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| Not even a little black number can make the Boxx electric scooter look stylish, but the modular aluminium boxes and all-wheel-drive system may yet go on to become as iconic as the Land Drover Defender. |
THE future of transport will offer a personalised unit to fit any
ego, and Boxx Coporation, the makers of the two-wheel drive Boxx electric
scooter, said they are ready to deliver the most pragmatic way to get to point
B.
Witness Motoring reported on the Portland-based team
of engineers modular scooter in 2012, and they say their design is now as
efficient, effective and stable as two-wheeled transport can get with current
technology.
It contains no fluids or chains, which together with its short
length means the Boxx easily and cleanly stays in-doors, but this is not for
modern city roads only.
Build like an old Land Rover from aluminium, the Boxx won’t rust at
sea level. Its makers say it also makes short work of potholes while a 16 cm
ground clearance makes it good for rural areas too, where the high torque from
three motors will even enable it to pull a small trailer.
To celebrate these achievements, Boxx will stick a number on each
Boxx being built from now to year end before delivering it as one of a Signature
Series.
Measuring up at just one metre long, the Boxx can do up to 97 km,
using the 111 Newton metres generate of a three-phase brushless motor.
This is more torque than most 1,2 petrol engines make, but
experience with fully electric scooters suggests this speed will come down to a
crawl up KZN’s hills. Not so, claims Boxx on its website, where it says the Boxx
can carry up to 136 kg “up any street hill under that payload”, including hills
with a 20% grading.
Depending on the number of batteries, Boxx said the three models of
Boxx scooters can ride on a level road for 32 km up to to 86 km, riding
constantly at top speed.
The batteries are installed at floor level, giving it a low centre
of gravity, while a proprietary surface sensor and braking system ensures safe
handling.
Boxx said despite the scooter measuring only a metre long, it has
at least a third more packing space than the average scooter, with the nose
opening up to swallow handbags or the seat lifting to take an open-face
helmet.
As for ordering one, Wheels suggest you rather buy a
used car with one of those small petrol engines on OLX, for it may be cheaper
than a new Boxx.
The pricing starts at a little over R43 000 for the base,
rear-wheel-drive model and jumps to over R71 600 for the all-wheel-drive Boxx
M.
Note this, prices do not include any of the options, like a heated
seat, which does makes the asking price for a metre-long moped rather high, even
for one this unique.
