Honda has a new e-scooter called the Motocompacto, which has an aesthetic that I would describe as ‘irresistibly, heartbreakingly dorky and adorable.’ The all-electric Motocompacto is inspired by the Motocompo the company sold in the early 1980s, which also featured a foldable design but which of course featured an internal-combustion engine.
The new Motocompacto features an updated, but still retro look, with an all-white body that looks vaguely 1950s pop sci-fi. The scooter folds down for portability, and has a total range of 12 miles, with a battery that charges to full in 3.5 hours with its onboard charger using a standard household outlet. It will retail for just $995, and will actually go on sale at Honda and Acura dealers in November, in case you were thinking this was just a concept (you’d be forgiven for that mistake).
Honda’s original 1980s Motocompo personal scooter
Honda’s Motocompacto has a top speed of 15mph, and it’s aimed at first- and last-mile transportation needs. It also works with a dedicated app that can store and set things like lighting and ride modes, similar to other e-scooters out on the market. Honda points out also that this is a uniquely American design, since it’s the result of the work of Honda engineers from Ohio and California.
Since this thing will definitely breed superfans like myself, Honda is also offering a full lineup of branded accessories, including a backpack and apparel, as well as more functional add-ons like a helmet. And that broad white surface is intentionally designed to make you want to pepper it with stickers for bringing your own unique character to this sweet boxy boy.
Kudos to Honda for continually making things weird. Pardon me while I update my business cards to read ‘Darrell “Motocompacto” Etherington.’