More agile than a city car, more cost-effective than a moped, more fun than a bike: the scooter (electric, of course) constitutes an example of the “minimal design” that is taking over cities and evolving into what is now a tempting market, including for car manufacturers. This is why, alongside the fourth-generation Leon, Seat has just presented its eKickscooter65, with the MÓ suffix introduced last June to complete the name, on the road. Thus, a new sub-brand is launched, one which is dedicated to zero-emissions micromobility, from which a real scooter is expected soon. The opaque red of our new mobility companion, the only shade available, sketches the outline of an agile comma among noble glimpses of historic Verona, right in the centre, where the test drive took place. Even if you are completely unused to two wheels, gaining confidence proves not to be too complicated: after turning it on, it’s enough to get on with just one foot and use the other to give a push, as with conventional scooters.
As soon as the “3 km/h” indicator appears on the display, you need to accelerate with the right handle. And you feel pretty stable and secure, even when you reach the maximum speed of 20 km/h to catch your colleagues indicating towards the Castelvecchio bridge, perhaps making use of the Sport riding mode (the other two are ECO and Drive). If you then use the engine brake, a little abrupt to be honest, there is also a stop light that switches on. To reach the Vicolo Miracoli, you have to confront the cobblestones, but no worries, the balance is still satisfactory…although you feel like you’re driving a jackhammer. The real limitation is, rather, the complete absence of rear-view mirrors, which makes the decision to turn very similar to Hamlet’s doubt (although, of course, Shakespeare set Rome and Juliet in Verona).
Pity. In terms of the rest, with a 65 km-range, six hours for a complete recharge, 19 kg in weight, and a maximum superable incline of 20 degrees, the eKickscooter65 proves very interesting. The price for private customers should hover around 700 Euros, but Seat is aiming, above all, at suppliers of shared mobility that can be managed via app. It will be up to the designers of the future, on the other hand, to resolve the issue of rear visibility with a brain flash to stave off the horns.
