It can be nicknamed with names like powerbank with wheels or motorized suitcase, but Honda’s electric mini-vehicle designed for micro-mobility and heir to the legendary 80s moped has arrived (at least in the United States) and, with its mini-wheels, plans to take thousands of passengers and users to their destinations. If you are young enough to use your memory and old enough to have memories of the 80s, you probably have already seen a micro moped that Honda produced at that time. It was called Motocomp and was launched in 1983. Its goal was to be folded and stored in the trunk of small Japanese urban vehicles, particularly the tiny Honda City, and then used to cover the last kilometer of congested traffic or LTZ. At that time, the propulsion was naturally gasoline and this was most likely one of the reasons for its lack of success. Production was discontinued after only two years. The idea of carrying a moped that could leak oil or fuel mixture into the trunk or scald you when storing it, I think was not at the top of motorists’ ambitions, even at the height of the boomer and petrolhead era. Much less today, when there is the electric.
Here, the idea of the Motocompact returns to take shape, or rather, takes the form of a suitcase. In fact, it is the missing link between a scooter, an ebike, and a trolley and manages to combine the critical aspects of all three categories. From the stability of the first to the “sex appeal” of the third, passing through the price of the second. The maximum speed is naturally below 25 km/h, but I would say it is sufficient and legal. The motor is in the front wheel and produces 450 W, while there is no information about the battery, although the range should be about 20 km, as well as around twenty kilograms in weight (18.7 to be more precise). So, it’s not very light, but it’s not a disaster either. If we don’t suffer from a herniated disc, we can take it out of the trunk of our electric SUV, lift the seat and handlebars, and unfold the pedals to assemble it. There is also a small LED screen that allows you to set the driving modes, check the speed and battery level. It can also be connected via Bluetooth through a universal app to add some more options, including, we assume, geolocation in case you misplace it. As for charging, we are talking about three and a half hours with a 110 V charger that can be carried in a special space, in case you want to charge it under your desk in the office.
When fully folded, the Motocompacto is only 9.4 cm wide, 74 cm long, and 54 cm high. The frame is made of aluminum and has a security ring to attach it to bike locks. Currently, it is sold in the US for 995 dollars (about 930 euros) and only online. We do not know when it will arrive in Europe, but we hope it will be very soon, of course.
