We first discovered the WalkCar ” a stand-on, electric-powered scooter that looks like a laptop with four wheels attached ” back in 2015, when Cocoa Motors available for sale, for a little over $2,600.
Unlike an electric scooter that puts all of the acceleration and braking controls on the handlebars, the WalkCar works more like the two-wheeled hoverboards that were all the rage a while ago, minus the balancing part and, hopefully, the terrifying random fires. Riders accelerate, brake, and steer by shifting their body weight forward and back, and side to side, while riding on the WalkCar.
Weighing in at around 2.9 kilograms the WalkCar can hit speeds of 10 km/h in normal mode, or up to 16 km/h in its sport mode, which, understandably, reduces its range from 7 km down to about 5 km. However, according to the Cocoa Motors website, all testing was done with a rider who weighed 60 kg. The company doesn’t specify what the weight limit for the WalkCar is, but anyone heavier than the test rider can probably expect to see reduced range.
If you’re on the hunt for an alternative to a car for your daily commute, $2,600+ is a bit pricey, given you can get alternatives like the excellent Unagi scooter for a little under $1,600 and with a promised range upwards of 26 km in ideal conditions. Even half of that is twice as far as the WalkCar can run before it needs a charge. Where the WalkCar appears to outperform everything else, however, is portability. You can hop off it at a moment’s notice and then easily stash it in any bag or backpack that can accommodate a laptop.
It might be the most compact personal mobility device we’ve ever seen, with a footprint even smaller than skateboards or inline skates. The only thing that possibly bests it are those wheeled Heelys shoes, but you’re probably not 10 years old any more.