The Chinese group Jiangsu Snail Zhixing Technology has developed a new type of electric scooter, the major advantage of which does not go unnoticed since the machine is literally covered with solar panels. All this is not necessarily in the best taste, but could prove to be terribly effective. This machine is currently taking its first steps in Europe, being demonstrated at the Eurobike 2023 show, which runs until Sunday June 25 in Frankfurt (Germany).
A future in city centres?
The solar panels here cover the entire steering column and the plate of the one that has been baptized S80 Solar Scooter. If the scooter is parked outside, its battery can be automatically recharged to about 50% in a single day, or between 15 and 20 km of autonomy, which is very sufficient for moderate use.
In theory, its manufacturer announces that it would take about 14 hours of full sun to fully recharge it. Ditto, charging by solar energy would double the life of the battery. Note that a screen integrated into the handlebars allows you to control its level of charge in addition to its cruising speed (legally limited to 25 km/h).
In theory, this solar-powered scooter project promises zero charging cost, with zero CO2 emissions into the air. Will this beautiful promise be accessible to all? Neither its price nor its availability have yet been announced. This scooter could in any case be of interest to some self-service fleet operators.