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Motorsport organization Formula E has launched a new partnership with Zinc Sports by launching the first of several upcoming products: the Zinc Formula E GZ1 eelectric scooter.
Formula E is best known for championing electric vehicles with its racing series; however, the organization decided to more modest route with the GZ1 (opens in new tab). For £400 (almost $500) you get a lightweight urban cruiser with a 20km battery range and a top speed of 15.5mph, powered by a 250W motor. get from point A to point B comfortably. Zinc Sports continues that the GZ1 comes with a “built-in gyroscopic system that controls speed, absorbs shock and provides stability to ensure a comfortable ride.” In addition, the scooter stands on 9-inch puncture-proof tires to ride over bumps.
Other possibilities
Other notable features include a Smart Energy Recovery System in the battery. It’s a regenerative system that uses braking or going downhill to recover some energy. The scooter has a series of “intelligent lights” that turn on automatically under certain conditions. Whenever you turn more than 15 degrees, the turn signals automatically activate to let those behind you know where you’re going. Like cars, the GZ1’s headlights and taillights turn on instantly when it detects that the sun has set. The scooter is also fairly lightweight clocking in at 14.7 kg (about 32 lbs) and can be easily stored thanks to the foldable handlebars.
The GZ1 e-scooter is currently only available in the UK. However, there are plans for a US release where it will retail for $484. It is currently listed as sold out on the US website, but according to a company representative, that will change once the GZ1 is in stock.
Formula E also plans to launch six other products: a mid-range kick scooter, two other e-scooters and three e-bike models. All of these will be released periodically in 2023, but there are no concrete dates for any of them.
Possible trend
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time a race team has teamed up with an e-scooter brand.
At the beginning of November, the Oracle Red Bull Racing organization returned unveiled the RBS #01. However, instead of being an easy city cruiser, this was a souped-up machine with a top speed of 28 mph with 80 newton meters of torque for rapid acceleration. The mad scientists behind the RBS made it exceptionally hard because it “can withstand 3G load”. Just be prepared to pay six times the price of the GZ1.
If you prefer something cheaper and it’s available in the US, check out TechRadar’s list of the best cheap electric scooters. We recently updated it for you last minute Christmas shoppers.