Hyundai & Kia cars to get built-in electric scooters

Kia recently made its foray in the Indian market by launching the Kia Seltos compact SUV. Now, the South Koren manufacturer, along with its sister company Hyundai, has revealed an e-scooter with rear-wheel drive, a lithium-ion battery and stylish front and rear lights. Back in 2017, Hyundai showcased an integrated electric scooter concept at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show). The one revealed by the company now is a new and more practical version of the same concept. This e-scooter is aimed at resolving the issue if first and last-mile connectivity. The video below shows how this e-scooter would be seamlessly integrated in the car and the way it could help the vehicle owners.

This e-scooter concept essentially includes the scooter to be stacked up inside the car and so that it could be easily removed to and used from the vehicle’s body panels. Hyundai plans to enable first- and last-mile mobility by integrating the scooter with the future Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The main idea behind this whole concept is to facilitate mobility needs to the driver in case the vehicle has to be parked a further away from its original destination. For instance, one can park their car at the public parking made available by the government and reach their nearby destination via this e-scooter.

If implemented nicely, this would result in lesser traffic problems as people would start using public parking more often. Moreover, the owners would stay tension free regarding the safety of the car as it would be parked in the designated spot and hence no stealing/towing away would be involved. As of now, this e-scooter is in its concept phase. However, some of Hyundai’s and Kia’s future models will feature this e-scooter. The e-scooter houses a 10.5 Ah lithium battery that can power it for 20kms with a top speed of more than 20km/h. When mounted on a vehicle, the scooter will charge automatically using electricity produced while driving, ensuring that the user can complete their journey seamlessly.

Speaking on the new concept, DongJin Hyun, head of Hyundai Motor Group Robotics Team said, “This is the vehicle-mounted personal scooter which could be featured in future Hyundai Motor Group vehicles. We want to make our customers’ lives as easy and enjoyable as possible. Our personal electric scooter makes first- and last-mile commuting a joy while helping to reduce congestion and emissions in city centres.”

To enhance the usability of the e-scooter features, there is a digital display that shows battery status and speed.  During the night, it is equipped with two curved fronts LED headlights and two rear tail lamps. Looking at further potential development, the group plans to install a regenerative braking system to increase the scooter’s range by 7 per cent.