Red Bull’s all-terrain e-scooter is made for maniacs with very deep pockets
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The Oracle Red Bull Racing team has unveiled its upcoming vehicle, but it is not a Formula 1 race car. It’s a new e-scooter.
The machine, also known as the RBS #01, is the result of a two-year collaboration between Red Bull Racing F1 engineers and eBike manufacturer N Plus (opens in new tab). Despite an association with race cars, this next summer won’t be the fastest e-scooter in the world. The developers focused instead on develop a robust commuter device (opens in new tab) with an emphasis on steering. Although the RBS will probably be a rare sight on the street due to its limited availability and high price tag.
Lightweight and fast
Starting with its stats, the RBS has a top speed of 45 kilometers per hour (about 28 miles per hour) and a range of 60 kilometers (about 37 miles). Although it has above-average speed and range, it is slower compared to comparable Kugoo Kirin G3 (opens in new tab)scooter for example. But the RRBS can accelerate faster thanks to the scooter’s 80 newton meters or NM torque. Driving the scooter forward is a 750W motor which in turn is powered by a 760Wh battery. It takes five hours to fully charge.
The most interesting thing about the RBS is its construction and possible handling. With a chassis made entirely of carbon fiber, it weighs 23 kilograms (just over 50 pounds), so it’s a bit heavy for a scooter. The weight is probably due to the size of various components. The RBS comes with an “oversized deck and wheel package”, although the website (opens in new tab) does not say how wide the deck is.
The scooter has “high-performance tires” made of a soft compound rubber that makes it “glue” to the road, according to Red Bull Racing. They are a hefty 11 inches in diameter so you can roll over potholes with ease. Inside the wheels is a four-piston hydraulic braking system, so you can “stop like a race car”.
If you look at the steering wheel, you’ll see a small LCD display with the speed, an LED headlight on the front and a small thumb throttle on the right. There are no extra cables present, so you won’t be bothered by clutter.
Tough and yet pricey
Read through the RBS technical page (opens in new tab), you will see that Red Bull Racing took extra care to ensure that the scooter can handle the rigors of the road. It can make jumps, falls and slams on the ground with seemingly little to no damage, according to Red Bull Racing. Red Bull Racing even claims that the RBS is “designed to withstand 3G loads”. We reached out to find out exactly what this means. “3G” most likely refers to the level of g-force the RBS can handle, making it a pretty solid scooter. This story will be updated if we hear anything.
All of this can be yours for a whopping $6,000. You can pre-order now on the Red Bull Racing website, where you must first pay a $600 deposit for the scooter. From there, you can pay off the rest of the $5,400 through a zero-interest installment plan. As mentioned, there will be limited stock, although it is unknown how many will be available.
It’s certainly a decent investment for a high-end e-scooter like the RBS. If you want something that won’t break the bank and still perform well, check it out! our list of the best electric scooters for 2022.