A new plug and play transportation vehicle will soon be on the market that adds convenience to city life.
The Vectrix VT-1, ‘tall wheel’ e-scooter includes interchangeable lithium batteries that can be removed from the vehicle and plugged directly into a standard electric outlet. What’s different and innovative about the design is its ease of use. To charge the battery, simply lift up the seat, remove the battery cover and pull the batteries out. This is particularly attractive to city dwellers who are not able to charge an entire vehicle through the night because of lack of a carport or garage.
It also has an option for removing the back for expanded storage, and an LCD command screen with animated digital communications. Another innovative feature is the fact that it transforms into a fleet vehicle if needed, giving it the nickname "the transformer" among designers.
The scooter was designed by
ROBRADY, a product design and development firm headquartered in Sarasota. The manufacturing and engineering was done by partner company,
Vectrix.
ROBRADY has been designing scooters with Vectrix for years, but this is the first time all of these components have come together in one product.
"This one is a watershed moment for us," comments Rob Brady, CEO and Design Director for ROBRADY. "It has been exciting and dynamic to try to figure out how everything works in such a clean, tight electric vehicle."
All in all, the design took 18 months and was done with the use of clay modeling, prototypes and a lot of testing.
The scooter has a range of 55 miles on a full charge and can reach a speed of 62 miles per hour.
The product was unveiled in early November in Milan, Italy and will be available in the United States in 2014.
ROBRADY has been in Sarasota for over 20 years and has five buildings, with just under 50 employees.
Writer:
Megan Hendricks
Source: Rob Brady, ROBRADY
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