll behave fairly similarly to a regular electric scooter on the road, but when you get where you're going, instead of parking it on the sidewalk where it's exposed to rain, thieves and vandals, you can fold it up and bring it into your apartment or office, and plug it in to charge. We talk a lot about the coming population explosion here on Gizmag, with billions more people to be crammed into our urban centers in the next 50 years. Devices like these seem tailor-made for the type of living we're inevitably moving towards.

XOR's XO2 scooter range couldn't be more simple at heart - they're tiny, lightweight electric scoots built for urban practicality and convenience. With a top speed between 60kmh (for the XO2 50 Urban) and 105kmh (for the XO2 125 Urban), they charge to 80% within a couple of hours and offer a range of between 50 and 70km depending on how fast you're going.

But the idea of folding your motorcycle up and bringing it inside with you is a powerful one - it immediately doubles your potential range on a commuter machine by letting you sit it under your desk at work to charge. It eliminates the need for off-street parking when you're at home, while solving security issues and again giving you easy access to charging points.

It opens up the ability to use the XO2 as part of a multi-stage commute, riding it to the train station, taking the train part of the way, then riding the scoot between the station and your destination, or even storing it in the trunk of a car to efficiently split a car pool situation.

It's a very nifty idea - but you'd want your folding scooter to be very well made, given that it appears to fold in half at the headstock. And it's easy to imagine that lugging your 70kg XO2 around with you could quickly lose its appeal if you live up a flight of stairs.

Despite being the scooter's main claim to fame, there's no photo of it folding up at the XOR site. designboom did however manage to snap the XOR in folded position at EICMA Milan recently.

No word as yet on pricing or availability.