The scooter market is constantly expanding and the model that could revolutionize it is coming from China: will it arrive in Italy?
The need to reduce CO2 emissions in cities and in the environment in general also entails the need to make different types of choices for daily mobility. The automotive sector is focusing strongly on the production of hybrid cars and electric cars, an obligatory choice which here in Italy, for example, is encouraged by the state to encourage the transition to the use of ecological vehicles and accelerate a complex and lengthy process of change.
Another of the changes that is beginning to be radical within Italian cities is the establishment of ZTL zonesor limited traffic, in which it is not possible to circulate on board particular cars or mopeds. This too is a measure aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the air and making pedestrian mobility in urban centers of historical and tourist interest more pleasant and safe. The introduction of these access bans makes it necessary to use public transport such as the underground, trams and buses in historic centres, or to use electric scooters.
At the same time as the introduction of the ZTL, in fact, rental services and the supply of electric scooters are being born, which are used by tourists and residents to move faster and with less effort from one point of the city to another. For those who live near or right in the center of the city, therefore, the owning an electric scooter may have become a convenience of no small importance, also because it would avoid the daily rental and would allow him to cover the distance between the home and the rental area.
Segway-Ninebot, the scooter of the future from China: but in Italy we won’t be able to use it
Currently the scooters that can be rented or bought are all without a seat, but from China images arrive of a model that not only has a comfortable seat on which to rest, but even a front compartment in which to store the bag, suitcase or shopping. The model of scooter to which we refer is called Segway-Ninebot and has a cost of 2,999 Yuan (about 400 euros). This interesting means of transport is equipped with UIFI technology for recharging, but it can also be turned on via NFC. Only 1.2 meters long and weighing 33 kilograms, the Segway-Ninebot reaches a maximum speed of 32 k/h and can travel up to 45 kilometers on a single charge. The vehicle is also equipped with an e-ABS braking system and cruise control.
Too good to be true? Well yes, not because the medium doesn’t exist, but simply because it cannot be homologated in Italy. The rules on the approval of scooters are established by the European Union and provide that scooters cannot have a seat, but also that they cannot exceed 500W of power and 20k/h speed. Furthermore, the Segway-Ninbot does not even have side arrows that allow the user to indicate the direction he is taking. In short, this miniscooter, without the appropriate modifications for our market, can never be sold in Italy.
