Honda’s suitcase-style micro scooter is a brilliantly impractical way to commute

By James On Sep 15, 2023

Honda breathes new life into an old scooter and brings it into the modern age, now with a suitcase-like design called the Motocompacto.

Directly inspired by the MotoCompo from the 80sThe new electric scooter is compact, measuring 21.1 H x 29.2 L x 3.7 W inches when folded, making it easy to fit in the back of a car. There’s even a leather strap on the top for easy carrying, even though it can be a pain to lug around.

The Moto compacto clocks in at 41.3 pounds, making it on the heavier side among the best e-scooters outside. When you’re ready to ride, you can unfold the handlebars, saddle, wheels, and a few other components, and when you expand it, the overall size increases to 35 H x 38.1 L x 17.2 W inches.

In addition, the handlebar features an integrated LED screen that displays the speedometer next to the battery level, according to The Verge.

Functions

As a vehicle you won’t get far with it. The company describes the Motocompacto as a “fun ‘first and last mile’ solution”. In other words, you are supposed to use the scooter to get around the neighborhood. The 490 W electric motor has a top speed of 24 km/h with a maximum range of up to 19 km. Moreover, it accelerates to 24 km/h in seven seconds. You can’t drive around town, but if you need a quick ride from point A to point B, the Motocompacto can get the job done.

However, there is one potentially problematic aspect of Honda’s scooter. It takes 3.5 hours to fully charge, so your next ride will take a while. But compared to the other e-scooters like the NIO KQi3 Pro which has a charging time of six hours, three hours isn’t that bad. Additionally, the Motocompacto comes with a 110V plug, the standard three-pronged input that Americans will be most familiar with. You can simply plug the scooter into an old socket to charge.

Availability

The Motocompacto e-scooter will launch in November in the United States for $995, where it will be for sale online or at select “Honda and Acura Car Dealers.” The company has plans to release a “smart phone app” that will allow riders to adjust personal settings, lighting configuration and riding modes via Bluetooth, although no release date has been given for the app.

From what I’ve seen of it, the Motocompacto is a pretty cool scooter, even if it looks a little weird, but it’s meant to be fun, not flashy. Plus, the blank white sides leave it open for all kinds of customization options, like stickers, decals and the like. As seen in the official trailer, you can do a lot with the blank canvas-like sides.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the Motocompacto will go international. A company representative told TechRadar that since the scooter was an “American-led development”, it will only be available in the US. They have no plans for “other markets” at this time.

While we have you, we recommend checking out TechRadar’s list of the best electric scooters for students in 2023 as the school year starts to pick up

Honda’s suitcase-style micro scooter is a brilliantly impractical way to commute

Functions

Availability

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