• Living in Barcelona, it’s incredibly easy to not need to own a car. Walking is my usual way of getting around. Everything is really no more than 20 minutes away by foot, and if you want to go further or get places faster, the bike share program makes it so simple. Still, what if there was an even easier way to get around? This seems to be what Honda is thinking with the upcoming release of the Motocompacto, due to be released in November.

    Honda - Motocompacto Scooter

    The Motocompacto is a new electric scooter is inspired by the Motocompo scooters Honda released in the 1980s. It is designed to be used “for the last leg of commutes” (which is carmaker jargon, you do not need a car to own this) and has a range of 12 miles on a full charge and a top speed of 15 miles per hour. For someone like me, 12 miles would be plenty, as it’s about 6 miles to get to the sea from my apartment in the center of the city, Eixample. It weighs less than 50 pounds, imagine carrying a heavy pice of luggage around, and has zero emissions.

    I would love to see one of these in-person to understand the scale, as well as try riding it around to see how smooth or bumpy the ride feels. As for the design, I love the suitcase look and feel, it’s giving 80s anime vibes. I’ve seen a lot of “you’ll like a dork riding this around” commentary, but like, who cares what other people think if it works for your life? Hopefully we see more out-of-the-box mobility solutions on the horizon.

    Honda - Motocompacto Scooter