Segway electric scooters ride across the US as company teases e-moped

Whereas most electrical scooters are used for last-mile type trips as city transportation options, they’ll sometimes be seen making for much longer journeys. Living proof is the primary identified trans-America electrical scooter journey, which was simply accomplished yesterday.

The feat was sponsored by Segway, who offered Graham Pollard with six of Segway’s Ninebot KickScooter MAX electrical scooters for a coast-to-coast journey.

The MAX scooters had been an improve to the early Segway M365 electric scooter and boosted the utmost vary to round 25 miles (40 km) per cost. Graham accomplished the journey in simply over two months, swapping out scooters as every battery was depleted to keep away from ready round whereas the scooters charged.

Graham’s two pals Brandon Bedford and Christian Boyle adopted alongside in a help van, although Graham himself principally caught to the TransAmerica Path, a bicycle path that runs throughout the US.

Graham’s objective for the journey was to boost funds for COVID-19 aid for his native camp William Lawrence.

Segway hosted the trio for a celebratory occasion in Florence, Oregon, yesterday, the place they marked the primary profitable trans-America electrical scooter journey.

As Graham exclaimed shortly after crossing the end line of the journey:

Now that we’ve got completed I’m past thrilled concerning the journey we accomplished. I constructed a whole lot of character, had some as soon as in a lifetime experiences, and met some wonderful folks alongside the best way. Above all else, I’m stoked to have confirmed that the Ninebot KickScooter Max is able to making it throughout the nation, and to develop into the primary individual to have accomplished such a problem!

On the occasion, Segway additionally teased the US launch of their new electrical moped, the Segway eMoped C.

In contrast to lots of the electric “nopeds” we’ve seen recently, Segway’s model is a real moped with purposeful pedals.

Nonetheless, like most of those trendy electrical mopeds, the pedals are largely vestigial with riders inserting their ft on the floorboard of the moped.

The highest velocity of 15.5 mph (25 km/h) would preserve the Segway eMoped C categorised as a category 2 e-bike within the US. That will permit it to journey in nearly any bike lane or public avenue.

Final yr Segway confirmed that there could be a number of variations with totally different battery packs providing ranges of 25, 37, and 46 miles (45, 60, and 75 km).

It seems that Segway plans to deliver the longest-range model to the US, with a launch date set for This autumn of this yr.

Electrek’s Take

To start with, congratulations to Graham and his crew for the spectacular feat of a 4,000-mile (6,400 km) scooter journey! I just lately did my very own (a lot shorter) scooter journey the place I examined the 62-mile (100 km) vary declare on the EMove Cruiser electric scooter, and after three hours of scooting I really discovered that the scooter exceeded the claimed range (see my video under).

Even simply three hours of using a scooter was a bit draining; I can’t think about doing it for 2 months!

I additionally suppose the information of the Segway eMoped C coming to the US is thrilling as nicely. I want they’d make a US-specific model with a better velocity of 20 mph (32 km/h) as an alternative of sticking to the Chinese language model that conforms to China’s 15.5 mph (25 km/h) velocity restrict.

However who is aware of…. there’s nonetheless time.

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