Audi's e-Scooter-Skateboard Hybrid 'Handles Like Surfing'

Audi has unveiled a concept for a hybrid e-scooter-skateboard that it says "responds to the urban trend towards multi-modal mobility."

Named the Audi e-tron scooter, the new quirky model might provide a glimpse of the future for light mobility city exploration.

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To skate or to scoot: why not both at the same time?

Unveiled in a statement by Audi, the car company says the e-tron scooter weighs 12 kg and is easily transportable by car, bus or train.

The scooter-skateboard hybrid, Audi says, "stands out thanks to its handling, which is like surfing waves."

The rider will have one hand free while steering with the other. Still, they will have to shift their weight to maneuver in the same way as a traditional skateboard. 

Production and sales of the e-tron scooter are planned for late 2020. It will be priced at roughly €2,000.

Multi-modal sustainability

“With the Audi e-tron Scooter, we appeal to customers who are on the move in cities, sustainably and multi-modally – and for whom style and functionality are important,” Thorsten Schrader, project manager for micro-mobility at Audi says in the statement.

The movable axles with four wheels, Audi claims, allow for unusually tight curves.

“Of course the e-tron Scooter also moves straight ahead. But the feeling of flow only comes when you start carving on asphalt – and that is surprisingly easy with our new concept,” Schrader says.

Brake recharging

Aside from providing the rider with stability, the steering handle holds the battery, the electronics and a display that shows battery readings.

A twist grip allows for acceleration, and the range of the e-tron scooter is approximately 20 kilometers, Audi says. It will travel at speeds of up to 20 km/h (12.5 mph).

The scooter hybrid recovers charge with kinetic energy while the rider is braking. A hydraulic foot brake provides additional safety.

Audi says its designers are working on wood as well as carbon decks and designs in gray and black. Starting in 2020, they will hope the wave of micromobility vehicles is still riding high.