It looks like a CGI rendering, I know— but the new SUS 1 is very real. It owes its unique look to the very think that promises to make it a unique ride, as well. See, instead of a traditional frame or even an all-steel unibody like a Vespa PX or Royal Alloy/Lambretta, it uses a entirely new construction method that takes a sheet of steel, then folds it origami-style into something that is both frame and body, but not quite either.
In other words: the SUS 1 (for “Sport Utility Scooter, 1st Edition”) is a trip.
First shown back in 2020 as a pure concept, the Swedish-designed STILRIDE is the brainchild of industrial designer Tue Beijer, whose resume includes a stint working with legendary car designer Giotto Bizzarrini (designer of the classic Ferrari 250 GTO, which happens to be the world’s most expensive car). Beijer’s own love of old Vespas and Lambrettas drove him to design his own steel-bodied scoot, and that’s— well, this.
STILRIDE – made through STILFOLD
That’s something, isn’t it? At the moment, we don’t know too much about specifics on the bike. Still, the company claims the STILRIDE will be purely electric and offer a 100 km top speed (62 mph) and about 120 km of range (75 miles). That’s a tall ask, but for the Vespa-inspired cousin of the Sondors Metacycle? Let’s just say that I’m rooting for Beijer to see this one through to the end. The scooter market has needed a new icon since the Ruckus took over in the early aughts, and I (for one) think something like this could be just what it needs.
That’s just me, though— and I am admittedly prone to hype when it comes to scooters (As Johnna is an Elon Musk apologist, I’m probably a Scooterworks apologist!), so don’t go placing any pre-orders on my account. Head on down to the comments, instead, and let us know what you think of the origami scooter. Would you buy one over a Vespa? Over the Sondors? You tell us.
Source | Images: STILRIDE, via RideApart.
Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Former Tesla Battery Expert Leading Lyten Into New Lithium-Sulfur Battery Era — Podcast:
I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps — gasp — grow. So ...
