How can the appearance of electric vehicles be changed? A new design from a German manufacturer may refresh you. However, pricing may also completely subvert the market framework.
Tired of rounded electric scooters or is always paying homage to the Vespa missing something? German start-up Naon's electric scooter Zero-One may subvert your imagination.
Its shape is so unique that no one can say what will steal the eye at first glance but what will definitely be noticed is its transparent front windshield, elongated front and rear footrests, exposed front fork, centered rear shock absorber, and trapezoidal seat cushion storage box.
The Zero-One is not just about looks. It is equipped with an electric motor with a maximum power of 10 kW and a constant power of 7 kW but the most amazing thing is that this is a hub motor which is directly integrated with the rear axle, making the configuration extremely simple. Simply put, it's a Gogoro Viva but with the same power as the Gogoro S3.
The entire scooter is built around an aluminum alloy frame and is equipped with ABS disc brakes which enable it to run at an amazing speed of 100 kilometers per hour when outputting its highest power.
The key battery component installed under the footrest adopts the same removable design as the Gogoro. From its appearance, it is obviously designed to be thin and flat to achieve a low center of gravity. The official battery capacity is 2.4 kWh which is almost the same as two Gogoro batteries, so it can be speculated to have a similar battery life.
Sporting a sci-fi appearance and coupled with powerful dynamic performance, the Zero-One will definitely tempt many enthusiastic riders and now comes the time to put out that fire.
First of all, the official minimum price is 4,920 euros (about NT$150,000) but that is for the L1e version with reduced power and a top speed of only 45 kilometers per hour. The most powerful L3e version is priced at 6,420 euros (about NT$200,000) and this price does not include the battery.
Owners have two options to choose from, buying a battery for 1,000 euros (about NT$30,000) or renting a battery for 25 euros per month (about NT$1,000).
Another fact to extinguish the fire is that this scooter has not been officially delivered since it was announced in the first quarter of 2021. The company does not expect to hand over the first batch of limited pre-orders until the second quarter of 2023 and the official launch may not be until the second half of 2023. Judging from the history of multiple electric vehicle startups, this is usually not a good sign.
After all, no matter how handsome or unique a prototype vehicle is, if it cannot be mass-produced or an effective business model cannot be established, it will eventually disappear like a bubble.
However, from the Zero-One to Yamaha EMF, it can be seen that vehicle manufacturers have also felt the market changes and have begun to explore different vehicle building concepts, instead of being restricted by the original design of fuel vehicles. Maybe this year and next year, we can look forward to more innovative electric scooter products appearing on the market.
（Image：Naon）